Despite so many local screens being given over to the How to Train Your Dragon remake opening this week, adult fare like Materialists and The Unholy Trinity is also around.

Week of June 13-19, 2025.

By M. Faust
(Image above: Mason Thames as “Hiccup” in “How to Train Your Dragon”)

OPENING THIS WEEK

DAKUAAN DA MUNDA 3 (NR) In this sequel to the  Punjabi action franchise, former boxer and drug addict Karma seeks redemption by trying to expose a corrupt officer. Starring Dev Kharoud, Baani Sandhu and Kabir Duhan Singh. Directed by Happy Rode. Regal Elmwood

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (PG) Another live action remake of an animated classic. See Lilo & Stitch for relevant snarky comment. Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerald Butler and Nick Frost. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who also did the animated version. Aurora, AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

MATERIALISTS (R) Celine Song, director of the celebrated Past Lives, makes her English-language debut with the romcom starring Dakota Johnson as a matchmaker torn between two suitors (Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans). Co-starring Zoë Winters and Marin Ireland. 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, Transit Drive-In

PIND PEYA SARA JOMBIELAND BANEYA (NR) Will love survive feuding families in this Indian drama? Starring Binnu Dhillon, G. Khan and Kanika Mann. Directed by Deepak Thaper. Regal Elmwood

THE UNHOLY TRINITY (R) Western starring Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson as opposing forces trying to dominate a Montana town. With Brandon Lesser, Tim Daly, David Arquette and Duster Dusterbeck. Directed by Richard Gray (Robert the Bruce). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

NOW PLAYING

BALLERINA (R) Ana de Armas as a trainee assassin in this John Wick spin-off. With Anjelica Houston, Gabriel Byrne, Ian McShane, Norman Reedus, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Keanu Reeves. Directed by Len Wiseman. 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

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). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

DAN DA DAN: EVIL EYE (R) Anime feature bridging series one and two of Dan Da Dan. Which either means something to you or it doesn’t. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

DANGEROUS ANIMALS (R) The film that “pairs the serial killer genre with sharksploitation,” trumpets once-respectable distributor IFC. Starring Jai Courtney, Hassie Harrison, and Josh Heuston. Directed by Sean Byrne (The Devil’s Candy). Regal Elmwood, 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, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, 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 Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

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, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

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,, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, 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 Quaker

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

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME (PG-13) Benicio del Toro as a repentant arms dealer trying to reconnect with his daughter, a novice nun, amid numerous other problems. The cast includes Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray—geez, this must be a Wes Anderson movie. Dipson Amherst, North Park

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. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In

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. Regal Transit

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). Regal Quaker, Transit Drive In

ETC.

DESPICABLE ME (PG, 2010)—The original. Take your kids to see it before Hollywood ruins it with a live action remake. Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park

FRIDAY THE 13^th (R, 1980)—Not the original slasher movie—that would be Hallowe’en—but the one that kicked off the endless wave of 1980s imitators. Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room

FRIDAY THE 13^th (R, 1980) and SCREAM (R, 1996)—This week’s Retro Drive-In Tuesday double feature.  Tues at dusk. Transit Drive-In

NIAGARA (1953)—Marilyn Monroe’s last film before becoming a major star in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was this not-too-suspenseful thriller in which she plays a wife scheming to murder her husband (Joseph Cotton) while vacationing just a few miles north of Buffalo. With Jean Peters and Richard Allen. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Sat 7:30 pm. 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