SoCal movies, Aug. 28-Sept. 4: ‘Reagan,’ ‘Merchant Ivory,’ ‘The Wasp,’ ‘AfrAId’ and more
Major new releases, indie flicks, foreign films and art-house fare
Welcome to the latest edition of TV or Not TV’s curated guide to new and current releases screening in LA and OC this week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for arts & entertainment at the Los Angeles Times.
New this week
• Starts Friday, Aug. 30
‘Across the River and Into the Trees’ An American military officer (Liev Schreiber) with a terminal illness makes the most of what little time he has left in this 2022 drama set in Venice and based on the Hemingway novel. Paula Ortiz directs. 106 mins. Not Rated. Various theaters
‘AfrAId’ A suburban family's new high-tech smart home seems to have a mind of its own in Chris Weitz’ 2024 thriller. With John Cho and Katherine Waterston. 84 mins. Rated PG-13. afraid.movie
‘The Boy in the Woods’ A youngster in WWII-era Poland is forced to fend for himself in this 2023 bio drama based on the Maxwell Smart memoir. Rebecca Snow directs and Jett Klyne and Richard Armitage co-star. 101 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘City of Dreams’ A young boy from rural Mexico is trafficked across the border and forced to work in a sweatshop in L.A. in this fact-based 2023 thriller. Mohit Ramchandan directs and Ari Lopez and Jason Patric star. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. 113 mins. Rated R. cityofdreamstickets.com
‘Close Your Eyes’ A tabloid TV program revives interest in the case of a film star who disappeared two decades earlier in this 2023 mystery drama from acclaimed Spanish auteur Víctor Erice (“The Spirit of the Beehive”). In Spanish, Catalan, English, French and Chinese with English subtitles. 169 mins. Not Rated. landmarktheatres.com
‘First Shift’ A veteran cop shows his rookie partner the ropes on the mean streets of NYC in this 2024 drama directed by the notorious Uwe Boll. 96 mins. Not Rated. lumierecinemala.com
‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ A lonely widow reconnects with an old friend while on a business trip to Japan in Bradley Rust Gray's 2024 romantic drama. With Carla Juri. In English, Japanese, Icelandic, German with English subtitles. 111 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘Long Gone Heroes’ A special forces operator returns to the fray to rescue his niece, a reporter, in this 2024 action drama. Josh Hutcherson and Frank Grillo co-star. 92 mins. Rated R. lumierecinemala.com
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