In Theaters This Weekend: Reviews of ‘Entourage,’ ‘Spy’ and More

A group of five L.A. bros, a psychic and an unlikely secret agent are heading to theaters this weekend with the releases of Entourage, Insidious: Chapter 3 and Spy.

 

 

Entourage

 

Director Doug Ellin reunites Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, and Jerry Ferrara for the big-screen follow-up to the popular eight-season HBO show loosely based on the life of Mark Wahlberg. The boys are back with a little more money and status to their names but still end up in the same L.A. shenanigans when Vincent Chase (Grenier) makes his directorial debut. The film features 50-plus star cameos, but THR film critic Sheri Linden writes in her review that it’s no more than an extension of where the show left off. She writes,”From its look to its episodic rhythm, the movie plays like a compressed season nine — a season that has its moments but wouldn’t rank among the show’s finest.”

 

 

Insidious: Chapter 3

 

The third installment of the horror franchise, this one directed by the previous entries’ writer, Leigh Whannell, is a prequel in which psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly uses her ability to contact the dead to help a teenage girl. THR film critic Justin Lowe feels the third installment of the franchise has a clearer plotline. He writes in his review that, “the decision to move away from the original movies’ often complex mythology boosts the capacity of the new installment (from Focus Features’ Gramercy Pictures) to stand on its own.”

 

 

Spy

 

Melissa McCarthy puts her own spin on the spy genre in the Paul Feig-directed action comedy. THR film critic John DeFore writes, “Laugh-stuffed and making excellent use of its marquee-grade supporting cast, it promises to be a home run in its early summer release.” Read the full review here. 

 

 

Love & Mercy

 

Bill Pohlad chronicles the life of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson in a pop biopic starring John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti. DeFore writes in his review, “John Cusack gives one of the best performances of his career, its effectiveness limited only by his lack of a physical resemblance to the songwriter. That will be a stumbling block for some fans, but those who can get beyond it will find a very fine film about a singular artist.”

 

Testament of Youth

 

Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington co-stars with Alicia Vikander in director James Kent‘s love and war drama based on Vera Brittain‘s memoir. THR film critic Leslie Felperin writes that the film strikes “an elegantly sustained balance between intimacy and historical scope.” Read the full review here.