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“Fifty Shades Darker”

C The submissive woman is reunited with her dominant partner to explore their relationship further. The plot is fairly mundane and the sex is pretty tame. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Marcia Gay Harden. Directed by James Foley. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for strong erotic sexual content, some graphic nudity, and language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 58 minutes.

“John Wick: Chapter 2”

B The hitman is forced out of retirement to keep a former associate from seizing control of an international assassins’ guild. The film stumbles in its plotting, but the surreal violence in the art exhibit is delicious. Starring Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane and Ruby Rose. Directed by Chad Stahelski. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for strong violence throughout, some language and brief nudity. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 2 minutes.

“The Lego Batman Movie”

A The hero made from building blocks is working to save Gotham City from the Joker. It’s done well with visual gags, puns, wordplay and one-liners. It’s hysterical and very lovable. Starring Will Arnett, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Cera. Directed by Chris McKay. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG for rude humor and some action. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 44 minutes.

“The Salesman”

B+ A man puts his own need for retribution ahead of his wife’s needs after she is beaten in their Tehran apartment. The acting is wonderful, but the film depicts an especially haunting depiction of one woman’s adversities in a country and marriage that may not have her best interests at heart. Starring Taraneh Alidoosti and Shahab Hosseini. Directed by Asghar Farhadi. In Persian, English and French with English subtitles. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and a brief bloody image. At Landmark’s Midtown Art. 2 hours, 5 minutes.

STILL SHOWING “20th Century Women”

B In the summer of 1979, a lodger at a rooming house in California tutors a young boy in the ways of music and sex to help him cope with messy relationships and map a path toward a workable adulthood. With its focus on broken families and heroic young protagnoists, it feels like a ‘70s Steven Spielberg movie, minus the special effects. Starring Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Lucas Jad Zumann. Directed by Mike Mills. (Colin Covert, Star Tribune-Minneapolis) Rated R for sexual material, language, some nudity and brief drug use. At Regal Hollywood and Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 58 minutes.

“Arrival”

A linguistics professor is called to help translate communications between humans and the aliens that are hanging out above the earth. It’s stun- ningly photographed and is guaranteed to trigger panic attacks. Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. (Colin Covert, Star Tribune-Minneapolis) Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. At Regal Hollywood and AMC Mansell Crossing. 1 hours, 56 minutes.

“Assassin’s Creed”

C+ A death row inmate is hooked up to a machine which takes him back to 15th-century Spain so a modern-day researcher can search for the cure to violence. The script is at once far too complicated and extremely shallow. Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Michael K. Williams. Directed by Justin Kurzel. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, thematic elements and brief strong language. At Picture Show at Merchants Exchange and Carmike 12. 1 hour, 48 minutes.

“The Bye Bye Man”

D+ A college kid moves into a creepy house and discovers a mantra that he’s not supposed to say or he’ll be haunted by an evil spirit. The relatively modest budget shows in the special effects, which tend to be more funny than scary. Starring Lucien Laviscount, Doug Jones and Jenna Kanell. Directed by Stacy Title. (Stephanie Merry, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for terror, violence, bloody images, sexuality, partial nudity, some coarse language and teen drinking. At AMC Southlake. 1 hour, 36 minutes.

“Collateral Beauty”

D When a man’s child dies, he goes into a downward spiral and co-workers hire a theater company to rouse him from his depression. The film is obsessed with its own twists and inane mysticism, robs the meaning from the film. Starring Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley. Directed by David Frankel. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language. At Carmike 12. 1 hour, 37 minutes.

“The Comedian”

C+ A stand-up comedian meets someone as off-kilter as he is while they are both working off court-mandated community service hours. The film is rich with often thought-provoking themes, but the cutesy ending kills it. Starring Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann and Danny DeVito. Directed by Taylor Hackford. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for crude sexual references and language throughout. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 59 minutes.

“Doctor Strange”

A Marvel Comics character Dr. Stephen Strange is an accomplished surgeon when an accident leaves his hands mangled and his attempts at unorthodox healing unlocks mystical powers. The script is perfectly balanced and moves from the intimate to the fantastical without pause. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams. Directed by Scott Derrickson. (Rick Bentley, Fresno Bee) Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, violence. At Picture Show at Merchants Exchange and Carmike 12. 2 hours, 10 minutes.

“A Dog’s Purpose”

C A stray puppy dies and is constantly reincarnated, but he’s always the same dog inside. The film, based on a book, has the emotional resonance of a novelty coffee table book. It’s adorable, but forgettable. Starring Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad and Bryce Gheisar. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG for thematic elements and some peril. At metro theaters. 2 hours.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

B+ A boy smuggles in beasts that are outlawed in the U.S. magical world, but the creatures prove useful just in time to battle a deadly force wreaking havoc on the cobblestone streets of New York. The film is transporting, but its themes are far from escapist — embrace, don’t suppress, one’s unique qualities. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Colin Farrell. Directed by David Yates. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence. At Picture Show at Merchants Exchange and Carmike 12. 2 hours, 13 minutes.

“Fences”

B A black garbage collector is frustrated his baseball career is over while his wife patiently endures his big personality. The film, adapted from a Pulitzer-winning play, is a deft exploration of race and society through a personal story. Starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis and Mykelti Williams. Directed by Denzel Washington. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some suggestive references. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 18 minutes.

“The Founder”

B Ray Kroc was a salesman peddling milkshake mixers out of the trunk of his car when he happened upon the McDonald’s hamburger bar and knew it was the way to the top. There are moments where the film is uneven, with wonky staged archival footage, but the main character is fascinating. Starring Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch. Directed by John Lee Hancock. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 55 minutes.

“Gold”

B A third-generation mining prospector works with investors to strike it rich. The story feels compressed, but the narrative is leaving room for twists and turns to play out. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard. Directed by Stephen Gaghan. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for language throughout and some sexuality/ nudity. At Regal Hollywood. 2 hours, 1 minute.

“Hacksaw Ridge”

B A man who won’t touch a rifle due to his religious beliefs enlists as a medic in World War II and — despite refusing to fire — goes into the battlefield again and again to save “just one more” wounded man. The violence is difficult to process, but is effective and affecting. Starring Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer and Hugo Weaving. Directed by Mel Gibson. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images. At Austell Stadium. 2 hours, 11 minutes.

“Hidden Figures”

B Three black women overcame gender and racial prejudices to provide significant contributions to the NASA program in the early 1960s. The film does a nice job of organizing and telling a complicated story, though sometimes the tone seems a bit light. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae and Kevin Costner. Directed by Theodore Melfi. (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle) Rated PG for thematic elements and some languages. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 7 minutes.

“I Am Not Your Negro”

A The film is based on 30 pages of a manuscript written by James Baldwin about his three friends, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The result is a contemporary film that is a psychological examination of a nation. Starring James Baldwin and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Raoul Peck. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG13 for disturbing violent images, thematic material, language and brief nudity. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 35 minutes.

“Jackie”

B+ This film spotlights Jackie Kennedy in the days following the assassination of her presidential husband. It’s an odd film, but a fascinating picture that stars a brilliantly cast and consistently compelling Natalie Portman. Also starring Peter Sarsgaard and Greta Gerwig. Directed by Pablo Larrain. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for brief strong violence and some language. At Regal Hollywood Stadium. 1 hour, 40 minutes.

“La La Land”

B Two people who can’t stop running into each other get together, but then realize they are being pulled in different directions. It’s a crowd-pleaser of a film with universal themes of love, loss and ambition. Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling and John Legend. Directed by Damien Chazelle. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for some language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 8 minutes.