Opening This Week
Resureksyon
Directed by Borgy Torre; stars Paulo Avelino, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Isabelle Daza, Niño Muhlach
A barrio lass returns from abroad in a coffin, but she turns into a flesh-eating creature, wreaking havoc in her small town. Daza recalls that pretending to be undead was “challenging.” “I had to do a lot of stunts: running, jumping.” The horror flick features top-notch special effects from Regal’s experts, drumbeaters insist. Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Cooties
Directed by Jonathan Milott, Cary Munion; stars Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill
Schoolteachers must fend off kids who turned into zombies after eating cafeteria food. Film School Rejects’ Rob Hunter calls it “a ridiculously fun time at the movies.” Washington Post’s Michael O’Sullivan points out that it “milks its midnight-movie aesthetic for all it’s worth … [with] macabre, pop-culture humor.” Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Article continues after this advertisementBreaking Through
Article continues after this advertisementDirected by John Swetnam; stars Dominic Sandoval, Marissa Heart, Bruna Marquezine
Dancer, who becomes an instant celebrity through a viral video, tries not to get blinded by fame. Deadline.com’s Jen Yamoto relates: A “twinkle-toed lineup” is showcased in “Internet-generation pic.” USA Today’s Bill Keveney reports: Contestants from the TV tilt “So You Think You Can Dance” are in the cast. Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Hotel Transylvania 2
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky; with the voices of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Mel Brooks
Dracula frets that his cute grandchild is more human than vampire. Commonsensemedia remarks: “Animated monster sequel offers more silly scares, the same type of shenanigans, goofy humor… as the original.” Cinemablend’s Sean O’Connell sums it up as “funny, scary and literally on fire.” Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The Green Inferno
Directed by Eli Roth; stars Ariel Levy, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Lorenza Izzo, Sky Ferreira
Student activists encounter a menacing tribe in the Amazon rainforest. The Horror Show’s Scott Weinberg asserts: “Works as both gut-wrenching film and distressingly downbeat adventure story.” The Wrap’s Todd Gilchrist describes it as a “serviceable reintroduction to Roth’s idiosyncratic brand of horror.” Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Attack on Titan: End of the World
Directed by Shinji Higuchi; stars Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Hiroki Hasegawa
Titan breaches the city walls and a young breed of warriors must defend humanity from the carnage. South China Morning Post’s James Marsh quips: Its “gratuitous violence was for many its sole pleasure.” Moviepilot’s Eleanor Tremeer notes: “Solves the mystery too quickly… crams as much action into the remaining time.” Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The PBA: A Nation’s Passion
Produced by Caelestis Productions; stars Baby Dalupan, Robert Jaworski, Atoy Co, Francis Arnaiz, Norman Black
A 90-minute documentary commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), telling the story of Filipinos’ favorite game. Docu turns the spotlight on the sport’s legendary players and coaches, as well as enduring rivalries (Crispa vs Toyota) and memorable anecdotes. Opens Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The Intern
Directed by Nancy Meyers; stars Anne Hathaway, Robert De Niro, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine
Feisty fashion website owner picks up precious tips from a retired businessman whom she has hired as an intern. Popcorn961 blog thinks it is “full of surprises… moral lessons and a little bit of action.” Joblo.com comments that it “doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard, which says a lot for a comedy of this type.” Opens Thursday, Sept. 24.