Opening Today
I’m Drunk, I Love You
Directed by JP Habac; stars Maja Salvador, Paulo Avelino, Dominic Roco, Jasmine Curtis-Smith
Feisty girl has a crush on her best buddy who is unfortunately clueless. Habac recalls that working with the lead stars was “relatively easy.” “I have complete trust in their chemistry.” He explains that this romantic-comedy “tells the stories of those who fall in love alone… it will make you realize that you are enough.”
My Ex and Whys
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina; stars Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano, Ryan Bang, Ara Mina
Ex-sweethearts bump into each other and must travel together after a messy breakup. Soberano believes not a few young women will be able to relate with her character’s heartbreak. She recounts that her partner supported her during her emotional breakdown scene. “I’m here for her every step of the way,” Gil says.
Arrival
Directed by Denis Villeneuve; stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
A mysterious spacecraft lands on earth, pushing the world to the brink of war. The Atlantic’s Christopher Orr raves: “Ambitious in conception and extraordinary in execution.” Newsweek’s Tom Shone agrees: “Grand, technically marvelous, solemn, spooky, somewhat unbelievable and sometimes unfathomable.”
A Cure for Wellness
Directed by Gore Verbinski; stars Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth
Young executive gets trapped in an eerie spa where he was supposed to retrieve his boss. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich asserts: “A thrilling reminder of what can happen… when a visionary filmmaker is given serious cash without constraints.” Screen International’s Fionnuala Halligan dismisses it as “an expensive misfire.”
A Kind of Murder
Directed by Andy Goddard; stars Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Haley Bennett
Crime novelist gets obsessed with an unsolved murder. Hollywood Reporter’s JohnDeFore calls it “a handsome period piece that plays more like a scant-rules mystery than a psychological thriller.” Slant’s Oleg Ivanov exclaims: “More interested in its art design than in fully developing… underlying sexual ethics.”
The Bye Bye Man
Directed by Stacy Title; stars Douglas Smith, Cressida Bonas, Lucien Laviscount
College friends inadvertently conjure up a murderous monster. Los Angeles Times’ Katie Walsh remarks: “Despite any titular trepidation, there is fun to be had and even some cultural relevancy.” Austin Chronicle’s Steve Davis relates: “Borderline campy… [it’s] a horror movie in search of an urban legend.”
The Hollars
Directed by John Krasinski; stars John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Sharlto Copley
Artist returns home to visit his ailing mom, leading to all sorts of complications. Entertainment Weekly’s Devan Coggan describes it “as a pleasant and bittersweet look at one family struggling to keep it together.” New York Times’ Neil Genzlinger hails “the performers… [who] keep it enjoyable, touching.”
