NEW THIS WEEK
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ ‘Damsel’
David and Nathan Zellner have fun with Western tropes in their offbeat film; they get a lot of help from Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska. (R — 113 minutes) N, P, S, V.
‘The First Purge’
Gerard McMurray takes over as director for this prequel, in which we learn how the Purge began. Once again, interesting ideas drown in a bloodbath. (R — 97 minutes) D, P, S, V.
‘Pantham’
(Not reviewed) Telegu actor Gopichand stars in an action thriller from director K. Chakravarthy Reddy. (Not rated — 150 minutes)
‘Three Identical Strangers’
Tim Wardle's documentary explores triplets separated at birth who find each other in their 20s. The film asks questions; the answers prove frustrating. (PG-13 — 96 minutes)
‘Whitney’
(Randy Cordova) Powerful documentary looks at the rise and fall of Whitney Houston. Given great access by the family, filmmaker Kevin Macdonald has crafted a film that is raw and revealing, honestly exploring both the downfalls and triumphs. (R — 120 minutes) D, P.
STILL PLAYING ‘Book Club’
A terrific cast — Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen — is wasted in this dopey comedy about ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ reignited their spark. (PG-13 — 104 minutes) P, S.
‘Boundaries’
(Randy Cordova) Road-tripping tale about a neurotic single mom (Vera Farmiga) and her father (Christopher Plummer) heading to California with her son in tow. Predictable, but the strong performances make you want to buy in. (R — 104 minutes) D, P.
‘The Catcher was a Spy’
(Barbara VanDenburgh) An attractive looking but ultimately vapid historical espionage drama about baseball player Moe Berg’s exploits as a WWII spy. (R – 98 minutes) P, S, V.
‘Deadpool 2’
Ryan Reynolds returns as the Mavel antihero. Cynical as ever, tragedy overtakes him as a new threat named Cable (Josh Brolin) emerges. Funny, self-aware and, as ever, obscene. (R — 119 minutes) D, P, S, V.
‘First Reformed’
Ethan Hawke is brilliant in Paul Schrader’s terrific film, about a minister who undergoes a potentially dangerous crisis of faith. (R — 108 minutes) V.
‘Gotti’
(Not reviewed) Actor Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) directs a biopic about crime boss John Gotti. (R — 105 minutes). V, P.
‘The Guardians’
(Not reviewed) French women take care of the family farm when men go off to fight in World War I in Xavier Beavois’ drama. (R — 134 minutes) S, V.
‘Hereditary’
Ari Aster’s feature debut, a horror film about a family struggling with grief, is terrific, as is its star, Toni Collette. Smart, and terrifying. (R — 127 minutes) D, N, P, V.
‘Hearts Beat Loud’
(Barbara VanDenburgh) An absolute charmer about a widowed father and coming-ofage daughter connecting, and healing, through their shared passion for music. (PG-13 — 97 minutes) P, D.
‘Incredibles 2’
Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) fights crime while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) changes diapers in Pixar’s latest sequel. Not the original, but worthwhile, and having Elastigirl front and center is great. (PG — 118 minutes)
‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return for another installment, with J.A. Bayona directing. The dinosaur action moves from the island TO A HOUSE in the confused story. (PG-13 — 128 minutes) V.
‘Leave No Trace’
Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are great in Debra Granik's film, about a father and daughter living off the grid. (PG — 109 minutes)
‘Ocean’s 8’
Sandra Bullock plays the leader of an allwoman crime team pulling off a big heist. Despite a great cast and an important cultural moment, the movie falls flat. (PG-13 — 110 minutes) D, P.
‘RBG’
Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s documentary examines the rock-start status of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Glowing, of course, and the civility seems almost quaint, alas. (PG — 97 minutes)
‘Sanju’
(Not reviewed) Ranbir Kapoor stars as Sanjay Dutt in this biopic about the controversial life of the actor. (Not rated — 155 minutes)
‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’
The great Benecio Del Toro talks too much in this sequel, which misses Emily Blunt's voice of reason among shady operatives trying to stop cartels from smuggling terrorists into the U.S. (R — 122 minutes) P, V.
‘SuperFly’
(Not reviewed) The 1972 action yarn about a cocaine dealer is updated for a new generation. Trevor Jackson stars. (R — 108 minutes) D, N, P, S, V. Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner lead a good cast in Jeff Tomsic’s film about lifelong friends who have played the same game of tag for 30 years. Has its moments, but it’s tonal shifts kill momentum. (R — 100 minutes) D, N, P, S.
‘Uncle Drew’
NBA star Kyrie Irving stars in an expansion of his Pepsi commercials; he plays Uncle Drew, an elderly legend who's still got game. Stupid and predictable, but goofy fun. (PG-13 — 103 minutes) N, P.
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’
Morgan Neville’s documentary about Fred Rogers, the children’s TV show host, is quietly moving, much like the man himself, and most welcome. (PG-13 — 94 minutes) P.