Also in Theaters

Beautiful Creatures A young man longing to escape his small Southern town is drawn to a mysterious new girl — a witch whose date with destiny is fast approaching. With Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Jeremy Irons and Viola Davis. Written and directed by Richard LaGravenese. (2:04) PG-13.

The Berlin File A tense illegal arms deal in a Berlin hotel suddenly descends into mayhem when a rogue intelligence agent appears on the scene. With Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu and Ryoo Seung-bum. Written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. In Korean, English and German, with English subtitles. (2 hrs.) NR.

The Bitter Buddha A documentary about the life and career of the comedian Eddie Pepitone, who is known in stand-up circles as a “comic’s comic” but has yet to achieve mainstream success. Directed by Steven Feinartz. (1:30) NR.

Escape From Planet Earth In this animated film, a nerdy blue alien endeavors to rescue his brother, a famous astronaut, from the notoriously dangerous planet Earth. With the voices of Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba and George Lopez. Written by Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen. Directed by Brunker. In 3-D. (1:29) PG. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Like the films of Wes Anderson, with whom director Roman Coppola has collaborated as a screenwriter, this embraces a world of kooky eccentrics. But without the underlying emotional weight that ballasts Anderson’s confections, it’s all effervescence. One-note woe is not enough. (Sheri Linden, Feb. 8). (1:26) R.

A Good Day to Die Hard Given how successful its four predecessors have been, it’s not surprising that the fifth “Die Hard” plays like an extended victory lap for star Bruce Willis and the entire franchise. Not surprising, but not overwhelmingly entertaining either. (K.Tu., Feb. 14) In Imax. (1:38) R.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters It’s easy to chastise a piece of vigorous hack-work like this for its rote mayhem, viscera fetishism and general witlessness. But what galls is that for all the perspiration in jazzing up an old yarn, there’s no originality in how Norwegian writer-director Tommy Wirkola engages with the perverse pleasures enshrined by the Grimm

brothers, two of their era’s shrewdest storytellers. (Robert Abele, Jan. 25) In 3-D and Imax. (1:28) R.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga A documentary following three fur trappers in Bakhtia, a small village in the remote Siberian wilderness, over the course of four seasons. Directed by Dmitry Vasyukov and Werner Herzog. (1:34) NR.

A Haunted House Written by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez and not so much directed as vaguely steered by Michael Tiddes, this is a ramshackle parody of recent found-footage horror movies in the vein of the “Scary Movie” movies. If you already saw the titles referenced here (the “Paranormal Activity” films, “The Devil Inside”), there may be a certain passing feeling of being in on the joke. The problem is that’s all the joke there is. (M.O., Jan. 11) (1:25) R.

Identity Thief is a larcenous bit of funny business. It probably should be locked up for its crimes and misdemeanors against moviemaking. But Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy steal so many laughs from such improbable places that the bumps in this revenge/road trip farce can mostly be forgiven. If not for their brilliance, “Identity Thief ” would be running on empty. (B.S., Feb. 8) (1:51) R.

The Impossible So terrifying is the 2004 tsunami as imagined in “The Impossible” that the imagery alone elicits a rising dread so intense you may feel yourself gasping for breath. Spanish-born director J.A. Bayona must have been tempted to let the monstrous waves triggered by the Indian Ocean earthquake that devastated South East Asia and left hundreds of thousands dead overwhelm the dramatic story he tells. That never happens in this profoundly moving film. (B.S., Dec. 21) (1:47) PG-13.

Like Someone in Love A university student moonlighting as a high-end escort is sent by her boss the home of an elderly professor, which ultimately leads to a run-in with her jealous boyfriend and a case of mistaken identity. With Rin Takanashi, Tadashi Okuno and Ryo Kase. Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami. In Japanese with English subtitles. (1:49) NR.

Lore A German-language film flips things around and involves us in a different side of World War II, on the confusion and pain of the young children of the Nazi hierarchy abandoned by the exigencies of fate and the fecklessness of their parents. (K.Tu., Feb. 8) With English subtitles. (1:48) NR.

Murder 3 A waitress moves in with her new beau, a hot-shot photographer, but finds that he may have skeletons in the closet. With Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari and Sara Loren. Written by Mahesh Bhatt. Directed by Vishesh Bhatt. In Hindi with English subtitles. (2:04) NR.

No In 1988, when the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is forced by international pressure to call a plebiscite on his presidency, a brash young advertising executive is called upon to spearhead the opposition campaign. With Gael Garcia Bernal, Alfredo Castro and Antonia Zegers. Written by Pedro Peirano. Directed by Pablo Larrain. In Spanish with English subtitles. (1:50) R. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Animated A program of this year’s Academy Awards nominees for best animated short film. (1:28) NR. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Documentary Trials and tribulations in myriad forms are at the center of all five Oscar-nominated documentary short films this year. (B.S., Feb. 8) (2:03, 1:23) NR.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Live Action A program of this year’s Academy Awards nominees for best live-action short film. (1:54) NR.

The Package A night club bouncer and enforcer for a local mob boss is tasked with hand-delivering a secret package to an international crime lord, but a small army of thugs and killers stands in his way. With Steve Austin, Dolph Lundgren and Eric Keenleyside. Written by Derek Kolstad. Directed by Jesse V. Johnson. (1:35) R.

Parker In a time when violence in the movies is increasingly under fire, this new crime thriller starring Jason Statham stands as one of those films that would be virtually nothing without it. Violence defines the main man, drives the action, shapes the story, taints the relationships and begs the question, why bother to make a film like this? The answer is found in the cult of popularity that surrounds the character and Statham’s ability to offset the rough stuff with wry asides. (B.S., Jan. 25) (1:58) R.

Quartet Making a film about life in the spotlight and the drive to stay in the game doesn’t seem like much of a stretch — or a risk — for director Dustin Hoffman. At the end of the day “Quartet” is about final acts and in that it seems a film with modest aspirations — no big bang here, just a troupe of old friends trying to put on the best show they can. (B.S., Dec. 5) (1:37) PG-13.

A Royal Affair This highly polished and intelligent costume drama set in 18th century Denmark is exceptionally well-made and a model of intelligent restraint, but it is also unapologetically earnest and a bit on the bloodless side. (K.Tu., Nov. 9) In Danish with English subtitles. (2:17) R.

Safe Haven Newly arrived in a small town in North Carolina, a guarded young woman begins opening up to a widowed store owner and father of two, but soon her dark past begins to catch up with her. With Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough and David Lyons. Written by Dana Stevens and Gage Lansky. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. (1:55) PG-13.

Saving Lincoln A historical drama about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln as seen through the eyes of Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln’s close friend and self-appointed bodyguard. With Tom Amandes, Lea Coco and Penelope Ann Miller. Written by Nina Davidovich and Salvador Litvak. Directed by Litvak. (1:41) NR.

Shanghai Calling An ambitious Chinese American lawyer from New York transfers to Shanghai on an assignment and finds himself a fish out of water. With Daniel Henney, Eliza Coupe and Geng Le. Written and directed by Daniel Hsia. (1:38) PG-13.

Side Effects Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring the uber-capable quartet of Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum, this clever bag of tricks about the side effects of prescription drugs is made with so much cinematic skill it makes implausibility irrelevant. (K.Tu., Feb. 8) (1:55) R.

Warm Bodies Writer-director Jonathan Levine has a good grip on what to do with cold souls in this surprisingly sentimental mash-up starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. Adapted from Isaac Marion’s playful zombie romance, “Warm Bodies” stays true enough to the book — and rom-com conventions. But in doing a little genre bending of romantic schmaltz and horror cheese, the film breathes amusing new life into both. (B.S., Feb. 1) (1:37) PG-13.

Would You Rather A young woman desperate to take care of her terminally ill younger brother attends a dinner party hosted by a seemingly philanthropic aristocrat who turns out to be a madman. With Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Jonny Coyne and Sasha Grey. Written by Steffen Schlachtenhaufen. Directed by David Guy Levy. (1:33) NR. All movies are in general release unless noted. Also included: the film’s running time and ratings. MPAA categories: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one 17 and younger admitted.