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From 'North by Northwest' to 'The Shining,' here's what to see in theaters now

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Published on June 07, 2019
From 'North by Northwest' to 'The Shining,' here's what to see in theaters nowImage: North by Northwest/TMDb

In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Mesa.

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.)

North by Northwest

Advertising man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.

Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 99% and an Audience Score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, this old-school film has been a favorite of critics. The Hollywood Reporter's Jack Moffitt said, "Hitchcock is such a master of suspense that not many frames have passed before the audience has achieved complete identification with the characters and is knowing the thrill of vicarious fear and the shared pleasures of love and passion," while Dave Calhoun of Time Out noted, "Hitchcock breezes through a tongue-in-cheek, nightmarish plot with a lightness of touch that's equaled by a charming performance from Grant."  

It's screening at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.) on Tuesday, June 11. 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 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Booksmart" has been a must-watch since its release on May 24.

"'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," according to Erin Keane of Salon.com, while the Globe and Mail's Chandler Levack said, "'Booksmart' is a love letter for any young woman who has ever stayed home on a Friday night to watch a Ken Burns documentary."

It's playing at AMC Superstition East 12 (1935 S. Signal Butte Road) through Wednesday, June 12. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

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 once more 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 94% and an Audience Score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Avengers: Endgame" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on April 26.

The Observer's Oliver Jones said, "What you will be getting when you walk into an inevitably overstuffed movie theater is something singular that reflects our age in a way that none of the MCU films that preceded it have, indeed, very few Hollywood spectacles ever have," and the San Diego Reader's Matthew Lickona noted, "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."

Catch it on the big screen at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.) and AMC Superstition East 12 (1935 S. Signal Butte Road) through Wednesday, June 12. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

Rocketman

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

With a Tomatometer Score of 91% and an Audience Score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Rocketman" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on May 31.

The New Yorker's Anthony Lane said, "If you need somebody to recount the rise of a British rock god from pallid suburbia to the baroque extremes of fame, and to create a stir without causing too much of a fuss, Fletcher is your man," and the Chicago Reader's Leah Pickett noted, "The story reshuffles reality, especially time and facts, and the film is more enjoyable for it."

It's screening at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.), Picture Show at Superstition Springs Mall (6555 E. Southern Ave.) and AMC Superstition East 12 (1935 S. Signal Butte Road) through Wednesday, June 12. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

The Shining

Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.

With a Tomatometer Score of 87% and an Audience Score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1980 release has a strong following. Boston Globe's Bruce McCabe said, "When you sit down to 'The Shining,' you sit down with normal expectations of being diverted, perhaps even being gripped, but not being undermined. But the film undermines you in powerful, inchoate ways," while Ben Walters of Time Out stated, "A masterpiece."

Interested? It's playing at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.) on Tuesday, June 11. 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.