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mistake, not realizing that it wasn’t filled with smartmouthed kids and bodily function jokes. “Pete’s Dragon” is like a warm cup of cocoa with Robert Redford at the end of the summer. The worst thing you can say about it is moviegoers on the younger side of adulthood might find it slow. Rated PG. 102 minutes.
— P. Hartlaub
Queen of Katwe This drama, about the unlikely rise of a young chess star from the slums of Uganda, is a crowd-pleaser, but what really stands out is the authentic vibrancy of urban Africa — few, if any, Hollywood movies about the continent have ever felt this real. Rated PG. 124 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Sausage Party Groceries learn the truth of what happens when they’re taken out the door in this very rude — and surprisingly thoughtful — comedy for adults. Voices include Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig. Directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon. Rated R. 89 minutes. — M. Ordoña
The Secret Life of Pets The story is weak in this pet-saturated animated comedy, but the characters are strong, benefiting from sharply written humor. Louis C.K. highlights a series of good casting moves, voicing a Jack Russell Terrier who panics when a Newfoundland (Eric Stonestreet) moves on his turf. It’s likely no one will remember this movie in 50 years. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it now. Rated PG. 91 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Snowden CIA employee-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden is a good subject for filmmaker Oliver Stone, who assembles an excellent cast and makes one of his better films. The director has a subject he cares about, a budget to execute his vision, and the kinetic scriptwriting matched with narrative momentum that made films such as “Salvador,” “Platoon” and “JFK” so memorable. Rated R. 140 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Spa Night An 18-yearold Korean American living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood struggles with his sexuality — leading to a job at a spa — while dealing with the collapse of his parents’ business, his father’s alcohol problem and the pressures of picking a college. First-time director Andrew Ahn makes a confident, assured, low-key film. Not rated. 89 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.
— G. Allen Johnson
Suicide Squad Movies don’t get worse than this sci-fi action comedy from writer-director David Ayer, who until now has done impressive work. This superhero consortium film, from DC Comics, is a confusing jumble, full of flashbacks and flash forwards, dead-on-the-screen action sequences and a sound track in which pop song lyrics compete against dialogue. Just awful. Rated PG-13. 123 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Sully In this Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger biopic, director Clint Eastwood makes a pretty convincing argument that the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River was even more heroic than he was portrayed in the aftermath of the accident. There are flaws — the government suits are excessively villainous — but the results are crowd-pleasing. Tom Hanks is sold as Sully. Rated PG-13. 95 minutes.
— P. Hartlaub
Tanna Taking a cue from Robert Flaherty and F.W. Murnau’s South Sea classic “Tabu” (1931), Australian directors Martin Butler and Bentley Dean embedded with the Yakel tribe on the Vanuatu archipelago island of Tanna and came up with a “Romeo and Juliet”-like fable of young lovers who resist the arranged marriages ordered by the tribe. The film has authenticity, using no professional actors and utilizing the island’s natural beauty. Not rated. 96 minutes. — G. Allen Johnson
Also noted INDEPENDENT THEATERS
Balboa: Fri.-Sat.: “Unspoken.” 3630 Balboa St., San Francisco. (415) 221-8184, www.cinemasf.com/balboa Castro: Sun.: “Lawrence of Arabia.” Mon.: “Lawrence of Arabia.” Wed.: “An American Werewolf in London,” “Shaun of the Dead.” 429 Castro St., San Francisco. (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com
Roxie: Sun.-Weds.: “Danny Says,” “Spa Night.” Thurs.: “Danny Says,” “Spa Night,” “Point Blank.” Fri.-Sat.: “Girl Asleep,” “The Hollow,” “The Lennon Report.” 3117 16th St., San Francisco. (415) 8631087, www.roxie.com
FILM PROGRAMS
SFMOMA/SF Film Society: Fri.: “Rashomon,” “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.” Sat.: “Agnès Varda Shorts: Black Panthers, Uncle Yanco, and Documenteur,” “Mysterious Object at Noon,” “The Seventh Seal,” “L’Avventura.” 151 Third Street, San Francisco. (415) 357-4000, www.sffs.org/ exhibition/modern-cinema
Rafael Film Center: Sun.Wed.: “Cameraperson.” 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. (415) 454-5813, www.rafaelfilm.cafilm.org
Pacific Film Archive: Sun.: “Full Speed,” “Cotton.” Wed.: “Beyond Enchantment: The Films of Lawrence Jordan.” Thurs.: “Amadeus.” Fri.: “Eyes Wide Shut.” Sat.: “Good Morning,” “La tête d’un homme,” “Bellissima.” 2155 Center St., Berkeley. (510) 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu