Movies opening today (October 14, 2015)
The Prenup
Directed by Jun Robles Lana; stars Jennylyn Mercado, Sam Milby, Gardo Versoza, Jaclyn Jose
Guy meets girl on a plane bound for New York. They fall in love and decide to get hitched, but their meddling parents insist on a prenuptial agreement. Milby predicts that costar Mercado “will shine” in this rom-com. “Jen is beautiful and kind. She is one of the best actresses in the country,” he relates.
Bridge of Spies
Directed by Steven Spielberg; stars Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Mark Rylance
An American lawyer negotiates for the release of the pilot of a spy plane shot down in Russia. Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty describes it as a “crackling Cold War espionage thriller that thrums with suspense and fleet precision.” The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy agrees: “Absorbing … smoothly handled by old pros.”
Crimson Peak
Directed by Guillermo del Toro; stars Charlie Hunnam, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Aspiring writer marries an enigmatic man who lives with his sister in an eerie mountaintop mansion. Slashfilm.com reports: “So far, the buzz is quite positive … [critics] call it gorgeous and f***ing terrifying.” Commonsense media remarks: “Expect plenty of bloody violence, sex and strong language in this intense gothic horror thriller.”
The Walk
Directed by Robert Zemeckis; stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Lebon
Dreamer attempts a wire walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstern exclaims: Filmmakers “lift their ground-bound production into the realm of high art.” Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday explains: “Journey it offers doesn’t just span 140 feet, but also an ethereal, now-vanished world.”
As the Gods Will
Directed by Takashi Miike; stars Shota Sometani, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Atsuko Maeda
Classic toys come to life to play lethal games with high school students. Variety’s Jay Weissberg points out: “Just an excuse for more splatter from a director who … knows his target audience.” Twitchfilm.com’s Ard Vijn says it’s “nowhere near Miike’s best … but a very entertaining slice of ‘gore and batshit crazy.’”
Regression
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar; stars Emma Watson, Ethan Hawke, David Thewlis
Shell-shocked girl claims she was raped by her dad, but the investigation leads to the exposure of a satanic cult. Screen International’s Lee Marshall asserts: “Combines perceptiveness of a drama … with the frisson of a thriller, [but it] is killed in the crossfire.” The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin calls it “painfully unsubtle.”
Berkshire County
Directed by Chris Gamble; stars Alysa King, Samora Smallwood, Aaron Chartrand, Bart Rochon
Bullied babysitter is tormented by a trick-or-treater who is a killer in a pig mask. National Post’s Chris Knight observes: “There’s nothing really new … as if filmmakers went to historic market for their script ideas.” Globe and Mail’s Brad Wheeler concurs: “Despite its tricks … [it] is a redundant treat.”
Pangarap Kong World Cup
Directed by Cheche Lazaro; stars Phil Younghusband, James Younghusband, Chieffy Caligdong, Atom Araullo
Documentary chronicles the training of young athletes of the Philippine Under-11 National Team in the United Kingdom. The kids’ trip was sponsored by the British Council and Pru Life UK, to support the Philippine Football Federation’s long-term goal of making it to the 2019 U-17 World Cup. Exclusively in SM Cinemas.
