SoCal movies, Oct. 25-31: 'The Killer,' 'Midsommar,' AFI Fest and more
SoCal movies, Oct. 25-31: 'The Killer,' 'Midsommar,' AFI Fest and more
Find a flick with our weekly curated guide to new and classic movies, events and revivals, film festivals and more in LA and OC
Michael Fassbender has a little time to kill, Florence Pugh goes on the worst vacay ever and AFI Fest sets up shop at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. Hello and welcome to TV or Not TV?’s weekly newsletter spotlighting new and classic movies and more around Southern California. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for arts and entertainment at the Los Angeles Times.
(And if you are looking for scarier fare, our roundup of local Halloween happenings includes a frightening selection of flicks to thrill and chill fans of all ages.)
Roll ’em!
NEW RELEASES
Opening this week...
‘Mutiny in Heaven: Nick Cave’s The Birthday Party’ The ever-dapper, never-not-Gothic rocker and his former band mates recall their glory days in the 1970s-80s in one-night-only screenings of this intimate 2023 documentary. Laemmle Theaters. Opens Wednesday, Oct. 25. Not rated.
‘The Killer’ Michael Fassbender plays a meticulous and methodical assassin who goes on the lam after a rare screw-up makes him a wanted man in director David Fincher’s globetrotting 2023 action thriller. With Tilda Swinton. Various theaters. Opens Thursday, Oct. 26. Rated R.
‘After Death’ Survivors of near-death experiences share their stories in this faith-based 2023 documentary. Various theaters. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. Rated PG-13.
‘The Delinquents’ A bank employee in Buenos Aires hatches a scheme to feather his retirement nest in Rodrigo Moreno’s acclaimed 2023 comedy-drama. Laemmle Theaters. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. In Spanish with English subtitles. Not rated.
‘Fingernails’ Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”) stars in Christos Nikou’s 2023 sci-fi fable about an institute dedicated to helping people find the perfect mate. Riz Amed and “The Bear’s” Jeremy Allen White also star. Laemmle NoHo. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. Rated R.
‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ A pizza parlor’s ursine mascot and his animatronic pals go haywire in this 2023 horror comedy based on the video game series. Various theaters. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. Rated PG-13.
‘Freelance’ A former special-forces soldier (John Cena) provides security for a disgraced journalist (“Community’s” Alison Brie) on her way to interview a South American dictator in this 2023 action comedy. Various theaters. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. Rated R.
‘The Holdovers’ “Sideways” filmmaker Alexander Payne and co-star Paul Giamatti reunite for this 2023 comedy about an instructor at a New England prep school tasked with supervising a motley crew of campus-bound students over the holidays. Various theaters. Opens Friday, Oct. 27. Rated R.
Continuing…
‘The Creator’ A former special-forces soldier (John David Washington) is tasked with hunting down the mysterious developer of an advanced artificial intelligence in “Rogue One” filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ atmospheric 2023 sci-fi fable. With Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney and Gemma Chan. Various theaters. Rated R.
‘The Exorcist: Believer’ The devil’s in the details in David Gordon Green’s 2023 sequel to William Friedkin’s blockbuster 1973 supernatural thriller based on the William Peter Blatty novel. With Leslie Odom Jr. and original “Exorcist” co-star Ellen Burstyn. Various theaters. Rated R.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ Director and star Kenneth Branagh returns as ’s mustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this 2023 mystery tale. With Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh. Various theaters. Rated PG-13.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone head the cast of Martin Scorsese’s epic 2023 historical drama about a series of murders of Native Americans in the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma after oil was discovered on tribal lands. Various theaters. Rated R.
‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Your kids’ favorite canine heroes suit up for this animated 2023 adventure based on the popular TV series. Various theaters. Rated PG.
FESTIVALS, EVENTS & REVIVALS
AFI Fest “Barbie” filmmaker Great Gerwig serves as guest artistic director for this year’s edition of the American Film Institute’s annual showcase, where you can catch screenings of major upcoming releases as well as classic movies, independent films, documentaries and shorts from the U.S. and around the world; plus, panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As and more. TCL Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., and TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Various showtimes, Wednesday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 29. $10-$30; passes, $250, $500; some free events. fest.afi.com
‘Midsommar’ Florence Pugh takes a holiday in Sweden to see the lovely lakes, the wonderful telephone system, etc. — only to become witness to, and then a participant in, an increasingly bizarre series of pagan rituals in a one-night-only screening of the director’s cut of Ari Astor’s unnerving 2019 folk-horror tale. AMC Theaters. Various showtimes, Wednesday, Oct. 25 only. $5. Rated R. amctheatres.com
‘Experimental Matter: Narcisa Hirsch’s Films’ The USC Fisher Museum of Art screens a selection of works by the pioneering Argentine experimental filmmaker; presented as part of the ongoing exhibition ”Narcisa Hirsch: In Relation” (on view through Dec. 9). A panel discussion follows. USC’s Ray Stark Family Theater, 900 W. 34th St., L.A. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. Free; RSVP at calendar.usc.edu
‘Sophie Scholl: The Final Days’ A brave young student in WWII-era Germany joins the White Rose, a nonviolent resistance group opposed to the Nazi regime, and pays the ultimate price for her actions in a one-night-only screening of Marc Rothemund’s gripping 2005 historical drama. Julia Jentsch stars. In German with English subtitles. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 only. $7-$13. laemmle.com
‘América Tropical: The Martyr Mural of Siqueiros’ The Getty presents a free screening of KCET’s new “Artbound” documentary heralding efforts to restore the Mexican social realist’s once-controversial 1932 mural on Olvera Street to its former glory. The Getty Center, N. Sepulveda Blvd. & Getty Center Drive, L.A. 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Free; advance reservations required. (310) 440-7300. getty.edu