On the hunt for date night ideas? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around New York City.
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.)
The Godfather
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '70s throwback boasts plenty of accolades. The New Yorker's Pauline Kael said, "If ever there was a great example of how the best popular movies come out of a merger of commerce and art, 'The Godfather' is it," while Norm Goldstein of the Associated Press noted, "Casting in these roles has been exceptional, particularly with Al Pacino, a relative newcomer as Michael. James Caan, too, deserves special mention, for his role as Sonny. But the prime extra ingredient of the film is Brando."
It's screening at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St.) through Sunday, June 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Wizard of Oz
Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only thing that could stop them.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this classic has made a lasting impression.
"Judy Garland is perfectly cast as Dorothy. She is as clever a little actress as she is a singer and her special style of vocalizing is ideally adapted to the music of the picture," according to Kate Cameron of the New York Daily News, while Entertainment Weekly's Keith Staskiewicz said, "In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome."
Get a piece of the action at Stuart Cinema & Cafe (79 West St.) through Tuesday, June 11. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Godfather, Part II
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '70s throwback has been a favorite of critics.
"It goes much deeper than 'The Godfather' in analyzing the twisted mentalities of these men who pervert the capitalist system for their own gain. The film is richer in texture and gives more evidence of social awareness," noted Kathleen Carroll of the New York Daily News, while the Hollywood Reporter's John H. Dorr said, "An admirable, responsible production, less emotionally disturbing than its predecessor, but a grand historical epic studying the nature of power in the United States' heritage."
You can catch it at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St.) through Sunday, June 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Jaws
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 '70s throwback boasts plenty of accolades. 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," and Washington Post's Gary Arnold noted, "I don't think there's a more exciting talent at work right now than 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 playing at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St.) through Monday, June 10. 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 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Booksmart" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on May 24. Salon.com'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," while Chandler Levack of the Globe and Mail stated, "'Booksmart' is a love letter for any young woman who has ever stayed home on a Friday night to watch a Ken Burns documentary."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Regal E-Walk & RPX (247 W. 42nd St.) and Williamsburg Cinemas (217 Grand St.) through Wednesday, June 12. 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.
