My MSPIFF has been somewhat interrupted this year by some very annoying car troubles (let's hear it for the E Line), but I have enjoyed Silent Friend, The Stranger, and Anda, and am still very much looking forward to Blue Heron. You can catch up on everything else I've had to say about the fest here.
In other news, some big cult faves are screening this week (Speed Racer, Barry Lyndon). Among the new releases, I'm looking forward to the under-the-radar Mile End Kicks from Canadian writer/director Chandler Levack, whose first feature, I Like Movies, was a movie I liked.
Special Screenings
Thursday, April 16
Police Story (1985)
Alamo Drafthouse
Jackie Chan’s best? He thinks so. $13.99. 7 p.m. More info here.
In-I In Motion (2025)
Capri Theater
Actor Juliette Binoche and dancer Akram Khan teach each other their craft onstage. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. More info here.
The Altar Boys (2025)
Edina Mann
Poor Polish altar boys revolt against hypocrisy. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:15 p.m. Friday 2:10 p.m. More info here.
One in a Million (2026)
Edina Mann
A young Syrian refugee comes of age in Germany. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Follies (2025)
Edina Mann
A married couple experiments with an open marriage. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. More info here.
Misery (1990)
Emagine Willow Creek
Rob Reiner month continues at Emagine. $12. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Granada
The latest Taste the Movies outing. Sold out. 6 p.m. More info here.
Eraserhead (1977)
Grandview 1&2
A movie that really needs to be heard live. $14.14. 9:15 p.m. More info here.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
Heights Theater
In this economy? $13. 7 p.m. More info here.
Rental Family (2025)
Loring Park
The first bike-in movie of 2026. Free. 8 p.m. More info here.
The Last Spy (2025)
Main Cinema
An insider’s account of life in the CIA. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 1:50 p.m. Friday 4:50 p.m. More info here.
The Soundman (2025)
Main Cinema
A Brussels radio station prepares for the Nazi invasion. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2 p.m. More info here.
Father (2025)
Main Cinema
A father wracked by guilt tries to rebuild his life. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:05 p.m. Friday 11:50 a.m. More info here.
We Are Pat (2025)
Edina Mann
A look at the legacy of Julia Sweeney’s SNL character. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:10 p.m. More info here.
Becoming Human (2025)
Main Cinema
A Cambodian journalist encounters a ghost protecting an abandoned movie theater. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:15 p.m. More info here.
Mothertongue (2025)
Main Cinema
A Chinese actress returns to her village. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:15 p.m. More info here.
The Last Viking (2025)
Main Cinema
Mads Mikkelson is the brother of a robber and he thinks he’s John Lennon. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:20 p.m. Saturday 4 p.m. More info here.
Reedland (2025)
Main Cinema
The effects of a child’s murder on a Dutch farming community. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:30 p.m. Saturday 9:50 p.m. More info here.
Diya (2025)
Main Cinema
When a man accidentally kills a child, he must raise money to pay back ths boy’s family. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:40 p.m. Friday noon. More info here.
Steal This Story, Please! (2025)
Main Cinema
A doc about Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Renoir (2025)
Main Cinema
An 11-year-old Japanese girl lets her imagination run wild. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 6:50 p.m. Saturday (at Landmark Center) 12:30 p.m. More info here.
Vanilla (2025)
Main Cinema
An 8-year-old girl grows up in an all-female Mexican household. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 6:50 p.m. Sunday 1:50 p.m. More info here.
Barni (2025)
Main Cinema
A Somali family searches for a lost nine-year-old girl. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. More info here.
Shorts 7: Nervous Laughter
Main Cinema
A selection of short awkward comedies. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:05 p.m. More info here.
Power Ballad (2026)
Main Cinema
Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are unlikely collaborators. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
A Bright Future (2025)
Main Cinema
A poor Uruguayan girl’s life changes when she heads north for an education. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:15 p.m. More info here.
The Travel Companion (2025)
Main Cinema
A documentary filmmaker who relies on a friend who works for an airline worries he’ll lose his travel perks when his buddy gets a girlfriend. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:20 p.m. More info here.
Black Rabbit, White Rabbit (2025)
Main Cinema
An Iranian film about three different events that turn out to be related. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $13. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Obsession (2025)
Main Cinema
A guy makes a wish that his crush would fall in love with him. It turns out badly. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $13. 9:45 p.m. Saturday 9:50 p.m. More info here.
Heat (1995)
Trylon
Nope, sold out. $8. 7 p.m. More info here.
Sugarcane (2024)
Walker Art Center
A poetic doc about the generational trauma spawned by the Canadian Indian residential school system. Bassist Mali Obomsawin, who scored the film, will perform a short set before the screening. $25 and up. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Friday, April 17
Face/Off (1997)
Alamo Drafthouse
Cage is Travolta! Travolta is Cage! $13.99. 9:45 p.m. Thursday 7p.m. More info here.
The Negotiator (2025)
Edina Mann
He's trying to get a kidnapped Italian journalist freed. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $13. 3:30 p.m. More info here.
Jane Elliott vs. the World (2026)
Edina Mann
The story of the teacher who developed the controversial “blue eyes/brown eyes” anti-racist lesson plan. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:45 p.m. Sunday (at Main Cinema) 5 p.m. More info here.
Late Shift (2025)
Edina Mann
The difficult life of a nurse working overnight at a Swiss hospital. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. More info here.
Erupcja (2025)
Edina Mann
Charli XCX plays a woman who catches up with a childhood friend while visiting Poland with her boyfriend. It does not turn out well. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:30 p.m. Saturday 9:45 p.m. More info here.
The Sun Rises on Us All (2025)
Main Cinema
Two lovers in China reunite seven years after a car crash. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11:40 a.m. More info here.
To Hold a Mountain (2026)
Main Cinema
Montenegro shepherds fight back against NATO. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11:45 a.m. More info here.
Comparasa (2025)
Main Cinema
A documentary about Guatemalan community organizers. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:15 p.m. Sunday 11:20 p.m. More info here.
Broken Voices (2025)
Main Cinema
A film about sexual abuse at a prestigious Czech girls’ choir. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:20 p.m. More info here.
Don’t Call Me Mama (2025)
Main Cinema
A married high school teacher falls in love with a young asylum seeker. Uh oh. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
The Ivy (2025)
Main Cinema
An adult woman bonds with a teen living in a group home. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2:35 p.m. More info here.
Human Resource (2015)
Main Cinema
A pregnant Thai woman’s career makes her question bringing a child in to the world. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
Romeria (2025)
Main Cinema
An orphan meets her extended family and learns about her father. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:35 p.m. Saturday 4:10 p.m. More info here.
Seized (2026)
Main Cinema
A documentary about an illegal raid on a small-town Kansas newspaper. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:45 p.m. More info here.
The Battle of Oslo (2025)
Main Cinema
Norway fights back against the Nazis. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:55 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. More info here.
100 Litres of Gold (2024)
Main Cinema
Homebrewers drink all the ale they were supposed to provide for a wedding. Oops! Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. More info here.
Winter of the Crow (2025)
Main Cinema
An English professor visits Poland just as the Soviets declare martial law. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:05 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. More info here.
A Life Illuminated (2025)
Main Cinema
Visit the deepest parts of the ocean! Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:10 p.m. Sunday (at Edina Mann) 2 p.m. More info here.
Threshold (2026)
Main Cinema
A documentary about Jessie Diggins. Sold out. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. 7:15 p.m. Saturday (at Edina Mann) 2 p.m. More info here.
The Blue Trail (2025)
Main Cinema
In a future Brazil where the elderly are exiled to camps, one woman escapes on the Amazon. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:20 p.m. Sunday 11:40 a.m. More info here.
Cotton Queen (2025)
Main Cinema
A Sudanese girl helps her village resist genetically modified cotton. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:15 p.m. Sunday 7:40 p.m. More info here.
What Does That Nature Say to You (2025)
Main Cinema
The latest from the great Hong Sang-Soo. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:20 p.m. More info here.
The Condor Daughter (2025)
Main Cinema
A teen training to be a midwife dreams of leaving her home in the Andes. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Hokum (2026)
Main Cinema
Another spooky house from the guy behind Oddity, with Adam Scott. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:45 p.m. Saturday 9:40 p.m. More info here.
New Group (2025)
Main Cinema
Bizarre changes occur when a new student arrives at a private school. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:50 p.m. More info here.
Collateral (2004)
Trylon
You do not want Tom Cruise in your cab. $8. Friday-Saturday 7 & 9:30 p.m. Sunday 3 & 5:30 p.m. More info here.
Saturday, April 18
Romancing in Thin Air (2012)
Alamo Drafthouse
Johnnie To tries his hand at a romantic melodrama. $10.99. 4 p.m. More info here.
The Master (2012)
Alamo Drafthouse
For fans of aggressive handjobs. $10.99. 12:30 p.m. Monday 3:45 p.m. More info here.
BTS World Tour—Arirang in Goyang: Live Viewing (2026)
AMC Southdale 16/Lagoon Cinema
The K-Pop stars are back. $30. 3 & 6:45 p.m. More info here and here.
A Beautiful Planet (2016)
AMC Southdale
I think they mean Earth. $6.50. 10:45 p.m. More info here.
Happy Birthday (2025)
Edina Mann
A Cairo girl makes friends with her employer’s granddaughter. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. Noon. More info here.
Calle Málaga (2025)
Edina Mann
A woman fights to keep her home in Morocco. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. Sunday (at Main Cinema) 7:25 p.m. More info here.
Shorts 3: Home Is Where The He(Art) Is
FilmNorth
Short films about family and home. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11.30 a.m. More info here.
Come Talk to ME (2026)
FilmNorth
The story of a Parkinson’s activist. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 2 p.m. More info here.
Shorts 5: Chills
FilmNorth
Spooky stuff. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $13. 4 p.m. More info here.
Mary Poppins (1967)
Heights Theater
Ever seen a pic of Mrs. Banks when she was young? A stone fox. 11 a.m. $13. More info here.
The Quiet Bookkeeper (2026)
Landmark Center
This follow-up to Jason Statham’s action flick takes an unexpected turn. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 3 p.m. More info here.
Escalation (2026)
Main Cinema
A short doc about the targeting of journalists by government and law enforcement in the U.S. Followed by a panel discussion. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11 a.m. More info here.
Nuestro Norte (2026)
Main Cinema
A film celebrating Minnesota’s Latine leaders, with a panel discussion. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. Sold out. 11:15 p.m. More info here.
Secret Delivery (2025)
Main Cinema
Children save a French pilot during WWII. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11:05 a.m. More info here.
Shorts 9: Eclectic Interest
Main Cinema
A selection of short films about varied, unusual topics. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. Sold out. 11:10 a.m. More info here.
Shorts 8: Animation Roundup
Main Cinema
A selection as animated shorts. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 1:15 p.m. More info here.
Winners (2024)
Main Cinema
A Syrian boy begins life over as a refugee at a chaotic school in Berlin. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 1:20 p.m. More info here.
Colors of Time (2025)
Main Cinema
Four cousins inherit a family home in Normandy. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 1:30 p.m. More info here.
Why We Dance (2025)
Main Cinema
A documentary about tribal dancing, once banned by the U.S. Government. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:15 p.m. More info here.
The Girl in the Snow (2025)
Main Cinema
A new teacher on the French-Italian border at the turn of the century encounters romance and tragedy. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:20 p.m. More info here.
Broken English (2025)
Main Cinema
A documentary about the life of Marianne Faithful. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:30 p.m. More info here.
I Swear (2025)
Main Cinema
The story of Tourette’s syndrome activist John Davidson. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 6:40 p.m. Sunday (at Edina Mann) 6:45 p.m. More info here.
Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling (2026)
Main Cinema
The story of the notorious child abduction, and the eventual capture of the killer. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 6:45 p.m. Sunday 11:15 a.m. More info here.
Blue Heron (2025)
Main Cinema
The debut feature from the great short film director Sophy Romvari. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 6:50 p.m. More info here.
Source To Sea: A Winter Migration (2026)
Main Cinema
An Indigenous Ecuadoran woman from Minnesota travels the length of the Mississippi. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7 p.m. Sunday (at Edina Mann) noon. More info here.
Shorts 6: Labor & Love
Main Cinema
A selection of short films about work. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Donkey Days (2025)
Main Cinema
Two adult sisters have a dysfunctional relationship with their mother. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:20 p.m. Sunday 4:30 p.m. More info here.
The Little Sister (2025)
Main Cinema
A French-Algerian girl struggles with identity as she begins school in Paris. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Mia
I remember thinking this one was kind of cute? Free. 2 p.m. More info here.
Spirited Away (2001)
Parkway Theater
My favorite. $5-$10. 1 p.m. More info here.
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Parkway Theater
Would you people keep it down? I’m trying to watch the movie. $10/$15. Midnight. More info here.
I See Myself in You (2026)
Trylon
Strangers share personal reflections about themselves. Free. 3 p.m. More info here.
Sans Soleil (1983)
Walker Art Center
Nice chance to catch brilliant Chris Marker’s travelogue essay film in the theater. $8. 2 p.m. More info here.
Sunday, April 19
Under the Sea (2009)
AMC Southdale
Explore the oceans in 3D IMAX. $6.50. 10:45 a.m. More info here.
WWE Wrestlemania 42
AMC Southdale
Big screen wrasslin'. $20. 5 p.m. More info here.
A Sad and Beautiful World (2025)
Edina Mann
A magical realist tale of Lebanese lovers. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:20 p.m. More info here.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Emagine Willow Creek
George Will loved this movie. Also Wednesday. $11. 3:45 & 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Stalker (1979)
Grandview 1&2
Tarkovsky’s intellectually atmospheric quest film. Also Thursday. $14.14. 9:45 p.m. More info here.
A Ghost Story (2017)
Lagoon Cinema
Boo! $11. 2 p.m. More info here.
American Dream (1990)
Main Cinema
Barbara Kopple’s documentary about the mid-’80s Hormel strike in Austin, MN. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11:10 a.m. More info here.
Honey (2025)
Main Cinema
A shy 13-year-old girl is excited to learn that her grandfather is still alive. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 11:30 a.m. More info here.
Atlas of the Universe (2026)
Main Cinema
A Romanian boy sent on an errand for his father has adventures. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 1:45 p.m. More info here.
Shorts 10: Meeting in the Middle
Main Cinema
A selection of short films about compromise. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. Sold out. 1:55 p.m. More info here.
The Wild West Bank Sound (2026)
Main Cinema
A TPT doc about the West Bank music scene. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. Sold out. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Prince & The New Power Generation: Live at Glam Slam (2026)
Main Cinema
A 1992 concert at Prince’s onetime downtown Minneapolis club. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. Sold out. 4:45 & 4:50 p.m. More info here.
Honeyjoon (2025)
Main Cinema
A woman and her widowed mother take an island vacation together. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
The Oldest Person in the World (2026)
Main Cinema
I didn’t know they made a movie about me. Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $17. 7:20 p.m. More info here.
Rangga & Cinta (2025)
Main Cinema
"A modern reboot of a classic Indonesian high school film.” Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival. $13. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Up in Smoke (1978)
Roxy’s Cabaret
Seasonal! Free. 7 p.m. More info here.
Ali (2001)
Trylon
Michael Mann shines a spotlight on a little known boxer. $8. Sunday 8 p.m. Monday-Tuesday 7 p.m. More info here.
Monday, April 20
The Big Lebowski (1999)
Alamo Drafthouse
Happy Marijuana Day, everyone. $20. 7:15 p.m. Tuesday 4:45 p.m. More info here.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond (2023)
Alamo Drafthouse/AMC Southdale 16
This happened to a guy I know. $13.99. 7 p.m. More info here and here.
Speed Racer (2008)
AMC Rosedale14/AMC Southdale 16
I know some of you love this wacky movie! Times, prices, and more info here.
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Edina Mann
Best part of The Housemaid was that the husband was a Barry Lyndon stan. Also, good excuse to repost this. Also Wednesday. $12.12. 7 p.m. More info here.
One Missed Call (2003)
Emagine Willow Creek
Phones! They’ll kill ya! $9. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
WTF: Watch Terrible Films Club
56 Brewing
I don’t know what they’re showing, but I know it’ll be terrible. Free. 7 p.m. More info here.
Marcus Mystery Movie
Marcus West End
An unspecified new release. $6. 7 p.m. More info here.
Tuesday, April 21
Fuck My Son (2026) / Dance Freak (2026)
Alamo Drafthouse
"A double feature of depravity." $7. 7 p.m. More info here.
Funny Games (1997)
Alamo Drafthouse
Finally, a nice, light-hearted comedy. $10.99. 8 p.m. More info here.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Parkway Theater
He’s got some good reasons to be mad! $9/$12. Trivia at 7:30 p.m. Movie at 8 p.m. More info here.
Wednesday, April 22
Michael (2026)
Alamo Drafthouse/AMC Rosedale 14/AMC Southdale 16/Emagine Willow Creek
Be among the first to see the year’s worst musical biopic at this advance screening. Alamo: $18.99. 6 p.m. More info here. AMC: Showtimes and more info here. Emagine: $16. 6 p.m. More info here.
Fight Club (1999)
AMC Southdale 16/Emagine Willow Creek
I bet it feels good to hit someone like that. AMC: $7. 6 p.m. More info here. Emagine: $13. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Chronicle of the Years of Fire (Waqa’i’u Sinina Al-Jamri) (1975)
Trylon
An epic retelling of the build up to the Algerian War of Independence. $10. 7 p.m. More info here.
Thursday, April 23
A Few Good Men (1992)
Emagine Willow Creek
I think I could probably handle the truth. $12. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Rope (1948)
Heights Theater
The body’s right there in the room! $13. 7 p.m. More info here.
Gol[e] Sorkh (2026)
Walker Art Center
The latest from Iranian director Maryam Tafakory, presented along with two of her other recent films, (Daria’s Night Flowers) and Razeh-del. $15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Opening
Follow the links for showtimes.
Bad Boy Karthik
An Indian rebel protects his family from criminals.
Bhooth Bangla
An Indian horror-comedy.
Bridesmaids
Back in theaters for its 15th anniversary.
Busboys
You could not fucking pay me enough.
The Christophers
Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel in Steven Soderbergh's tale of art forgery.
Domm: Until the Last Breath
A survival thriller from Bangladesh.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy
A new twist on the ol’ mummy flick.
A Little Something Extra
A French dad and son hide from the cops at a camp for disabled kids—and learn a little something about themselves.
Lorne
It’s about time Mr. Greene got a documentary about him.
Mile End Kicks
A Canadian rock critic gets romantically involved with some indie rockers.
Mr. X
An Indian spy action thriller
Normal
All Bob Odenkirk movies are contractually required to start with "no."
Papam Prathap
A man marries his childhood love. It doesn’t go well!
Ongoing in Local Theaters
Follow the links for showtimes.
Bunny!!—ends April 16
Fantasy Life—ends April 16
Hamlet—ends April 16
Hunting Matthew Nichols —ends April 16
Project Hail Mary
Anyone who has a heart will love this adorably techno-optimistic film about Ryan Gosling buddying up with an intelligent alien who looks like a rock as they save the galaxy together. I guess so, anyway—I’m extrapolating from the fact that even a soulless monster like me thought it was pretty cute. Interstellar parasites are gobbling up the stars, including our sun, and as will happen when the Earth is in danger, only a middle school science teacher can save the day. Ryland Grace (which sounds like a name Gosling would give if he wanted to check into a hotel in secret) is recruited by a grim German bureaucrat (the great Sandra Hüller, who deserves all the Hollywood blockbuster cash that comes her way) to research these solar gluttons. His insights prove so invaluable he’s sent on a suicide mission to the only star that’s proven impervious to the baddies to learn how to counteract them. There he meets an alien scientist on the same quest for his own world, who he dubs Rocky, and both species work together to etc. etc. as their unique friendship and so on and so forths. Drew Goddard’s script, adapted from the much-loved Andy Weir novel, has the same plucky scientific spirit as Goddard’s script of Weir’s The Martian, and Gosling remains likeable as ever, though I do wish he’d find some new ways to be likeable. The pleased laughter all around me at the screening was so delightful I felt left out a little. Maybe someday when the wizard grants me a heart I’ll give this another go. B
They Will Kill You—ends April 16
