We're entering week two of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, and here's how I'd rank what I've seen so far, best to worst: Daughters > Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell > Green Border > Sugarcane > In the Land of Brothers > Àma Gloria > Dead Mail > LaRoy Texas > White Plastic Sky > The Beast > Silent Roar > Tuesday. (Just a reminder: My original picks are here.)
I may have more to say about The Beast (a disappointment!) when it opens at The Main next week—and also about Civil War, if I get a spare moment, because people are saying such dumb things about it.
Special Screenings
Thursday, April 18
The Hopeful (2024)
AMC Rosedale 14/AMC Southdale 16
A Jesusy movie about some guy whose faith is shaken by the War of 1812 or something. 7 p.m. $16.35. More info here.
Airplane! (1980)
Grandview 1&2
The spoofiest spoof of all. $12. 9:15 p.m. Saturday 11:59 p.m. More info here.
Dial M for Murder (1943)
The Heights
Nooo Ray Milland don't kill Grace Kelly she's so sexy ahh. $12. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
The Gospel of the Beast (2023)
The Main
A Filipino boy is schooled for a life of crime by his uncle. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12 p.m. More info here.
Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink (2023)
The Main
Alden Global Capital sucks! Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:10 p.m. More info here.
The Home Game (2023)
The Main
An Icelandic man arranges to bring an FA Cup game to the soccer field his father built. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:15 p.m. More info here.
Badel and Adama (2023)
The Main
The love between a West African chief and his wife is tested when bad weather turns the village against him. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:20 p.m. More info here.
Name Me Lawand (2023)
The Main
The family of a deaf Kurdish boy learning to communicate in the U.K. is threatened with deportation. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:20 p.m. More info here.
The Arctic Convoy (2023)
The Main
During WWII, merchant ships travel the dangerous North Sea to bring supplies to the Eastern Front. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2 p.m. More info here.
All To Play For (2023)
The Main
After an accident, a French working mother must fend off child protective services. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:15 p.m. More info here.
Bad Press (2023)
The Main
Muskogee (Creek) Nation journalists struggle to maintain freedom of the press. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. Tuesday 4:20 p.m. More info here.
In the Land of Brothers (2024)
The Main
Afghan refugees find new struggles when they settle in Iran. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Snow Leopard (2023)
The Main
A Tibetan man determined to kill a snow leopard is opposed by his brother, a monk. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. Sunday 11:30 a.m. More info here.
A Difficult Year (2023)
The Main
A pair of down-and-outers decided to swindle an environmental group. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:20 p.m. Monday 2 p.m. More info here.
Afterbirth (2024)
The Main
A revealing documentary from Minnesota director Nicole Brending about the difficulties of early motherhood. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Solids by the Seashore (2023)
The Main
In a small Thai village, two young women—one arty, one with a conservative family—become friends. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Within (2023)
The Main
The discovery of a dead body in a Chinese school stirs up long-hidden secrets. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Porcelain War (2024)
The Main
Artists continue to work in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 5 p.m. Wednesday 7:15 p.m. More info here.
Shorts Program 06: Unreal
The Main
Eight short films. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
A Ravaging Wind (2023)
The Main
An Evangelical father and daughter are traveling through the Argentine countryside when their car breaks down. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Thelma (2024)
The Main
When she’s swindled out of her life savings by a phone scammer, a 93-year-old grandma swings into action to punish the culprits. Think of it as The Beekeeper if Phylicia Rashad hadn’t needed Statham to avenge her. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. Saturday 1 p.m. More info here.
Watershed (2024)
The Main
A Paralympic champion swimmer wants to become a mother. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. More info here.
Critical Zone (2023)
The Main
Made with amateur actors and shot in secret, this film follows a Tehran cab driver/drug dealer through his nightly rounds. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. Saturday 9:35 p.m. More info here.
Listen Up! (2023)
The Main
A Pakistani family in Oslo tries to fit in. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
African Giants (2024)
The Main
Two first-generation Sierra Leonean American brothers keep secrets from each other. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Girls Will Be Girls (2024)
The Main
A star student falls for a new boy from Hong Kong—and so does her mom. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Cold (2023)
The Main
An Icelandic detective suspects that his new murder investigation is somehow related to his wife’s suicide. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:45 p.m. Tuesday 9:40 p.m. More info here.
Lost in the Night (2023)
The Main
A young Mexican man searches for his mother, an activist who went missing during a protest. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:45 p.m. More info here.
Hesitation Wound (2023)
The Main
A U.K.-educated Turkish lawyer battles corruption in a small town. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:50 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. More info here.
Friday, April 19
Power (2024)
Capri Theater
A doc about how the police have gained so much control over our lives. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6:30 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m. at The Main. More info here.
About Dry Grasses (2023)
The Main
Acclaimed Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan returns with the story of a troubled schoolteacher exiled to a post in the country. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11 a.m. Sunday 7:10 p.m. More info here.
The Buriti Flower (2023)
The Main
The oral stories of the Krahô of Northern Brazil are translated into film. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:15 a.m. Wednesday 4:10 p.m. More info here.
Blaga’s Lessons (2023)
The Main
An elderly Bulgarian woman is swindled by telephone scammers. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:30 a.m. More info here.
I Am Sirat (2023)
The Main
A trans woman is trapped between her duty to her mother and her need to live on her own terms. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:40 p.m. More info here.
Profe (2024)
The Main
A documentary look at two Minnesota public schools developing curricula geared toward Latine children. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12 p.m. More info here.
Bad Actor (2023)
The Main
A sex scene gone wrong sparks a controversy. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:15 p.m. More info here.
Brief History of a Family (2024)
The Main
A wealthy boy’s new friend insinuates himself into the family. A Chinese Saltburn? Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2 p.m. Saturday 11:40 p.m. More info here.
City of Wind (2023)
The Main
A Mongolian teen, raised to be a shaman, is tempted by modern life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2 p.m. More info here.
In the Rearview (2023)
The Main
A documentary director helps evacuate Ukrainians after the Russian invasion. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:10 p.m. More info here.
Victoria Must Go (2024)
The Main
Two spoiled Norwegian kids conspire to off their stepmother. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:50 p.m. More info here.
Shorts Program 07: Animation Round-Up
The Main
Fourteen animated shorts. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:15 p.m. More info here.
Shoshana (2023)
The Main
The latest from director Michael Winterbottom is a thriller taking place between the world wars in British-run Palestine. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:15 p.m. Sunday 7 p.m. More info here.
Last Summer (2023)
The Main
Catherine Breillat’s take on the “But you’re my stepmother!” genre. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:20 p.m. Wednesday 1:40 p.m. More info here.
The Blue Star (2023)
The Main
Spanish rocker Mauricio Aznar is revitalized by a trip to South America. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
In Our Day (2023)
The Main
It’s Hong Sang-soo’s 30th feature film! Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 5 p.m. Saturday 11:30 a.m. More info here.
Merchant Ivory (2023)
The Main
A documentary about the popular filmmaking team. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6:45 p.m. More info here.
The Beast (2023)
The Main
Léa Seydoux plays three roles. More like Léa Sey-trois? Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6:50 p.m. More info here.
Lies We Tell (2023)
The Main
A feminist twist on a 19th century Gothic novel. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. Tuesday 4:30 p.m. More info here.
The Fishing Hat Bandit (2024)
The Main
The story of John Whitlock, who robbed 22 Minnesota banks in 18 months—and who’ll be attending the screenings. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. Saturday 1:50 p.m. More info here.
Madame Luna (2024)
The Main
An Eritrean refugee gets caught up in the Italian criminal underground. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Limbo (2023)
The Main
A detective struggles to solve a cold case in the Australian outback. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:40 p.m. Tuesday 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Love Is a Gun (2023)
The Main
A young man tries to rehabilitate his life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:40 p.m. Tuesday 7 p.m. More info here.
Animalia (2023)
The Main
A supernatural crisis strikes while a pregnant Moroccan wife is home alone. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:45 p.m. More info here.
Sleep (2023)
The Main
A husband’s sleepwalking becomes increasingly ominous. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. Also Tuesday. $10/$15. 9:45 p.m. More info here.
Handling the Undead (2024)
The Main
The folks behind Let The Right One In offer their take on zombies in a movie starring Renate “The Worst Person in the World” Reinsve. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:50 p.m. Tuesday 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Compensation (1999)
Walker Art Center
Zeinabu irene Davis tells two parallel stories of a deaf Black women falling in love in Chicago, in 1910 and in 1999. $12/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Saturday, April 20
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Alamo Drafthouse
Good movie to watch on the drug holiday. $40. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
The Mask (1994)
Alamo Drafthouse
When he puts on that mask, he's like a totally different guy! $10. 11 a.m. More info here.
La Rondine
AMC Rosedale 14/AMC Southdale 16/Emagine Willow Creek/Showplace ICON
Puccini, live from The Met. $27.09. 11:15 p.m. Wednesday 1 & 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Sira (2023)
Capri Theater
A woman decides to fight back against the thugs who kidnapped, raped, and left her for dead in the Sahara. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 3:30 p.m. Tuesday 2:45 p.m. at The Main. More info here.
Once Again (For the Very First Time) (2023)
Capri Theater
A poet and a street dancer fall in love in this impressionistic film. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6 p.m. Wednesday 4:15 p.m. at The Main. More info here.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Emagine Willow Creek
Happy marijuana day! $11. 4:20 p.m. More info here.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Emagine Willow Creek
Pretty sure this is the one with the Goblet of Fire. Also Sunday & Wednesday. $9. 12:30 & 7:30 p.m. More info here.
The Gullspång Miracle (2023)
The Main
Two sisters move to a small town in Sweden and meet a woman who is identical to their long-dead sister. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:10 a.m. Tuesday 4:40 p.m. More info here.
Big Dreams (2023)
The Main
An 11-year-old Czech boy starts his own hockey team. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:50 a.m. More info here.
Sweet Dreams (2023)
The Main
The inheritors of an Indonesian sugar plantation try to keep it afloat. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:40 p.m. More info here.
Mountain Boy (2024)
The Main
A young Arab with autism leaves his mountain home on a journey. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:45 p.m. Monday 7 p.m. More info here.
The Convert (2023)
The Main
Guy Pearce is a 19th century New Zealand preacher shocked by his flock’s racism against the Maori. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 3:15 p.m. More info here.
Shorts Program 08: Creative + Community
The Main
Six short films. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4 p.m. More info here.
Behind the Mist (2023)
The Main
Two filmmakers document their ascent of Mt. Everest. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:30 p.m. Wednesday 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Remembering Every Night (2022)
The Main
Three women go about their lives in a Tokyo suburb. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:20 p.m. More info here.
Tehachapi (2023)
The Main
Remember JR, that guy who was in Faces Places with Agnes Varda? He’s back, and he’s recruiting inmates at a California supermax for his latest art project. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:35 p.m. Monday 1:50 p.m. More info here.
No One Asked You (2023)
The Main
Lizz Winstead and her crew travel the U.S. supporting the right to abortion. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. More info here.
Gassed Up (2023)
The Main
A young British man desperate for money runs afoul of Armenia gangsters. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 6:40 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. at the Capri Theater. More info here.
Janet Planet (2023)
The Main
An 11-year-old girl slowly becomes disenchanted with her charismatic mother. Also Wednesday. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
The Queen of My Dreams (2023)
The Main
A lesbian woman re-examines her family’s surprising past, in a style that evokes Bollywood classics. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Igualada (2024)
The Main
A Colombian activist runs an inspirational campaign for president. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. Sunday 2:15 p.m. More info here.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023)
The Main
A young vampire who doesn’t like killing humans makes a friend/blood donor. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9 p.m. More info here.
Holiday (2023)
The Main
A young woman returns to her hometown after she’s acquitted of her mother’s murder. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:15 p.m. Tuesday 7:10 p.m. More info here.
In Flames (2023)
The Main
A young Pakistani woman is haunted by visions after the death of her grandfather. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:30 p.m. Wednesday 4:40 p.m. More info here.
Flipside (2023)
The Main
A filmmaker’s attempt to revive his childhood record store leads him to revisit several old documentary projects. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:40 p.m. Tuesday 1:50 p.m. More info here.
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
The Parkway
Hate to body shame but that's just too tall! $5-$10. 1 p.m. More info here.
Code Unknown (2000)
Walker Art Center
Michael Haneke tells the story of a single incident in Paris through various characters' experience of it. $12/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Sunday, April 21
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Alamo Drafthouse
Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor? Very attractive people. $10. 11 a.m. More info here.
The Big Lebowski (1999)
Alamo Drafthouse
Never heard of it. $14. 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted (2024)
Capri Theater
The soul eccentric gets the documentary he deserves. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Valentina or the Serenity (2023)
The Main
An imaginative Indigenous Mexican girl struggles to prove that her father is still alive. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11 a.m. More info here.
The Nature of Love (2023)
The Main
A happily married wife (or is she?) falls for a contractor. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:15 a.m. More info here.
Holly (2023)
The Main
A girl develops magical gifts after her classmates die in a fire. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:30 a.m. More info here.
Romaissa (2022)
The Main
Dutch kids fight greedy developers. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1 p.m. More info here.
Shorts Program 09: Human Connection
The Main
Seven short films. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:45 p.m. More info here.
Eleha (2023)
The Main
A young Kurdish-Iraqi woman in Germany tries to hide the fact that she is not a virgin from her traditional family. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:10 p.m. Wednesday 9:40 p.m. More info here.
Chicken for Linda! (2023)
The Main
An animated feature about a mother who finds preparing her daughter’s favorite dish more of a task than she expected. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:45 p.m. More info here.
Art for Everybody (2023)
The Main
A look at the dark side of famous painter Thomas Kinkade. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. Sunday-Monday 4:30 p.m. More info here.
The Rye Horn (2023)
The Main
A midwife flees Franco’s Spain. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
In the Blind Spot (2023)
The Main
A German film crew in Turkey encounters supernatural circumstances. Or do they? Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
The Electric Indian (2024)
The Main
A documentary about the Ojibwe hockey great Henry Boucha. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. Wednesday 5 p.m. More info here.
Lady Like (2024)
The Main
The origin story of RuPaul’s Drag Race fave Lady Camden. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:50 p.m. More info here.
Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (2023)
The Main
Programming this sprawling Romanian film, one of last year’s most acclaimed movies, against About Dry Grasses? Criminal, I say. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Musica! (2023)
The Main
A documentary that follows the diverging paths of four young Cuban musicians. Preceded by the short film Avanga. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Claire Facing North (2024)
The Main
A woman travels to Iceland and bonds with a hitchhiker. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. Wednesday 1:45 p.m. More info here.
Stage Fright (1950)
Trylon
It's Dietrich vs. Wyman in this Hitchcock black comedy. $8. 8 p.m. Monday-Tuesday 7 & 9:15 p.m. More info here.
Monday, April 22
Three Colors: White (1994)
Alamo Drafthouse
The weakest link in Kieślowski's trilogy, but still... $10. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
Challengers (2024)
Alamo Drafthouse
See the Zendaya threesome movie before anyone else. Well, besides the people who made it, I guess. $16.50. 7 p.m. More info here.
The Boogey Man (1980)
Emagine Willow Creek
Mom's dead boyfriend is back! $6. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Laura (1944)
The Heights
Dana Andrews is investigating the murder of a mysterious woman, but the situation is more complex than he thinks. $12. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Foremost by Night (2023)
The Main
A Spanish woman struggles to reunite with the biological son she gave up for adoption. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:45 p.m. More info here.
Evil Does Not Exist (2024)
The Main
In the latest from Drive My Car director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, a father living with his daughter resists plans to turn his village into a glamping resort. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:15 p.m. More info here.
Maestra (2023)
The Main
A documentary about an intense competition among female conductors. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Grace (2023)
The Main
After her mother dies, a girl travels across Russia with her father, showing films to people in the countryside. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:20 p.m. Wednesday 9:35 p.m. More info here.
Tiger Stripes (2023)
The Main
Puberty brings out frightening changes in an 11-year-old girl. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
Songs of the Earth (2023)
The Main
Filmmaker Margreth Olin’s father guides her through the beautiful sights of Western Norway. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Richland (2023)
The Main
A documentary about the Washington town where the nuclear material for the first atomic bombs was gathered. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:50 p.m. Wednesday 9:40 p.m. More info here.
Sequencing Hope (2024)
The Main
An Alabama toddler undergoes experimental gene therapy treatment. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Wildcat (2023)
The Main
Maya Hawke is Flannery O’Connor. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:05 p.m. Wednesday 4:20 p.m. More info here.
A New Kind of Wilderness (2024)
The Main
Tragedy forces an off-the-grid Norwegian family to rejoin the society. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Shorts Program 10: Mortality
The Main
Six short films. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
Tuesday, April 23
Drunken Master II (1994)
Alamo Drafthouse
Classic Jackie Chan in the theater, what more do you want? $7. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
White Plastic Sky (2023)
The Main
An eco-updated Logan’s Run, but animated and slightly less corny. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2 p.m. More info here.
The Mother of All Lies (2023)
The Main
A Moroccan filmmaker makes a dollhouse replica of her childhood neighborhood to explore her country and her family’s past. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:20 p.m. More info here.
Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story (2023)
The Main
Self-explanatory! Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Solo (2023)
The Main
A rising star in Montreal’s drag scene gets into a bad relationship. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
Catching Fire: Anita Pallenberg (2023)
The Main
Pallenberg is best known as a lover of two Rolling Stones, but this documentary focuses on her own creative life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:05 p.m. More info here.
We Have Never Been Modern (2023)
The Main
The discovery of a dead intersex baby creates a scandal an Eastern European factory town. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Copa 71 (2023)
The Main
A documentary about the 1971 competition between women’s soccer players for the world title, which took place in a packed Mexico CIty stadium. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
MMXX (2023)
The Main
Cristi Puiu’s latest film tells four interconnected stories about Romanians living at the height of the Covid pandemic. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9 p.m. Wednesday 1:30 p.m. More info here.
Days of Happiness (2023)
The Main
A Canadian classical music star breaks free of her father’s grip with the help of a new friend. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Wednesday, April 24
Mallrats (1994)
Alamo Drafthouse
I heard a rumor that this was filmed in Minnesota. $10. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
The Apple (1980)
Emagine Willow Creek
The disco camp classic. $6. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Unsung Hero (2024)
Emagine Willow Creek
Some Australians become Christian music stars in Nashville. A true story—just like the Bible! $11. 6 p.m. More info here.
Zoolander (2001)
Grandview 1&2
This came out two weeks after 9/11. $12. 9:15 p.m. More info here.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Main
Casey Affleck shoots Brad Pitt, as shot by Roger Deakins. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1 p.m. More info here.
Without Air (2023)
The Main
A popular Hungarian teacher is accused of promoting a “homosexual agenda.” Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:50 p.m. More info here.
Fargo (1996)
The Main
Famed cinematographer Roger Deakins and his collaborator James Deakins will attend this screening of the Coen Brothers classic. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
High and Low: John Galliano (2023)
The Main
The famed fashion designer attempts to put his life back together after he disgraces himself with an antisemitic tirade. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:05 p.m. More info here.
Amal (2023)
The Main
A Belgian high school teacher struggles to reach her fundamentalist Muslim students. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
The Successor (2023)
The Main
A Parisian fashion designer returns home to learn disturbing facts about his family. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Trylon Club Secret Screening
Trylon
Hmm, not much of a "secret," folks. Free for Trylon Club members. 7 p.m. More info here.
Opening This Week
Follow the links for showtimes.
Abigail
Oops! Some criminals kidnapped a vampire ballerina girl.
Deep Sky
Catch some IMAX images from NASA's Webb telescope.
Housekeeping for Beginners
The latest from Goran Stolevski, whose You Won't Be Alone I liked a lot and whose Of an Age I liked a little.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
"Sure looking forward to that new Guy Ritchie movie," someone is presumably saying in 2024.
Sasquatch Sunset
*Ray Davies voice* I am in paradise.
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White
A spy and an assassin hide their identities from each other—but their child is a telepath.
Villains Inc.
After the death of their boss, some henchpeople strike out on their own.
Ongoing in Local Theaters
Follow the links for showtimes.
Bob Marley: One Love
For me, the most forgivable music biopic cliché is the scene in the studio “where it all comes together,” usually after the genius has been struggling to articulate his vision to the band. At least in their clumsy way scenes like this try to understand where great music comes from. And so the best part of this rote retelling of the reggae great’s life, rigorously vetted by his family, comes during the Exodus sessions, where new guitarist Junior Murvin adds a rock tinge to the Wailers’ established sound. As for the rest, well, it’s not all as ridiculous as when Bob and his crew leave a Clash show and stroll blithely through London as riots break out behind them, or the singer’s flashbacks to his youth that occur while he’s performing onstage, but if you know anything about Bob Marley’s life, you’ll learn nothing new here. Lashana Lynch does what she can as Rita Marley, James Norton’s job as Chris Blackwell is to keep saying “I don’t know if that’ll work, Bob,” and Kingsley Ben-Adir has real screen presence but his charisma doesn’t suggest Bob’s own. Optimistically, I’ll take the movie’s success as a good sign that there’s real hunger to know more about one of the great international Black diasporan culture heroes, and I hope the curious don’t stop here. Read Chris Salewicz's Bob Marley: The Untold Story or Timothy White’s Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley or, hell, Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings, which fictionalizes Marley’s shooting. Watch any number of YouTube clips, including Marley’s 1977 set at the Rainbow. And definitely listen to the music. If you know Legend, which you probably do even if you’ve never listened to it on purpose, go back to Marley’s start at Island Records—Burnin’, Natty Dread, and Catch a Fire. Sample the earlier Studio One recordings. And don’t stop there. C+
Dune: Part 2 (read the full review here)
The first part of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation was a well-crafted slog, occasionally spectacular but often merely studently, as the director seemed intent to prove that he deserved the assignment. But with all the power players set in place, Part Two does an awful lot right. Villeneuve distills the essence of the novel’s currents of deception and misdirection into a legible screenplay while generating some truly uncanny moments. And as Paul Atreides, Timothée Chalamet shows us a man who makes a pragmatic decision to exploit the dogmatism of his followers because he believes that every other choice will cause more death and destruction, or who at least rationalizes his motives that way. With IP-recycling now the culture industry’s standard cannibalistic practice, Villeneuve, like Paul, imagines himself the good guy in this scenario, respectful of the traditions placed in his care rather than merely exploitative. But also like Paul there are forces at play beyond his control. So what happens when Villeneuve’s hero threatens to become a butcher? Stay tuned for Part 3. B+
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Love Lives Bleeding
If you head in to Love Lies Bleeding to watch Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian fuck each other and murder dudes—and why else would you be there?—you will not be disappointed. In true noir fashion, Jackie (O'Brian) is a drifter, en route from an Oklahoma childhood to a bodybuilding competition in Vegas, stopping off in New Mexico because that’s the sort of place these stories happen. Here she meets Stewart's Lou and the bodies start to hit the floor. As the knot tightens around the lovers, generating a titillating claustrophobia à la Jim Thompson, the question becomes whether Lou’s brains will save Jackie or Jackie’s brawn will save Lou, or whether theirs is the sort of love that dooms them both. Not till the final scene are the roles they’ve chosen to play in this relationship finally clear. (Love, Glass seems to say, means never complaining about disposing of your sweetheart’s murder victims.) I’ll admit, for a half-hour or so I worried that director Rose Glass’s euphorically nihilist lesbian death trip was too nutty to be a good movie and yet not nutty enough to be a great one. After [SPOILER REDACTED], that concern just felt silly. A-
Monkey Man
Dev Patel's directorial debut is a brutal action-revenge flick with some confusing but admirable politics, targeting Hindu nationalism and featuring an army of trans warriors rising up from the streets. Patel stars as an unnamed, sullen man (after The Green Knight and this, I suspect dude may never smile in a movie ever again) caught up in a nasty underground fighting circuit; he infiltrates ritzy Indian society to deliver the big payback to the crooked police chief who razed his village and killed his mother. He isn't exactly a natural behind the camera: The movie crawls to a halt midway before a Rocky training montage set to tablas carries it into the home stretch. And he doesn't always shoot the bloody, imaginative fights to their advantage, with a little too much camera action and close ups a little too tight on the combatants. But if you like your action unrelentingly grim, he's your man. And your monkey. B
SUGA - Agust D Tour 'D-DAY' The Movie
Wicked Little Letters
This sort of naughty British comedy for grandmas always has a much higher caliber cast than it deserves—poor old Timothy Spall certainly deserves better, as does poor young Anjana Vasan. As for Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley (wow, a The Lost Daughter reunion of sorts), they're just slumming; here the former is an uptight, upright Christian prude who accuses the latter, a foul-mouthed Irish gal, of sending her obscene letters. You'll guess the culprit before the big reveal and figure out where the courtroom scenes are headed as well. But if plucky middle-aged women banding together to hatch a plan and bouts of clumsy cussing are your cup of tea, the kettle's on. C
