Want to see a movie, but not sure what's worthwhile? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around San Diego.
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.)
Paris Is Burning
A chronicle of New York City's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 100% and an Audience Score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, this '90s flick is a must-see, with the Chicago Reader's Jonathan Rosenbaum saying, "One emerges from this film not only with a new vocabulary and a fresh way of viewing the straight world but with a bracing object lesson in understanding what society 'role models' are all about."
You can catch it at Digital Gym Cinema (2921 El Cajon Blvd.) through 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% and an Audience Score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Toy Story 4" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on June 21.
"[Director 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."
It's playing at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas - Del Mar (12905 El Camino Real), AMC Fashion Valley 18 (7037 Friars Road), Reading Cinemas Town Square (4665 Clairemont Drive) and Angelika Film Center & Cafe Carmel Mountain (11620 Carmel Mt. Road) through Wednesday, July 3. 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% and an Audience Score of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Booksmart" has been a must-watch since its release on May 24.
"It's more John Hughes than Judd Apatow, and it's a little more 'Bridesmaids' than 'Lady Bird'...a success on [its] own terms," noted Kristen Evans of The New Republic, while Salon's Erin Keane said, "'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 AMC Fashion Valley 18 (7037 Friars Road) and ArcLight La Jolla (4425 La Jolla Village Drive) through Monday, July 1. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Midsommar
A young couple travels to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown and attend its mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly descends into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
Set to be released on Wednesday, July 3, "Midsommar" already has a Tomatometer Score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The AV Club's A.A. Dowd said, "This is, in other words, a less perfectly crafted nightmare than [writer-director Ari] Aster's last one. But there's a deranged integrity to its sprawl, and to the filmmaker's willingness to embrace the darkest, most unsparing aspects of human desire," and Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt noted, "The skin-pricking pleasures of 'Midsommar' aren't rational, they're instinctive: a thrilling, seasick free-fall into the light."
It will screen at AMC Fashion Valley 18 (7037 Friars Road), Reading Cinemas Town Square (4665 Clairemont Drive), Angelika Film Center & Cafe Carmel Mountain (11620 Carmel Mt. Road) and ArcLight La Jolla (4425 La Jolla Village Drive). Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.
With a Tomatometer Score of 94% and an Audience Score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" has become a favorite since its release on June 7. The Detroit News's Adam Graham said, "'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' is poignant filmmaking with an invigorating spirit," while Soren Andersen of the Seattle Times stated, "The acting by the two principals is impeccable; their portrait of male friendship is deeply felt."
Get a piece of the action at AMC Fashion Valley 18 (7037 Friars Road) through Sunday, June 30; Angelika Film Center & Cafe Carmel Mountain (11620 Carmel Mt. Road) through Wednesday, July 3; and AMC La Jolla 12 (8657 Villa La Jolla Drive) through Saturday, June 29. 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.
