Top 5 movie picks for Sarasota-Bradenton: May 19-25

Before the summer movie season gets its next likely blockbuster with "Top Gun: Maverick" next weekend, the main new releases in theaters this week are "Downton Abbey: A New Era," the latest entry in the period piece TV and film franchise, and Alex Garland A24 horror film "Men." There are multiple new high-profile releases for those watching from home as well, including a new "Jackass" film on Netflix and the Philip Roth adaptation "Deception" on MUBI. Here are this week's highlights.

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Summer movie guide: 15 biggest films to watch in theaters during May, June and July

1. 'Men'

Alex Garland's latest film, following his directorial debut "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation" (the latter based on the book by Tallahassee author Jeff VanderMeer), stars recent Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley as a grieving woman who's rented a country house, with all the men she encounters played by the same actor, Rory Kinnear. Garland is known for his work in the horror and sci-fi genres (he also wrote the screenplays for films including "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine"), and early reviews say "Men" offers his take on the British folk horror film, with a must-be-seen-to-be-believed final act.

Where to watch: Theaters on Friday

2. 'Hold Your Fire'

This documentary by director Stefan Forbes ("Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story") recounts the incident in 1973 Brooklyn where four men attempted to rob a sporting goods store and killed a New York City Police Department officer, beginning the longest hostage siege in NYPD history and a landmark moment in hostage negotiation. "Hold Your Fire" premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where it received highly positive reviews from critics.

Where to watch: Video on demand and limited release in theaters on Friday

3. 'Jackass 4.5'

Following the release of "Jackass Forever" in February, the crew of the MTV stunt and prank series-turned-film franchise will – as they have for every movie of theirs since 2006's "Jackass Number Two" – release a separate, feature-length ".5" film featuring previously unused footage. "Jackass Forever" was arguably the highpoint of the series – inventively outrageous as ever, but also sort of sweet in seeing the 40 and 50-year-old original stars happily reunited and mentoring a new generation of performers – so it should be fun spending more time around them.

Where to watch: Netflix on Friday

4. 'Deception'

Acclaimed French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin ("My Golden Days," "A Christmas Tale") directs and co-writes this adaptation of Philip Roth's 1990 novel about a writer (Denis Podalydès), also named Philip, and his interactions with various women played by actresses including Léa Seydoux and Emmanuelle Devos. "Deception" premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, where reviews weren't that strong, yet the pedigree of the film's director, cast and source material should make it worth a watch.

Where to watch: MUBI on Friday

5. 'Downton Abbey: A New Era'

The TV series that was followed by a 2019 film continues with another movie, following the Crawley family in the early 20th century as they travel to France to visit a villa the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) has inherited, while a movie is filmed at their estate in the meantime. "Downton Abbey: A New Era" has already been released in the United Kingdom, where it received somewhat mixed reviews, but fans of the series will likely be excited to spend more time with the characters regardless.

Where to watch: Theaters on Friday

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-Bradenton top 5 movie picks, May 19-25