A reformed assassin, a few board-game-loving teens and a whistleblower are headed to theaters this weekend with the releases of John Wick, Ouija and Citizenfour.
Find out what The Hollywood Reporter‘s critics are saying about the weekend’s new offerings (along with which film will top the weekend’s box office).
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John Wick
A hitman gets pulled out of retirement when his dog goes missing (yes, really) in the revenge thriller that marks the directorial debut of co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Keanu Reeves, Bridget Moynahan, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo and Adrianne Palicki star. The directors “expertly deliver one action highlight after another in a near-nonstop thrill ride,” and Reeves is in “excellent form,” writes THR film critic Justin Lowe in his review.
Ouija
Inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, director Stiles White‘s horror film stars Olivia Cooke, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith and Bianca Santos. The plot centers on a group of friends who get more than they bargained for when trying to contact a dead pal. The film is “less scary than landing in jail while playing Monopoly,” according to THR film critic Frank Scheck‘s review.
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Citizenfour
Director Laura Poitras‘ documentary focuses on National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. THR chief film critic Todd McCarthy writes that “this revelatory work is fascinating and thought-provoking, if, at the same time, oddly lacking in tension.” Read his full review here.
Laggies
Director Lynn Shelton‘s comedy stars Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber and Ellie Kemper in a story of a woman who recovers from a breakup by befriending a 16-year-old high schooler. THR film critic John DeFore writes in his review that the film “earns its share of laughs” and is “more polished” than Shelton’s previous films, though still feeling “of a piece with that body of work.”
White Bird in a Blizzard
Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez and Gabourey Sidibe star in director Gregg Araki‘s drama about a teen girl whose mother disappears. The film is a “tacky-looking, dramatically flat send-up of sexual frustration and psychological warps,” and Woodley’s “characterization is a mixed bag,” McCarthy writes in his review.
23 Blast
Veteran actor Dylan Baker marks his directorial debut with this sports drama about a high school football player who returns to the gridiron after going blind. Mark Hapka, Stephen Lang and Timothy Busfield round out the cast. Baker draws “spirited performances from his seasoned cast while mainly steering clear of the usual, treacly movie-of-the week conventions that often go with the territory,” writes THR film critic Michael Rechtshaffen. Read his full review here.
Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org
Twitter: @_RyanGajewski
