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 Cleveland.
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 Venerable W.
In Burma, the “Venerable Wirathu” is a highly influential Buddhist monk. Meeting him amounts to traveling to the heart of everyday racism and observing how Islamophobia and hate speech lead to violence and destruction. Yet this is a country in which 90 percent of the population has adopted Buddhism as a faith: a religion based on a peaceful, tolerant and nonviolent way of life.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Venerable W." has made a lasting impression. Jordan Mintzer of the Hollywood Reporter noted, "[An] eye-opening chronicle of one Burmese monk's long campaign of racism and violence against his country's minority Muslim population."
It's screening at Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque (11610 Euclid Ave.) today, June 13 and Saturday, June 15. 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 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Rocketman" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on May 31.
"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, (Dexter) Fletcher is your man," according to Anthony Lane of the New Yorker, while the Chicago Reader's Leah Pickett said, "The story reshuffles reality, especially time and facts, and the film is more enjoyable for it."
You can catch it at Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square (13116 Shaker Square) through Thursday, June 13. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Ulzana's Raid
Report reaches the U.S. cavalry that the Apache leader Ulzana has left his reservation with a band of followers. A compassionate young officer, Lieutenant DeBuin, is given a small company to find him and bring him back; accompanying the troop is McIntosh, an experienced scout, and Ke-Ni-Tay, an Apache guide. Ulzana massacres, rapes and loots across the countryside; and as DeBuin encounters the remains of his victims, he is compelled to learn from McIntosh and to confront his own naivety and hidden prejudices.
With a Tomatometer Score of 86 percent and an Audience Score of 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '70s throwback has proven a solid viewing choice.
"One of (Robert) Aldrich's finest films, this underestimated Western presents a bleak yet intelligent portrait of the racial warfare of the white men vs. Native Americans and also serves as effective and damning allegory of the American involvement in Vietnam," noted Emanuel Levy, while Ozus' World Movie Reviews' Dennis Schwartz said, "A superior Western though somewhat ponderous and its action sequences are formulaic."
Catch it on the big screen at Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque (11610 Euclid Ave.) on Saturday, June 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Secret Life of Pets 2
What happens with our pets when we’re not home? This movie continues the original movie with Max and his friends.
Set to be released on Friday, June 7, "The Secret Life of Pets 2" already has a Tomatometer Score of 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Arizona Republic's Samantha Incorvaia said, "At least people will laugh with this film because it perfectly draws its humor from the tendencies of cats and dogs, from a cat's magnetic desire to knock over objects to a dog's natural instinct to chase a ball at any cost."
It's playing at Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square (13116 Shaker Square) through Thursday, June 13. 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.
