In the age of streaming entertainment, it can be hard to leave the couch. But movie theaters still offer a special experience for those willing to get out of the house. Want to see what's out there? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Louisville.
Here are the highest rated films to catch, based on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer Score, which reflects the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics.
(Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango. Movie ratings and showtimes are subject to change.)
'Avengers: Endgame'
After the devastating events of "Avengers: Infinity War", the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble together again in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
With a Tomatometer Score of 95 percent and an Audience Score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Avengers: Endgame" has become a favorite since its release on April 26. The "San Diego Reader"'s Matthew Lickona said, "The MCU will go on and on, but this chapter - and the American pragmatism vs. American ideals bromance that drove it - have well and truly come to their "Excelsior! Nuff said!" moment," while Dana Stevens of Slate noted, " 'Endgame' consists almost entirely of the downtime scenes that were always secretly everyone's favorite parts of these movies anyway."
It's playing at Baxter Avenue Theatres and Filmworks (1250 Bardstown Road), Preston Crossings 16 (9700 Preston Crossing Blvd.), and Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD (4400 Towne Center Drive) through Wednesday, May 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
'Us'
Husband and wife, Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house, expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.
With a Tomatometer Score of 94 percent and an Audience Score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on March 22.
"'Us' revolves around an allegory that's more elastic and resistant to parsing than megahit 'Get Out,'" according to Alison Willmore of BuzzFeed News, while the Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs said, "it achieves an insidious, lingering effect that's rarer in the horror genre."
Get a piece of the action at Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD (4400 Towne Center Drive) through Wednesday, May 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
'Penguins'
This is the story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo, the emperor penguin, they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.
With a Tomatometer Score of 91 percent and an Audience Score of 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Penguins" has become a favorite since its release on April 17.
"It took 16 cinematographers three years to capture the stunning images in this doc about an Adelie penguin (anthropomorphically voiced by Ed Helms) coming of age during a freezing Antarctic spring. Go for the film's thrilling sense of wonder," noted Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone," while the Globe and Mail's Brad Wheeler said, "A sweet, playful coming-of-age documentary"
Interested? It's playing at Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD (4400 Towne Center Drive) through Wednesday, May 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
'Shazam!'
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
With a Tomatometer Score of 90 percent and an Audience Score of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shazam!" has proven a solid option since its release on April 5. "Time Out"'s Joshua Rothkopf said, "For a long, glorious stretch, 'Shazam! 'plays like the anti-Nolan antidote it is," and Salon.com's Matthew Rozsa noted, "'Shazam!' is the funniest, sweetest and most innocent movie in the DC Extended Universe - a sign that it is at last ready to compete with Marvel."
It's playing at Preston Crossings 16 (9700 Preston Crossing Blvd.) and Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD (4400 Towne Center Drive) through Wednesday, May 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
'Missing Link'
The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost considers himself to be the world's foremost investigator of myths and monsters. Trouble is, none of his small-minded, high-society peers seems to recognize this. Hoping to finally gain acceptance from these fellow adventurers, Sir Lionel travels to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature known as the missing link.
With a Tomatometer Score of 89 percent and an Audience Score of 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Missing Link" has been getting attention since its release on April 12. "Boston Globe"'s Tom Russo said, "Stick around for the end credits to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the heroes' elephant ride across India. The animators particularly strive to offer a fresh take on their final destination," while David Sims of the Atlantic stated, "Amid the noisy, epic action of most kid-oriented features, this film's story is clear and effective: a sweet-hearted narrative of how friendship can broaden one's horizons."
You can catch it at Preston Crossings 16 (9700 Preston Crossing Blvd.) and Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD (4400 Towne Center Drive) through Wednesday, May 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
This story was created automatically using local movie data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
