Heists, horrors, hustles and a criminal’s hospital
‘Ocean’s 8’
It’s not a sequel or a redo. And, judging from the cast, it’s definitely not a downgrade.
But “Ocean’s 8” is connected to the “Ocean’s 11, 12, etc.” movies that starred George Clooney and his modern-day Rat Pack. Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny (Clooney), fresh out of prison and, like her brother, freshly determined to pull off an insanely ambitious heist — stealing a multimillion-dollar diamond to be worn by a famous actress (Anne Hathaway) to the Met Gala.
And like her brother, she’ll need a crew: brains (Cate Blanchett), a hacker (Rihanna), a thief (Sarah Paulson), a street hustler (Awkwafina), a fashion designer (Helena Bonham Carter) and a jewelry maker (Mindy Kaling). “Ocean’s 8” is rated PG-13 for language, drug use and some suggestive content. It runs for 108 minutes.
‘Hereditary’
In the new horror-thriller “Hereditary,” the Graham family has always had problems communicating, and now they know why: The afterlife won’t let them go.
The movie, the feature-film debut by writer-director Ari Aster, stars Toni Collette as the daughter of a demanding, difficult mother whose funeral stirs up secrets — and the ghosts — of their family’s past.
“Hereditary,” which also stars Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro and Ann Dowd, drew raves when it debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Collette in particular is being singled out for her riveting, unraveling performance, as is Aster’s handiwork.
Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips gave it 31⁄3 stars, calling it a jarring and “pretty remarkable experience.” “Hereditary” is rated R for violence, gore, disturbing
images, language, drug use and brief nudity. It runs for 126 minutes.
‘First Reformed’
Writer-director Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver,” “American Gigolo”) has another dark night of the soul with his latest, “First Reformed.”
Ethan Hawke plays a pastor in a fading church in upstate New York who, in addition to some of his own demons, is wrestling with those of his dwindling congregation, including a parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) whose husband may be plotting some form of explosive act.
The reviews are among the best of Schrader’s career. “At once ruminative and shocking, godwardly inclined and repellently graphic, ‘First Reformed’ is indisputably the finest film Schrader has directed since his sensitive adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel ‘Affliction,’ ” Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday wrote in her 4-star review. “First Reformed” is rated R for some disturbing violent images. It runs for 113 minutes.
‘Hotel Artemis’
Hotel California it ain’t.
In fact, “Hotel Artemis” isn’t even a hotel. In a near-future Los Angeles where riots are the norm and criminals run free, it’s a hospital for dues-paying criminals, run by a no-nonsense nurse played by Jodie Foster.
Things get a little complicated, however, when a bank robber (Sterling K. Brown), pulling off that One Last Job, runs afoul of an even bigger, and more dangerous crook.
The “hospital’s” staff includes Sofia
Boutella and Dave Bautista, with a rogue’s gallery of confederates and foes played by Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto and Charlie Day. “Hotel Artemis” is rated R for pervasive violence and language, some sexual references and brief drug use. It runs for 94 minutes.
‘On Chesil Beach’
Boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy and girl have a not-great wedding night in “On Chesil Beach.”
Adapted from Ian McEwan’s (“Atonement”) bestselling novel, the movie stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle as a couple from different sides of the English tracks in 1962 who fall in love, but on their wedding night, they have a more fundamental difference — about whether marriage means having sex.
Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz gave “On Chesil Beach” 31⁄2 stars (out of 5), saying that while the story sometimes flags, “what never wavers is the quality of the acting.” “On Chesil Beach” is rated R for some sexual content and nudity. It runs for 110 minutes.
‘The Seagull’
The week’s other literary-adaptation drama starring Saoirse Ronan, “The Seagull” is a starladen take on Anton Chekhov’s tale of tangled love, family ties and the value of art.
You know, small-picture stuff.
Annette Bening, Elisabeth Moss, Mare Winningham, Corey Stoll, Brian Dennehy and Jon Tenney also are in on the period Russian country-house drama.
“The film never feels like a filmed stage production,” Entertainment Weekly reviewer Dana Schwartz wrote, giving “The Seagull” an A-minus. “It’s dynamic and unstuffy, beautifully shot and wonderfully accessible.” “The Seagull” is rated PG-13 for some mature content, brief violence, drug use and partial nudity. It runs for 98 minutes.
Coming Wednesday: ‘Superfly’
It’s unclear whether we needed a redo of “Superfly,” one of the definitive movies of the 1970s blaxploitation wave, but here it is.
Directed by video maven Director X, the new “Superfly” takes legendary player Youngblood Priest (Trevor Jackson) and transfers him to Atlanta, with a cast including Jason Mitchell, Michael Kenneth Williams, Lex Scott Davis and Jennifer Morrison, and a soundtrack curated by hip-hop’s Future.
“Superfly” is rated R for pervasive violence and language, sex, nudity and drug content. It runs
for 108 minutes.
Best off-the-grid movie options
“Jumanji,” times two: You can play both versions of “Jumanji” — the board game and the video game — with this double feature: the 1997 original starring Robin Williams followed by last year’s monster hit “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black. It’s showing at 2 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Monday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. Tickets are $12.50. Info: marcus theatres.com.
“Oliver!”: This 1968 musical based on Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” won the Oscar for best picture. It’s getting a rare big-screen showing at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Admission is $5. Info: avalonmke.com.
“Back to the Future”: The final movie in the Downer Theatre’s Almost Midnight series hops into the DeLorean with Michael J. Fox at 11:59 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Downer, 2589 N. Downer Ave. Tickets are $8.50. Info: landmarkthe atres.com/milwaukee.
“The Iron Giant”: Brad Bird’s touching animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ story of a boy and his unlikely friend, a giant robot sent from space to lay waste to Earth in the 1950s, is showing at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge and South Shore cinemas.
“Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern”: This anime comedy-drama centers on a young woman in 1918 Japan trying to be her own person while wrestling with an arranged marriage with a young soldier. The movie is in Japanese with English subtitles, showing at 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic Cinema, 7:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday at the Ridge and South Shore cinemas; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Info: avalon
mke.com and marcus theatres.com.
This week’s free movies
“The Lion King”: Disney’s beloved circle-oflife classic is showing in Greendale’s Gazebo Park, 5701 Broad St., at dusk Friday. Info: greendale .org.
“Early Man”: The prehistoric/historic animated comedy from the folks who brought you Wallace
and Gromit is this year’s Movie Night in the park courtesy Friends of La Follette Park, at 7 p.m. Friday in the park at 9418 W. Washington St. Info: Friends of La Follette Park Facebook page.
“Finian’s Rainbow”: The 1968 musical starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark gets a screening from Paul’s Alley Cinema, the Walker’s Point outdoor movie series at 170 S. 2nd St., at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Info: Paul’s Alley Cinema Facebook page.