Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.
Picks
“The Accountant”— A high-functioning autistic CPA (Ben Affleck) moonlights as a hitman in Gavin O’Connor’s quirky, character-driven action thriller seemingly inspired by the comic book superhero genre. (R) L, V. 128 minutes.???
“The Birth of a Nation”— Ambitious but flawed fact-based drama about a slave preacher (writer/director/star/producer Nate Parker) who leads a Southern slave rebellion in 1831. It flirts with moments of sheer inspiration. (R) N, V. 119 minutes.???
“Bridget Jones’s Baby”—Great Britain’s most celebrated singleton finally gets pregnant, but who is the father? Renée Zellweger returns with Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey as her competing baby daddies. Reviewed by Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press. (R) L, N, S. 122 minutes.???
“Certain Women”— A triptych of subtly interlocking stories starring Laura Dern as a Montana attorney dealing with a hostage crisis, Michelle Williams as a woman building a home, and Kristen Stewart as a young lawyer. Excellent performances in a portrait of ambivalence and solitude. At the Century Centre in Lakeview, Renaissance Place in Highland Park and the Century 12 in Evanston. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (R) L. 108 minutes.??? ?
“Desierto”— A ruthless vigilante (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) hunts and shoots illegal immigrants on the U.S./Mexican border. Will illegal Gael García Bernal survive? Reviewed by Alan Zilberman, Washington Post. In English and Spanish with subtitles. (R) L, V. 94 minutes.???
“Don’t Breathe”—Director Fede Alvarez goes for suspense in this home-invasion thriller during which a blind homeowner (Stephen Lang) shows he can fight back. And then some. Taut and tawdry tale. With Jane Levy. (R) L, S, V. 88 minutes.???
“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”—Young Jake (Asa Butterfield) stumbles upon a secret refuge for supernaturally gifted youngsters hiding in a 1943 time loop in Tim Burton’s visually dense fantasy. Reviewed by Mark Kennedy, Associated Press. (PG-13) V. 127 minutes.???
“Pete’s Dragon”—David Lowery’s reboot of the 1977 cheesy Walt Disney musical is a far superior work of amazing fantasy, all about the friendship between a young boy (a well-cast Oakes Fegley) and his giant dragon Elliott. (PG) 90 minutes.???
“Queen of Katwe”— Inspiring, true tale of an illiterate girl (Madina Nalwanga) from Uganda who discovers a natural talent for chess and, with the help of a coach (David Oyelowo), becomes a champion. Lupita Nyong’o stars as her disapproving mother. Reviewed by Sandy Cohen, Associated Press. (PG) 124 minutes.???
“Sully”—Clint Eastwood directs a thrilling account of the “Miracle on the Hudson” with a stellar Tom Hanks as the US Airways captain whose critical thinking skills and sheer cool save the day. With a wasted Laura Linney and a well-cast Aaron Eckhart. (PG-13) L. 96 minutes.???½
Passables
“American Pastoral”— Respectful but boring translation of Philip Roth’s novel about 1960s parents (director Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connolly) dealing with their rebellious, radicalized daughter (Dakota Fanning). At the River East 21 in Chicago, the Evanston 18 and the Highland Park Renaissance Place. (R) L, S, V. 126 minutes.??
“Deepwater Horizon”—Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell star in Peter Berg’s fact-based drama about the 2010 BP oil rig disaster that killed 11 people. Action-packed, but formulaic and dramatically challenged. (PG-13) L, V. 99 minutes.??½
“Denial”— A fact-based drama about Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) and her legal fight against David Irving (Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) L. 110 minutes.??½
“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”— Retired military man Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise again) helps Army Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) deal with false charges of espionage in this plot-challenged sequel. Directed by Chicago’s Edward Zwick. Reviewed by Sandy Cohen, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, V. 118 minutes.??
“Kevin Hart: What Now?”—Standup comedian Kevin Hart’s sold-out performance filmed in front of 50,000 people at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. The film is at its best when focused on Hart’s comic presence. Reviewed by Pat Padua, Washington Post. (R) L, S, V. 96 minutes.??½
“The Magnificent Seven”— A less-than-magnificent remake of a Western classic about a bounty hunter (Denzel Washington) and six gunslingers hired to bring down the man (Peter Sarsgaard) who has been terrorizing a town. (PG-13) L, S, V. 132 minutes.??
“Ouija: Origin of Evil”— Better than the original “Ouija” with plenty of jolts, but surprisingly little suspense and paranoia. A widowed mom (Elizabeth Reaser) regrets buying that Ouija board when her daughter (Lulu Wilson) loses her pupils and starts sounding like Linda Blair under the influence. (PG-13) V. 99 minutes.??½
“Storks”— The titular birds have gotten out of the baby business, but an error sets Junior (voiced by Andy Samberg) and a human girl named Tulip on a quest to deliver a bundle of joy to a stressed-out family. Reviewed by Jake Coyle, Associated Press. (PG) 86 minutes.??
Pits
“American Romance”— A nihilistic home invasion thriller devoid of suspense and characters you give a hoot about. A young married couple (Nolan Gerard Funk, Daveigh Chase) gets a flat tire and winds up at a secluded rural home of a troubled man (John Savage) about to commit suicide. (NR) L, S, V. 86 minutes.½ star.
“The Girl on the Train”—Dreary, dull, muddled murder mystery about an alcoholic commuter (Emily Blunt) who becomes obsessed with watching a young woman (Haley Bennett) every day from a train. Based on the book that “shocked” the world. (R) L, N, S, V. 112 minutes.?½
“Keeping Up With the Joneses”—Jeff (Zach Galifianakis) and his wife (Isla Fisher) befriend new neighbors (Jon Hamm and Gal Godot) who turn out to be spies after an arms dealer. A too-safe, unfunny comedy. Reviewed by Alan Zilberman, Washington Post. (PG-13) L, S, V. 101 minutes.?½
“Masterminds”— A bored armored car driver (Zach Galifianakis) steals $17 million with partners who double-cross him. A hit man (Jason Sudeikis) chases him. An anemic comedy. (PG-13) L, S, V. 90 minutes.?½
“Suicide Squad”— A muddled variation of “The Dirty Dozen” with thinly drawn supervillains recruited by a ruthless bureaucrat (Viola Davis) to stop an ancient warlock from stealing the ending to “Ghostbusters.” L, S, V. 123 minutes.?½
Unpreviewed
“El Jeremias”— Eight-year-old gifted Mexican Jeremías (Martin Castro) discovers a new world of experiences open to him, but at the cost of possibly losing his family. (PG-13) 95 minutes.
“Good Kids”—Four well-behaved teenagers decide to take a walk on the wild side of life before they head off to college. A comedy starring Zoey Deutch and Ashley Judd. (R) D, L, S. 90 minutes.
“I’m Not Ashamed”— A drama based on the inspiring true story and journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. (PG-13) D, S, V. 112 minutes.
“Leyenda del Chupacabras”— An animated horror/fantasy about a falsely imprisoned man who must fight a winged monster to save the convent where people are staying. (PG) 81 minutes.
“M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story”— A drama based on the life of one of India’s best cricketers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In Hindi with subtitles. (NR) 100 minutes.
“Max Steel”— A teenager named Max teams up with an alien named Steel to save the galaxy from a malevolent enemy. With Andy Garcia and Maria Bello. (PG-13) V. 100 minutes.
“Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life”— Two middle school students plot to violate every rule in the principals’ Code of Conduct book. With Lauren Graham. (PG) 92 minutes.
“Miss Hokusai”— An animated story about young O-Ei, who sells her portraits, dragons and erotic sketches under the name of her father, the revered painter Hokusai. (PG-13) S. 93 minutes.
“Priceless”— A faith-based drama about human trafficking. A truck driver (Joel Smallbone) tries to save two sisters he’s been hired to transport across country. (PG-13) V. 97 minutes.
“Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween”— Madea (Perry) keeps an eye on mischievous teens while also dealing with killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies. With Casie Davis. (PG-13) D, L, S, V. 103 minutes.
“The Whole Truth”—An attorney (Keanu Reeves) defends the son (Gabriel Basso) of a friend (Renée Zellweger) after he’s charged with killing his father (Jim Belushi). (R) L, S, V. 93 minutes.
