Need date night ideas? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Austin.
Read on for 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.)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott. Bringing the extraterrestrial into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as the alien is dubbed, to his brother and his little sister, Gertie, and the children decide to keep its existence a secret. Soon, however, E.T. falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both Elliott and the alien.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 72 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1982 release is a must-see.
The Associated Press's Bob Thomas said, "This is a real movie, with all those elements that have proved sure-fire through history; laughter, tears, involvement, thrills, wonderment. (Director) Steven Spielberg also adds a message: Human beings and spacelings should learn to co-exist," while Martin Kent of the Hollywood Reporter noted, "Spielberg has crafted with warmth and humor a simple fantasy that works so superbly on so many levels that it will surely attract masses of moviegoers from all demographics."
It's screening at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (320 E. Sixth St.) on Saturday, June 29 and Wednesday, July 3. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Toy Story 4
Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called "Forky" to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 72 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Toy Story 4" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on June 21.
"(Josh) Cooley's film quickens and deepens," according to Anthony Lane of the New Yorker, while Salon's Matthew Rozsa said, "The latest installment, 'Toy Story 4,' is perhaps the bleakest (and most beautiful) of them all."
You can catch it at AMC Barton Creek Square 14 (2901 Capital Of Texas Highway) through Sunday July 7. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
A Hard Day's Night
Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, "A Hard Day's Night" is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this mid-century classic is a critical darling.
"('Hard Day's Night') adds up to a breathless, sometimes funny film maybe even worth a squeal or two," noted Mike McGrady of Newsday."
It's screening at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane (5701 W. Slaughter Lane) on Sunday, June 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Booksmart
Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "'Booksmart' has proven to be a critical darling since its release on May 24.
The New Republic's Kristen Evans said, "It's more John Hughes than Judd Apatow, and it's a little more 'Bridesmaids' than 'Lady Bird'... a success on (its) own terms," and Salon's Erin Keane noted, '"Booksmart' puts a fresh spin on the coming-of-age night-of comedy because it's focused on two girls, one of whom is also queer."
It's screening at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar) through Thursday, July 4. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Jaws
When an insatiable great white shark terrorizes the townspeople of Amity Island, the police chief, an oceanographer and a grizzled shark hunter seek to destroy the bloodthirsty beast.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1975 release has been a favorite of critics.
Newsweek's Arthur Cooper said, "'Jaws' is a grisly film, often ugly as sin, which achieves precisely what it set out to accomplish — scare the hell out of you," while Gary Arnold of Washington Post stated, "I don't think there's a more exciting talent at work right now than (director Steven) Spielberg, an authentic moviemaking prodigy, and perhaps his worst problem from June 20, 1975, on will be preventing success from making a nervous or artistic wreck of him."
It's screening at Galaxy Highland 10 (6700 Middle Fiskville Road ) on Sunday, June 30, Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4. 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.
