What movie should you go see today?
Image: Booksmart/TMDb
In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Phoenix.
Here are the highest rated films to catch, based on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer Score, which reflects the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics.
(Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango. Movie ratings and showtimes are subject to change.)
Booksmart
Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.
Set to be released today, Friday, "Booksmart" already has a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern said, "Nothing funnier, smarter, quicker or more joyous has graced the big screen in a long time," while Ann Hornaday of Washington Post noted, "As 'Booksmart' takes its shape, albeit haphazardly, Wilde's filmmaking skills become more and more evident, bursting forth in a third act that builds into something beautiful and even transcendent."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) and AMC Dine-In Esplanade 14 (2515 E. Camelback Road) through Wednesday, May 29; Harkins MetroCenter 12 (9615-A Metro Parkway West) and Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) through Thursday, May 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
With a Tomatometer Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Avengers: Endgame" has become a favorite since its release on April 26.
"What you will be getting when you walk into an inevitably overstuffed movie theater is something singular that reflects our age in a way that none of the MCU films that preceded it have-indeed, very few Hollywood spectacles ever have," according to Oliver Jones of the Observer, while the San Diego Reader's Matthew Lickona said, "The MCU will go on and on, but this chapter — and the American pragmatism vs. American ideals bromance that drove it — have well and truly come to their 'Excelsior! Nuff said!' moment."
It's screening at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) and AMC Dine-In Esplanade 14 (2515 E. Camelback Road) through Wednesday, May 29; Harkins MetroCenter 12 (9615-A Metro Parkway West) and Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) through Thursday, May 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Shazam!
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
With a Tomatometer Score of 90 percent and an Audience Score of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shazam!" has been getting attention since its release on April 5.
"For a long, glorious stretch, 'Shazam!' plays like the anti-Nolan antidote it is," noted Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out, while Salon.com's Matthew Rozsa said, " 'Shazam!' is the funniest, sweetest and most innocent movie in the DC Extended Universe — a sign that it is at last ready to compete with Marvel."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) and AMC Deer Valley 30 (3033 W. Agua Fria Freeway) through Wednesday, May 29. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Rocketman
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
Set to be released on Friday, May 31, "Rocketman" already has a Tomatometer Score of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt said, "There's a lot of Technicolor flair in Dexter Fletcher's flamboyant study of Elton John — and a beating heart in ... Taron Egerton's portrayal of an artist whose prodigious talent was matched only by his personal demons and a desperate hunger for love," and the New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski noted, "As a singer Egerton lands somewhere between Elton John and William Hung, but regardless he feels the words deeply and has so much charisma that his red blood cells may well be sequins."
It's playing at AMC Dine-In Esplanade 14 (2515 E. Camelback Road), Harkins MetroCenter 12 (9615-A Metro Parkway West), Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello), and Harkins Norterra 14 (2550 W. Happy Valley Road) starting Friday, May 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Long Shot
When Fred Flarsky reunites with his first crush, one of the most influential women in the world, Charlotte Field, he charms her. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter and sparks fly.
With a Tomatometer Score of 81 percent and an Audience Score of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Long Shot" is well worth a watch.
The New Yorker's Anthony Lane said, "Clearly, Theron can turn her hand to any genre," while Katie Walsh of Tribune News Service stated, "It's 'Veep,' but less absurdly acid-tongued, and a lot more swoony. Still, the incisive cultural and political commentary cuts deep, and Theron and Rogen turn out to be a winning pair."
It's playing at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) and AMC Dine-In Esplanade 14 (2515 E. Camelback Road) through Wednesday, May 29; Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) and Harkins Norterra 14 (2550 W. Happy Valley Road) through Thursday, May 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
This story was created automatically using local movie data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
