Week of May 30-June 6, 2025

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

BHAIRAVAM (NR) Friends unite to precent a corrupt government official from destroying a sacred temple. In Telugu. With Sai Srinivas Bellamkonda, Nara Rohith, and Aditi Shankar. Directed by Vijay Kanakamedala. Regal Elmwood

BRING HER BACK (R) Children battle their foster mother in a house-bound horror film. The word used most often in reviews is “extreme”: caveat emptor. Starring Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Sally Hawkins. Directed by Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou (Talk to Me). AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

DESERT OF NAMIBIA (NR) Japanese drama about a free-spirited young woman whose behavior leads to a mistaken diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Starring Keisuke Horibe, Daichi Kaneko, and Kanichiro. Directed by Yôko Yamanaka. North Park

DETECTIVE KIEN: THE HEADLESS HORROR (NR) From Vietnam, a supernatural mystery set in the 19^th century. Starring Doan Minh Anh, Tran Quoc Anh, and Dinh Ngoc Diep. Directed by Victor Vu. Regal Walden Galleria

FLUXX (NR) Time-loop thriller based on a card game (?!?), with an actress trying to rescue her husband while trapped inside a house. Starring Shiloh Fernandez, Shelley Hennig, and Henry Ian Cusick. Directed by Brendan Gabriel Murphy (#Lucky Number). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

KARATE KID: LEGENDS (PG-13) Another go at the perennial formula, this time with both Jackie Chan (from the 2010 remake) and Ralph Macchio (from the 1984 original). With Ben Wang and Joshua Jackson. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

KHALEJA (2010) (NR) Re-release of the Telgu hit about a taxi driver (Mahesh Babu) who reluctantly becomes the only hope of a village struck by disaster. With Anushka Shetty and Prakash Raj. Directed by Trivikram Srinivas. Regal Elmwood

SAUNKAN SAUNKANAY 2 (NR) Punjabi sequel to the comedy about a couple desperate to have a child who bring the wife’s sister into the relationship. Starring Sargun Mehta, Ammy Virk and Nimrat Khaira. Directed by Smeep Kang. Regal Elmwood

TORNADO (R) Not the Twister knock-off the title might lead you to expect, but rather a drama set in the old west about a Japanese woman seeking revenge on the gang that murdered her father. Starring Kôki, Tim Roth, Jack Lowden and Rory McCann. Directed by John Maclean (Slow West). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 (R) The return of Ben Affleck as a military-trained math savant who makes a living helping criminal groups hide their money. With Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and J.K. Simmons. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, who helmed the original. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES (R) Horror sequel. Starring Tony Todd, Brec Bassinger, and Richard Harmon. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

FRIENDSHIP (R) Tim Robinson as a suburban father whose attempts to build a friendship with his new neighbor (Paul Rudd) lead to disaster. With Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer Directed by Andrew DeYoung. Dipson Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read M. Faust’s review here. 

JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE (R) French rom-com about an aspiring novelist (Camille Rutherford) who is tricked into taking a residency at the Jane Austen home. With Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson and Liz Crowther. Directed by Laura Piani. North Park Read M. Faust’s review here.

THE LAST RODEO (PG) Inspirational drama about an retired rodeo star who enters a bull-riding competition in an attempt to mend family problems. Starring Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson and Sarah Jones. Directed by Jon Avnet. Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

LILO & STITCH (PG) Another live-action remake of a Disney animated. Didn’t they learn anything from Snow White? Starring Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

A MINECRAFT MOVIE (PG) Video game adaptation. Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge. Directed by Jared Hess (Nacho Libre). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (PG-13) Sequel. Expect Tom Cruise to show off his peculiar running stance a lot. With Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales and Angela Bassett. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

SINNERS (R) From director Ryan Coogler (Creed), a genre-mixing big budget movie starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers in the Jim Crow south who return to their Mississippi Delta hometown to open a juke joint. With Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, and Delroy Lindo. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In

THUNDERBOLTS (PG-13) The 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, concluding Phase 5. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, you can probably skip this. Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour and Wyatt Russell. Directed by Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In

ETC.

THE NIGHT OWL FILM FESTIVAL—Screening the results of a local competition in which 10 teams were given 24 hours to make a short film. Sat 11:30 am. North Park

STRIPES (1981, R) and RAT RACE (2001, PG-13)—Opening this year’s Retro Drive-In Tuesday series are the comedy that made Bill Murray a superstar and an It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World knock-off from one of the directors of Airplane! With a cast featuring Breckin Meyer, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Najimy, Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Dave Thomas, Amy Smart, Wayne Knight, Colleen Camp and Smash Mouth. Tues at dusk. Transit Drive-In

VALKYRIE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL—Third installment of the festival spotlighting movies directed by women. Read more about it here. Screening Room

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

AMC Maple Ridge, 4276 Maple Road, Amherst www.amctheatres.com

AMC Market Arcade, 639 Main Street, Buffalo www.amctheatres.com

Aurora Theater, 673 Main Street, East Aurora https://theauroratheatre.com/

Dipson Amherst, 3500 Main Street, Buffalo. www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson Capitol Theater, 720 Builders Way, Niagara Falls www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson Flix, 4901 Transit Road, Depew www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson McKinley, 3701 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg www.dipsontheatres.com

Dunkirk Multiplex, 10520 Bennett Road, Dunkirk https://www.dunkirkmultiplex.com/

Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center Cinema, 431 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo https://www.hallwalls.org/

Hamburg Palace, 31 Buffalo Street, Hamburg www.hamburgpalace.com

Joylan, 11 W. Main Street,, Springville https://joylantheater.com/

North Park, 1428 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo https://northparktheatre.org/

Regal Elmwood, 2001 Elmwood Avenue., Buffalo https://www.fandango.com/

Regal Quaker Crossing, 3450 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park https://www.fandango.com/

Regal Transit, 6707 Transit Road. Williamsville https://www.fandango.com/

Regal Walden Galleria, Galleria Mall, Cheektowaga https://www.fandango.com/

The Screening Room, Boulevard Mall Amherst www.screeningroom.net

Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, 23 S Main Street, Warsaw www.thespotlighttheaters.com/

Squeaky Wheel, Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main Street, Suite 310, Buffalo https://squeaky.org/ Transit Drive-In Theatre, 6655 S. Transit Road, Lockport https://www.transitdrivein.com