By M. Faust
(Image above: ‘Sinners,’ image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) 

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

ALAPPUZHA GYMKHANA (NR) Indian comedy about students shut out of their preferred college who try to get in on a boxing scholarship, despite no experience in that sport. Starring Naslen, Lukman Avaran, and Franco Francis. Directed by Khalid Rahman. Regal Elmwood

ARJUN S/O VYJAYANTHI (NR) Telugu language action drama. Starring Hari Krishna Bhandari, Pradeep Chilukuri, and Srikanth Vissa. Directed by Pradeep Chilukuri. Regal Elmwood

BORBAAD (NR) Bangladeshi drama about a young man’s quest for vengeance on the woman who broke his heart. Starring Shakib Khan, Jisshu Sengupta, and Idhika Paul. Directed by Mehedi Hassan Hridoy. Regal Elmwood

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1981, PG) David Lynch’s first mainstream (by his standards, anyway) movie based on the life of John Merrick, who became a Victorian celebrity despite of his heavy disfigurements. Starring John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud and Wendy Hiller. North Park

KESARI CHAPTER 2: THE UNTOLD STORY OF JALLIANWALA BAGH (NR) Hindi-language historical drama based on the life of Chettoor Sankaran Nair, who fought against the British Raj to uncover the truth about the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in which thousands of unarmed protestors were killed. Starring Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi. Regal Elmwood

PRIDE & PREJUDICE (PG) 20th anniversary re-release of the luxuriantly sensual adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous 1813 novel of manners, morals, the marriage market and social status. Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench and Brenda Blethyn. Directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

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, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

SNEAKS (PG) Animated adventures of a designer sneaker lost in New York City. With the voices of Anthony Mackie, Laurence Fishburne, Keith David, Martin Lawrence, and Macy Gray. Directed by Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins. AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THAT THEY MAY FACE THE RISING SUN (NR) A year in the life of a London couple who moved to a farmhouse in rural Ireland. Starring Barry Ward, Anna Bederke, and Ruth McCabe. Directed by Pat Collins (Silence). North Park Read M. Faust’s review here.

THE UGLY STEPSISTER (NR) From Norway, a horror comedy that seems to do with the Cinderella story what Wicked did with The Wizard of Oz. Starring Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Ane Dahl Torp. Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE WEDDING BANQUET (R) Remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 queer rom-com in which a gay and a lesbian couple battle their families and immigration laws to live their own lives. Starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, and Joan Chen. Directed by Andrew Ahn (Spa Night). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

THE AMATEUR (PG-13) Rami Malek as an introverted CIA coder who goes rogue to avenge the death of his family. Co-starring Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne and Caitríona Balfe. Directed by James Hawes (One Life). 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, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND (PG-13) British comedy-drama about a lottery winner living on a secluded island who contrives a reunion between the two feuding members of his favorite band. Starring Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford and Carey Mulligan. Directed by James Griffiths. Dipson Amherst, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here.

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (PG) Another attempt to revive the greatest cartoon characters of all time. With the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Peter MacNicol. Directed by Peter Browngardt. Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

DROP (PG-13) In this Blumhouse production, a widow (Meghann Fahy) goes out on a date only to have the evening disturbed by threatening text messages. With Brandon Sklenar and Violett Beane. Directed by Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). 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

THE FRIEND (R) After the death of her best friend, a Manhattan writer is left with an unwelcome inheritance: his Great Dane. Starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, and Tom McCarthy. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Bee Season). Dipson Amherst, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

GOOD BAD UGLY (NR) Don’t expect Clint Eastwood in this Tamil-language action comedy about a retired gangster who returns to his old ways when his son is arrested. Starring Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das, Directed by Adhik Ravichandran. Regal Elmwood

A MINECRAFT MOVIE (PG) Video game adaptation. Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge. Directed by Jared Hess (Nacho Libre). 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 (Fri-Sat only)

ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO (R) Documentary recreating the mood of 1971 when John Lennon performed his only post-Beatles concert, a charity event for special needs children. Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and Sam Rice-Edwards. North Park, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

SNOW WHITE (PG) Another Disney live action remake of an animated feature. (Although in these days of CGI, “live action” doesn’t mean what it once did.) Starring Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap. Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Dipson McKinley, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria 

WARFARE (R) Former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza co-wrote and directed this immersive drama set in real time about a sniper unit in an Iraqi household. Starring Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis and Kit Connor. Co-directed by Alex Garland (Civil War). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (PG-13) In this Blumhouse horror entry, a woman (Danielle Deadwyler) living with her children in an isolated farmhouse faces a mysterious and malign presence. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam). AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

A WORKING MAN (R) This year’s Jason Statham thriller. With Jason Flemyng, Merab Ninidze, Maximilian Osinski, and Michael Pena. Directed by David Ayer (The Beekeeper). AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

ETC.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (1973)—Wow, is it Easter already? Starring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman and Josh Mostel. Directed by Norman Jewison (Moonstruck). Fri, Sat, Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room

1-800-ON-HER-OWN—Documentary about Buffalo-born musician Ani DeFranco. Director Dana Flor will be present for a Q&A. Presented by the Buffalo International Film Festival. Weds 7 pm. North Park

SONGS OF MEMORY AND FORGETTING—In conjunction with the exhibit “The Image in its Absence,” a program of films by Assia Djebar, Inas Halabi, Onyeka Igwe, and Tiffany Sia on the theme of archives and collective memories. Weds 7 pm. Squeaky Wheel

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