Previously released
★★★★ Barbie In this massively entertaining and absolutely bonkers comedy, director and co-writer Greta Gerwig creates the Barbie playroom of any kid’s dreams and fills it with imaginative visuals, clever in-jokes, and a surprising amount of heart. Margot Robbie is excellent as Barbie, and a fearless Ryan Gosling steals every scene as “just Ken.” America Ferrera is a lot of fun as the audience’s stand-in. In Gerwig’s hands, “Barbie” becomes a potentially divisive satire of gender roles that’s not afraid to bare its teeth. (114 min., PG-13) (Odie Henderson)
★★★ Blue Beetle This watchable superhero film spotlights DC’s Blue Beetle, whose superpowers come from a blue alien scarab that has attached itself to the body of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) and fused with him. Meanwhile, Susan Sarandon’s villain wants to get the scarab back by any means necessary. Jaime’s family outshines him in the personality department, especially his hilarious uncle (George Lopez) and his fascinating abuela (Adriana Barraza). The film’s focus on a loving family and its Latino representation are as much a selling point as the comic book carnage. (127 min., PG13) (Odie Henderson)
★★★½ Bottoms Director Emma Seligman reteams with her “Shiva Baby” star Rachel Sennott for this hilarious, over-the-top high school comedy about two lesbian outcasts (Sennott and the movie’s MVP, Ayo Edebiri) who dream of being popular and scoring with cheerleaders, so they start a fight club where the allfemale attendees beat each other senseless. In a school rife with toxic masculinity, the plan works. Equally satirical and sadistic, this sure-to-be-divisive film has fight scenes as violent as the ones in “Raging Bull.” (92 min., R) (Odie Henderson)
★★★ Cassandro Roger Ross Williams’s biopic on real-life luchador Saúl Armendáriz and his wrestling alter-ego, Cassandro, is moving despite relying on the standard tropes of the genre. Gael García Bernal showcases his talents in a role that fits him like the flashy costumes he wears in the ring. The darker edges of the real story are blunted, but the film is still effective as the uplifting tale of an openly gay sports hero. In English and Spanish. (107 min., R) (Odie Henderson)
★½ Dumb Money “I, Tonya” director Craig Gillespie’s latest follows Brockton native Keith Gill (Paul Dano) as he outwits several Wall Street bigshots in this chronicle of the January 2021 GameStop short-squeezing stock “scandal.” An unfunny and repetitive snarkfest, filled with headache-inducing montages of cable news footage, YouTube and TikTok videos. Spoon-feeds every detail to the audience as if they weren’t smart enough to follow the story or handle complex characters. (105 min., R) (Odie Henderson)
★ Gran Turismo Sim-racing expert Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) earns the chance to drive real cars thanks to his mastery of the video game “Gran Turismo.” The highest-scoring players join GT Academy, where they are trained by David Harbour’s salty has-been driver to compete in real life. As unbelievable as it sounds, this is a true story, one the filmmakers ruin with too-worn biopic tropes and one-dimensional characters. The result is an abysmal feature-length ad for PlayStation. (135 min., PG-13) (Odie Henderson) YY A Haunting in Venice In Kenneth Branagh’s third outing as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, a Venetian palazzo is the site of dark doings. Are they supernatural or standard-issue murderous misdeeds? Branagh, who directed, tries to have it both ways: “Haunting” is the whodunit as horror movie. It’s plodding, overstuffed, and a bit confusing. The presence of Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh is a plus. (103 min., PG-13) (Mark Feeney)
★★½ Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan’s epic about the father of the atomic bomb is as visually stunning as it is emotionally unsatisfying. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography deserves Oscar consideration, as does Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as nemesis Admiral Lewis Strauss. Cillian Murphy is good as the titular physicist, but Florence Pugh’s considerable talents are wasted in a thankless role as Oppenheimer’s mistress. You’ll feel every minute of its three-hour runtime. (180 min., R) (Odie Henderson)
★★ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem The rambunctious reptiles are back for yet another big screen adventure. The celebrity performers (including co-writer Seth Rogen) have fun with their supporting roles, and the animation is intriguingly weird. Unfortunately, the script is little more than a bunch of outdated cultural references. The turtle leads have also lost the personalities that once made them fun. (99 min., PG) (Odie Henderson)