Buffalo Movies: Film Focus is your guide to films old and new showing in theaters, and where to see them around WNY

(Above: Photo by Atsushi Nishijima/Atsushi Nishijima – © 2026 – Magnolia Pictures).

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK:

AKIRA (1988, R) 4K re-release of the Japanese cyberpunk epic that is generally credited with introducing anime to America. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. AMC Maple Ridge, North Park, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

AMERICAN DOCTOR (NR) Documentary about three American doctors of different religious faiths who spent time in Gaza and then brought their stories to Congress. Directed by Poh Si Teng (“St. Louis Superman”). Market Arcade

BY ANY MEANS (R) Crime drama based on a true story about a Mafia hitman (Mark Wahlberg) who teams up with an FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) to investigate the murders of civil rights workers in 1960s Mississippi. With Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, David Strathairn, and Ethan Embry. Directed by Elegance Bratton (The Inspection). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

DEAR YOU (PG-13) A mostly non-professional cast stars in this hit Chinese drama about a young man who goes to Thailand in search of his grandfather, who fled the country decades ago to avoid conscription. Directed by Lan Hongchun. Regal Transit

FALL 2: DEADPOINT (PG-13) Instead of a 2000 foot television tower, the heroes of this sequel are trapped 3000 feet up on a mountain in Thailand. Starring Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas. Directed by Peter and Michael Spierig (Winchester). Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

I’M GAME (NR) In this Malayalam-language action thriller, according to the distributor, “A fearless gambler gets caught in a series of crazy and unexpected events that turn his world upside down. What follows is a thrilling ride filled with fun, surprises, action, and unforgettable moments.” Why do Indian films never want to tell you what the actual plot is? Starring Dulquer Salmaan, Antony Varghese, Mysskin, and Kayadu Lohar. Directed by Nahas Hidhayath. Regal Elmwood

LATE FAME (NR) Willem DaFoe as an obscure Manhattan poet who is dragged out of his routine when he is discovered by a group of rich poseurs. With Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan. Directed by Kent Jones (Hitchcock/Truffaut). Dipson Amherst

MIRZAPUR: THE MOVIE (NR) Adaptation of the Indian television series about criminal fighting for control of a corrupt city. Starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan. Directed by Gurmeet Singh. Regal Elmwood

ONSLAUGHT (R) In the desert southwest, a former Army sniper fights to protect herself and her daughter from genetically mutated soldiers. Starring Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, and Rebecca Hall. Directed by Adam Wingard (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

ROMANCHAKAM (NR) Telugu language romcom centering on an engineering student trying to launch a new business. Starring Sumanth Prabhas, Ananthika Sanilkumar, and Upendra Limaye. Directed by Venu Gopal Reddy Regal Elmwood

STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989, PG) Dolly Parton isn’t the lead in this comedy-drama about friends centered at a southern beauty parlor, but you can bet she’s why it’s back in theaters. With Sally Field, Julia Roberts Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O’Connor, and Sam Shepard. Directed by Herbert Ross (The Goodbye Girl). Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE SALT PATH (NR) British drama based on the memoir by Raynor Winn about the 600 mile trek her and her husband, who suffers from a degenerative disease, set out on after they become homeless. Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Directed by Marianne Elliott. Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

THE SEARCHERS (1956, NR) Re-release of John Ford’s classic western starring John Wayne as a racist Civil War veteran who spends years looking for his niece (Natalie Wood) after she was kidnapped by Indians. With Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Ward Bond. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE SUN NEVER SETS (R) The first film in six years from the once indefatigable mumblecore director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) stars Dakota Fanning and Jake Johnson as a couple taking a time out from their relationship. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

TOM AND JERRY FORBIDDEN COMPASS (PG) The Hanna-Barbera cat and mouse battle creatures from Chinese mythology in this Chinese computer-animated production. Directed by Zhang Gang. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wCVUaKwq0U

NOW PLAYING:

BETHLEHEM KUDUMBA UNIT (NR) Malayalam language rom-com featuring a May-October couple. Starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju. Directed by Girish A. D. Regal Elmwood

BUDDY (R) Horror comedy in which a group of 1950s kids are trapped inside a world run by a malevolent version of their favorite TV show host. Starring Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, and the voices of Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, and Michael Shannon. Directed by Casper Kelly. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

COLONY (R) In this Korean horror film, scientists are trapped inside a building with victims of a biological attack. Starring Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Ji Chang-wook. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan). Regal Transit

COYOTE VS. ACME (PG) Back from the limbo of being abandoned by its studio for a tax write-off, a live action/animation combination in which Wile E. Coyote sues the company that sold him endless gadgets that did not help him catch the Road Runner. Starring Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, and Luis Guzmán. Directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

THE DOG STARS (R) Survivors of an apocalyptic epidemic consider venturing out of their safe zone in this sci-fi adventure directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner). Starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only) 

THE END OF OAK STREET (PG-13) J.J. Abrams produced this Spielberg-ish fantasy adventure that catapults a suburban street into a land inhabited by dinosaurs. Starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and P.J. Byrne. Directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows). Dipson Capitol, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

FINDING EMILY (PG-13) In this British rom-com, a DJ looking for a woman with no information other than her name, Emily, is helped by a student who is secretly using him as a research subject. Starring Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn, and Minnie Driver. Directed by Alicia MacDonald (Flack). Dipson Amherst, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER (PG-13) Horror sequel, number six if you’re counting. Starring Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Lin Shaye. Directed by Jacob Chase (Bad Boy). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

MINIONS & MONSTERS (PG) This year’s sequel to the spin-off series begun with Despicable Me. Director Pierre Coffin provides the voices of the leading characters, joined by Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, and Bobby Moynihan. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix

MOANA (PG) The latest Disney live-action adaptation of one of its animated hits. Starring Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, and Rena Owen. Directed by Thomas Kail. Regal Transit

MUTINY (R) This season’s Jason Statham thriller. Co-starring Annabelle Wallis and Adrian Lester. Directed by Jean-François Richet (Plane). Dipson Flix, Regal Quaker 

THE ODYSSEY (R) Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of the Greek epic detailing the return voyage of King Odysseus after the Trojan War. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (PG) For the kids. With the voices of Mckenna Grace, Fortune Feimster, Terry Crews, Jameela Jamil, Snoop Dogg, and Jennifer Hudson. Directed by Cal Brunker. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria 

SPA WEEKEND (R) Why, yes, it is a comedy with an all-female cast. However did you guess? Starring Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau. Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover). Regal Quaker, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw 

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (PG-13) Tom Holland’s fourth appearance as the perennial Marvel comics superhero. With Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Marisa Tomei. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). AMC Maple Ridge, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (R) Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) wrote and directed this queer tribute to/update of slasher movies that opened the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, and Patrick Fischler. Market Arcade

TONY (R) Biopic based on the formative year when Anthony Bourdain got his first restaurant job. Starring stars Dominic Sessa Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, and Antonio Banderas. Directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie). Dipson Amherst, North Park, Regal Transit, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

TOY STORY 5 (PG) Sequel. The usual ensemble of voice actors (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, et al.) is joined by Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, and Craig Robinson. Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo). Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only)

ETC.

PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (1985, PG) The film that made stars of both Pee-Wee and director Tim Burton. With Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger and Judd Omen. Fri 10 pm. Market Arcade

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THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

AMC Maple Ridge, 4276 Maple Road, Amherst https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/buffalo/amc-maple-ridge-8

Angola Theatre, 72 N. Main St., Angola, NY https://angolatheatre.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

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/

Market Arcade, 639 Main St., Buffalo https://www.btmcinemas.com/our-locations/g0fz6-scene-one-market-arcade-cinemas/

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

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

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

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

Riviera Theater, 67 Webster Street, North Tonawanda https://rivieratheatre.org/

The Screening Room, www.screeningroom.net 

Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, 23 S Main Street, Warsaw https://www.spotlighttheater.com/movie-theater/warsaw

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