In Boys Go to Jupiter, Billy 5000 (voice of Jack Corbett) struggles to make ends meet as a food delivery worker for a company called Grubster. He hopes to make $5,000 which becomes easier said than done after he befriends a mysterious alien. The screenplay by writer/director Julian Glander blends sci-fi, comedy, zaniness, surrealism, campiness and musical numbers for a bold, unconventional and occasionally trippy, out-of-this-world experience. Although there's humor, it's often very off-beat in a way that's hard to describe. The animation style is colorful, charming and delightful. Glander has a wonderful command of the film's quirky tone, so the plot doesn't take itself too seriously. There are more than a few surprises that won't be spoiled here including a musical number with the alien. The less you know about Boys Go to Jupiter before you watch it, then better. It deserves to become a cult classic. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Boys Go to Jupiter opens at IFC Center.

      At 1 hour and 32 minutes, Descendent, written and directed by Peter Cilella, opens at Alamo Drafthouse in Manhattan via RLJE Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      In Freakier Friday, Harper (Julia Butters), swaps bodies with her mother, Anna (Lindsay Lohan), and Lily (Sophia Hammons) swaps bodies with Anna's mother, Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis), after Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer) casts a spell on them. Oh, and Anna is about to get married to Eric (Manny Jacinto), Lily's father. and Unfortunately, the screenplay by Jordan Weiss is a painfully unfunny, witless and clunky misfire. Everything that worked in the 2003 original fails to work here. The heartfelt moments fall flat along with the comedic attempts. There are too many undercooked, contrived and silly subplots. The direction by Nisha Ganatra is sloppy with choppy editing, poor pacing and bland lighting that makes every scene lit like a sitcom. Even the performances are mediocre at best with no one getting a chance to shine. Jamie Lee Curtis gives a goofy performance from the very beginning which makes the plot confusing because Tess acts like she and Lily have already body swapped. To top it all off, the film overstays its welcome as it clocks near the 2 hour mark. Even the outtakes aren't very funny. At 1 hour and 51 minutes, Freakier Friday opens nationwide via Walt Disney Pictures. It's one of the worst sequels to a beloved classic since My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Hola Frida is about the childhood years of the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (voice of Emma Rodriguez), her bout with polio, her imaginary friend voice of Olivia Ruiz), who represents her subconscious, and her relationship with her mother, Matilde (voice of Sophie Faucher), father, Guillermo (voice of Manuel Tadros) and younger sister, Cristina (voice o Rebeca Gonzales). Writer/director André Kadi, co-director Karine Vézina and their co-writers, Anne Bryan, and Sophie Faucher have made a somewhat amusing, family-friendly and vibrantly colorful, but often bland, slight and undercooked animated film. It doesn't get very deep nor does it offer anything particularly revealing or compelling about Kahlo's childhood despite the potential. At 1 hour and 22 minutes, Hola Frida opens at Angelika Film Center and AMC Empire 25 via Level 33 Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley is an illuminating, well-edited and engrossing warts-and-all documentary biopic on American musician Jeff Buckley. Director Amy Berg deftly combines archival footage, photos, contemporary interviews and concert footage. In terms of its structure, this is a rather ordinary documentary. However, in terms of its content and insights, it's extraordinary. Berg interviews Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert, whose candidness adds some interesting revelations about her son and about their relationship. You'll learn not only about Buckley as a musician, but also as a flawed human being who was going through emotional battles. Ultimately, It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley finds the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually without any dull or dry moments. At 1 hour and 48 minutes, it opens at Angelika Film Center via Magnolia Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Astrid (Valérie Donzelli) assembles a string quartet, Peter (Daniel Garlitsky), Lise (Marie Vialle), Apolline (Emma Ravier) and George (Mathieu Spinosi), who play music of Charles Beaumont (Frédéric Pierrot), a composer admired by her later father in The Musicians. The musicians struggle to play in harmony, so she asks for the assistance of Beaumont himself. writer/director Grégory Magne and co-writer Haroun have made a harmless and moderately engaging, but often dramatically inert, dry and underwhelming drama with a small sprinkle of comedy. The screenplay barely fleshes out any of the characters, so it's hard to truly care about them. Therefore, the beats don't quite land effectively when they inevitably learn how to get along. Much of the film focuses on Astrid struggling to successfully conduct the quartet for the upcoming concert. But what about her inner struggles? Magne and Haroun don't provide enough of a window into her heart, mind and soul, unfortunately, which means that she remains at a cold distance from the audience. The actors try their best to infuse warmth and emotional depth into their roles, but they're undermined by the shallow and stale screenplay that just seems to be going through the motions from start to finish. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, which feels more like 2 hours, The Musicians opens at Cinema Village via Outsider Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Lee Jeong-hwan (Jo Jung-suk) protects his teenage daughter, Su-ah (Choi Yoo-ri), when she turns into a zombie during a zombie apocalypse in My Daughter is a Zombie. His mother, Bam-sun (Lee Jung-eun), helps him with his plan to conceal that fact that Su-ah is a zombie. Director Pil Gam-Sung has made a dark comedy that's equally funny, exhilarating and heartfelt. It's only ostensibly about Lee and Su-ah's struggles during a zombie apocalypse because, fundamentally, it's about a father's unconditional love for his daughter. The first hour or so hooks the audience with some action, thrills and dark humor with shades of Shaun of the Dead before the plot becomes increasingly complex and tender with a few surprising twists that won't be spoiled here. There are flashbacks that reveal a lot about Lee's emotional pain as well as his flaws. Sure, the third act does have a few contrivances and requires some suspension of disbelief, but that's forgivable because it's still captivating and heartfelt. Not every film has to have 100% realism. As Hitchcock once wisely observed, logic is dull, and imagination is more important.  Kudos to director Pil Gam-Sung for seeing and treating all of the characters as fully-fleshed human beings instead of caricatures, and for balancing the film's Spectacle with just the right amount of Truth. This is one of those rare blockbusters with a heart, mind and soul. At 1 hour and 53 minutes,  My Daughter is a Zombie opens at AMC Empire 25, AMC Bay Terrace and AMC Ridgefield Park.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      10-year-old Amber (Bianca Belle) lives with her older brother, Jack (Kue Lawrence), and father, Taylor (Tony Hale), and draws monsters in a sketchbook to cope with the death of her mother in Sketch. After her sketchbook falls in a pond, the monsters that she draws become real. Writer/director Seth Worley has made a tonally uneven, but imaginative and surprisingly heartfelt sci-fi fantasy for children. It tackles the complex and heavy topic of grief which doesn't exactly make it a fun or exhilarating adventure. There are even some scenes that are intense and scary, i.e. the part with animated spider monsters which will creep out anyone who's arachnophobic. The visual effects look impressive, though, and the creatures are well-designed. The film can be seen as an allegory for conquering one's fears and finding coping mechanisms to process grief. Its messages and symbolism feel heavy-handed, though, and not very profound. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, which feels more like 1 hour and 32 minutes, Sketch, opens nationwide via Angel Studios. It would be an interesting double feature with A Monster Calls.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       Stans is a mildly engaging, often hagiographic and repetitive documentary about Emimem fans and what connects them to his music. Director Steven Leckart charts Eminem's rise to fame and interviews his fans to find out how and why his music has inspired them. Did you know that the origin of the term "stans" comes from his song Stan from 2000? Did you know that Enimem had an abusive and traumatic childhood? Did you know that he battled drug addiction? Did you know that he channelled his emotional pain through his music? Stans isn't very revealing or profound, even during the brief interview with Eminem himself. It also bites off more than it could chew and could've used tighter editing to reduce repetitiveness. There are heartfelt moments, but they're ephemeral.  At 1 hour and 42 minutes, it opens in theaters nationwide.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Strange Harvest is a chilling, suspenseful and well-edited mockumentary about a serial killer known as Mr. Shiny. Writer/director Stuart Ortiz "interviews" two police detectives, Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple). Everything feels seamless from the interviews to the footage and photos from the crime scenes, even when the investigation suggests that the killer has something to do with the occult. There are a few very gory scenes that will make audiences squeamish, i.e. one involving leeches and a close-up of a leech's mouth. Fortunately, Ortiz doesn't resort to shaky cam to create tension like in The Blair Witch Project; the tension comes from the mystery of the serial killings and from the details of investigation itself. The main reason why Strange Harvest works successfully as a mockumentary is because the performances of Zizzo and Apple are so convincingly natural that you won't be able to sense that they're acting. You'll think you're actually watching a true crime documentary about a Zodiac-like killer whom you've never heard of. At 1 hour and 34 minutes, Strange Harvest opens in select theaters nationwide via Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Sudan, Remember Us is a powerful, immersive and inspirational human rights documentary about the Sudanese Revolution that began in December 2018. Director Hind Meddeb follows four young Sudanese activists from 2019 to 2023 and shows their perspectives on the revolution that led to Sudan's dictator, President Omar al-Bashir, to be overthrown. There are no talking-head interviews or backstories about the activists; Meddeb merely lets them speak their mind and share their thoughts and feelings. So this remains a lean and focused documentary that dives right into its subject matter head-on. It also shows how the activists use art and poetry can be used as a form of protest. At 1 hour and 26 minutes, Sudan, Remember Us opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema via Watermelon Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      In Weapons, 17 elementary school students get up from bed at 2:17 AM and disappear into the night before their teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), gets the blame. Only one student from the class, Alex (Cary Christopher), didn't disappear. Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a police officer who happens to be cheating on his wife with Justice, investigates the disappearance. Meanwhile, Archer (Josh Brolin), an indignant father of one of missing kids, investigates on his own. Writer/director Zach Cregger has made a gripping, atmospheric and chilling horror thriller that maintains suspense and intrigue from start to finish. The screenplay's non-linear structure that changes the perspective of the story works well because it gradually adds exposition while keeping the mystery behind the disappearance intact. There are red herrings, red flags, dream sequences and jump scares. It's up to the audience to determine what kind of a big reveal the narrative will be heading toward. There are more than a handful of palpably terrifying scenes with effectively stylish and atmospheric cinematography and lighting. There's also just the right sprinkle of dark comedy to provide levity without tonal unevenness.

      The entire ensemble cast, especially Aldren Ehrenreich, Josh Brolin and Julia Garner, are superb and add authenticity. That includes the supporting cast like Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan who deserves an Oscar for her performance as Alex's aunt. To be fair, once you meet the film's most over-the-top character, it becomes easier to predict what's actually going on, so the third act isn't as surprising as it could've been if that character weren't looking as creepy as Longlegs. Be prepared for a bold and intense third act that goes bonkers. At 2 hours and 8 minutes, Weapons, opens nationwide via Warner Bros. Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1