new in theaters
THE INVITATION: A bereaved young woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) finds romance and terror at the English country estate of her recently rediscovered relatives in this gothic thriller from director Jessica M. Thompson. (104 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Paramount)
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING: George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) directed this modern fable in which a scholar (Tilda Swinton) meets a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes, based on a short story by A.S. Byatt. (108 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Savoy)
currently playing
BEAST ★★1/2 Idris Elba plays a widowed dad who must defend his two teenage daughters from an enormous lion on a South African game reserve in Baltasar Kormákur’s horror drama. (93 min, R. Essex, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Sunset)
BEAST (TELUGU): A former intelligence agent sets out to save a mall full of hostages in this Tamil-language action-comedy. Nelson directed. (155 min, NR. Majestic)
BODIES BODIES BODIES ★★★1/2 A group of young friends’ hurricane party goes very wrong in this horror-comedy from director Halina Reijn. With Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova. (95 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Roxy, Stowe, Sunset)
BULLET TRAIN ★★1/2 In this action flick from David Leitch (Atomic Blonde), a bullet train leaves Tokyo carrying five assassins. With Brad Pitt, Joey King and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. (126 min, R. Bethel, Big Picture, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Stowe, Sunset)
DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS ★★★ Krypto the Super-Dog assembles a band of crime-fighting critters to rescue Superman in this animated adventure. (106 min, PG. Bijou, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Welden)
DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO ★★★1/2 Martial arts warrior Goku and his friends face a new threat from the Red Ribbon Army in this animated adventure. Tetsuro Kodama directed. (100 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy)
ELVIS ★★★ Austin Butler plays the rock icon and Tom Hanks plays Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, also starring Olivia DeJonge. (159 min, PG-13. Capitol, Majestic, Sunset)
EMILY THE CRIMINAL ★★★★ Aubrey Plaza plays a young woman who addresses her debt problem by getting involved in a credit card scam in John Patton Ford’s crime drama. (93 min, R. Roxy, Savoy)
FALL ★★★ Two young women set out to climb a 2,000-foot radio tower in this vertigo-inducing thriller from director Scott Mann. Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner star. (107 min, PG-13. Sunset)
HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG ★★★ This documentary from Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine looks at the singer-songwriter through the lens of one of his most beloved songs. (118 min, PG-13. Savoy)
MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON ★★★★1/2 A YouTube star comes to the big screen in this all-ages mockumentary about tiny, nonhuman creatures living in an Airbnb. With the voices of Jenny Slate and Isabella Rossellini. (90 min, PG. Playhouse, Roxy; reviewed 6/22)
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU ★★★ Kyle Balda’s animated comedy charts how 12-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) aimed to become the world’s greatest supervillain. (87 min, PG. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset)
NOPE ★★★1/2 Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play siblings dealing with otherworldly occurrences on their remote California ranch in the latest sci-fi/horror film from writer-director Jordan Peele (Get Out). (135 min, R. Big Picture, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Sunset; reviewed 8/3)
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER ★★★ Taika Waititi returns as director of this Marvel sequel in which Thor’s attempt at retirement is interrupted by a new threat. Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman star. (118 min, PG-13. Palace, Star)
TOP GUN: MAVERICK ★★★★ Tom Cruise’s daredevil Navy pilot character is older but still flying test flights in this sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion). With Jennifer Connelly. (131 min, PG-13. Bethel, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Star, Sunset, Welden)
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING ★★1/2 A wild child (Daisy Edgar-Jones) raised in the marshes of North Carolina becomes a murder suspect in this adaptation of the best-selling novel. Olivia Newman directed. (125 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Star, Stowe, Welden; reviewed 7/20)
older films and special screenings
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) (Welden)
GKIDS PRESENTS STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: ONLY YESTERDAY (Essex, Sun only)
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION ★★ (Capitol, Welden)
open theaters
(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)
- BETHEL DRIVE-IN: 36 Bethel Dr., Bethel, 728-3740, betheldrivein.com
- BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info
- BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com
- CAPITOL SHOWPLACE: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com
- ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com
- MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com
- MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com
- *MERRILL’S ROXY CINEMAS: 222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net
- *PALACE 9 CINEMAS: 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.com
- PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com
- PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com
- SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com
- STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com
- *STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com
- SUNSET DRIVE-IN: 155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com
- WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com
