Weekend movies: ‘Breakthrough’ offers hope, ‘La Llorona’ offers terror
Here’s a rundown of what’s hitting theaters this week.
In “Breakthrough,” based on a true story, a devout mother (Chrissy Metz) prays fiercely for the well-being of her adopted son when he plunges into an icy lake and is not expected to survive. Then a miracle ensues.
Should you desire a superhero drama emphasizing character development over action, there’s “Fast Color.” Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as a superpowered character who returns to her hometown — with plenty of issues awaiting her.
If you’re a “Conjuring” Universe fan, there’s “The Curse of La Llorona,” the sixth in the horror franchise. The film plays off the Mexican “Weeping Woman” folktale to tell the story of a social worker in ‘70s L.A. whose children are hounded by an eerie presence.
“American Idol” and “The Voice” fans will want to catch the electrifying “Teen Spirit,” which recently screened at San Jose’s Cinequest fest. Elle Fanning belts out a phenomenal performance as an underdog contender in a singing competition.
“Little Woods” proves that Tessa Thompson (“Sorry to Bother You”) is a powerhouse actress. In Nia DaCosta’s wise feature debut, Thompson portrays an ex-con drawn into dealing illegal prescription drugs once again as life problems start piling up.
In addition to Thompson, another actress who chooses interesting roles is Molly Shannon. In the entertaining “Wild Nights With Emily,” the award-winning actress is a delight as Emily Dickinson, the poet who got cozy with her sister-in-law Susan (Amy Seimetz).
The setting is Kurdistan in “Girls of the Sun,” a topical import about a female battalion commander trying to retrieve her hostage son as her troop takes on extremists.
Alex Ross Perry’s “Her Smell” presents Elisabeth Moss with another plum role, portraying a former singing sensation struggling to reconcile with her past and who she is today.
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Netflix drops four new releases:
“Homecoming: A Film By Beyonce’”: The documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at superstar’s magnetic 2018 Coachella. It was released on Wednesday, April 17.
“Someone Great”: Gina Rodriguez stars as a woman dumped by her boyfriend (Lakeith Stanfield) and responds with a girl’s night out in New York City, leading to new trouble. It drops Friday, April 19.
“The Ruthless (Lo Spietato)”: The odyssey of a criminal climbing the way up the ranks of the Mafia in Milan is the focus of this decade-spanning thriller. It drops Friday, April 19.
“Grass Is Greener”: Snoop Dogg and Cypress Hill’s B-Real are just a few of the performers and pot advocates featured in this documentary from the influential Fab 5 Freddy. It builds a case that there’s a racially biased war on cannabis. It comes out — when else? — on 4/20.