AFPL Journal

CREED II

Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“Creed II is a terrific movie, a boxing picture full of inspired sweetness and shrewd science that honors the cherished traditions of the genre while feeling like something new and exciting in the world.” – A.O. Scott, New York Times

“Creed II pulls off a rather amazing feat by adding to the luster of its predecessor and propelling the narrative into a bright future while also reaching back to honor its past, resurrecting unfinished business from Rocky IV and adding a dash of Rocky III. Pound per pound, the sequel might even be better than its predecessor.” – Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

Available Formats (3/5):

BEN IS BACK

19 year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family’s suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother’s undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“What makes Ben Is Back different is that, even if this kind of pain is completely outside your own experience, you’ll feel some of it watching this movie.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

“You will laugh, cry, and be left breathless by Hedges’ heart-pounding adventure and intimate portrait of family love. This film will hurt and capture your heart in the best way. It is without a doubt an unmissable cinematic achievement.” – Tiffany Tchobanian, Film Threat

Available Formats (3/5):

VOX LUX

Vox Lux, A 20th Century Portrait, begins in 1999 when teenage Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) survives a violent tragedy. After singing at a memorial service, Celeste transforms into a burgeoning pop star with the help of her songwriter sister (Stacy Martin) and talent manager (Jude Law). Celeste’s meteoric rise to fame dovetails with a personal and national loss of innocence, consequently elevating the young powerhouse to a new kind of celebrity: American icon, secular deity, global superstar. By 2017, adult Celeste (Natalie Portman) is mounting a comeback after a scandalous incident almost derailed her career. Touring in support of her sixth album, a compendium of sci-fi anthems entitled, “Vox Lux,” the indomitable, foul-mouthed pop savior must overcome her personal and familial struggles to navigate motherhood, madness and monolithic fame.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Venice Film Fesitval Nominee: Golden Lion (Best Picture)

“There are great movies every year, but every so often there’s a movie that’s not only great but new, that advances the form a little, that pushes movies to a different place. Such movies get remembered as the thing that happened in cinema that year. The thing that happened in 2018 is Vox Lux.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

“With Vox Lux, Corbet has delivered a towering film, a unique uncompromising vision that reveals the darkness on the edge of town that lurks in the depths of the spotlight. It’s funny, thrilling, deadly serious and achieves genuine depth.” – John Bleasdale, CineVue

Available Formats (3/5):

INSTANT FAMILY

When Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15 year old girl (Isabela Moner), they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must hilariously try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hopes of becoming a family.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“Instant Family is a decent, involving, endearing story, with funny performances and heartfelt, entirely earned dramatic crescendoes.” – William Bibbiani, TheWrap

“Instant Family didn’t just exceed my low expectations; it obliterated them. It’s the kind of honest, human comedy that’s so rare from Hollywood these days that when one finally comes along, you sit there in the theater in slack-jawed amazement and wonder: How does a movie like this happen?” – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

Available Formats (3/5):

BURNING

The difficult life of Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), a frustrated introvert, is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (Jong-seo Jun), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Steven Yeun), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns with from a trip. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Cannes Film Festival Winner: Best Director – Chang-dong Lee, Best Art Direction

Cannes Film Festival Nominee: Palme D’Or (Best Picture)

Independent Spirit Awards Nominee: Best International Film

“It’s a great film, engrossing, suspenseful, and strange.” – Sheila O’Malley, RogerEbert.com

“Burning is a character study that morphs, with masterly patience, subtlety and nary a single wasted minute, into a teasing mystery and eventually a full-blown thriller.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

Available Formats (3/5):

THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER

Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer) is a Boy Scout, a volunteer at his local church, and the dutiful son of an upstanding, community leader dad (Dylan McDermott). Only one thing troubles the quiet Kentucky town he lives in: the unsolved murders—in which ten women were brutally tortured and killed by a psychopath known as Clovehitch—that rocked the community more than a decade ago. When Tyler discovers a cache of disturbing images in his father’s possession, he begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world may be Clovehitch—and that his deadly rampage may not be over.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“The Clovehitch Killer is one of the best horror films to come out this year. It’s intelligent and subversive, and it captures the banality of small-town life perfectly.” – Lorry Kikta, Film Threat

“The Clovehitch Killer is a truly scary and surprisingly thoughtful flick which transcends the trappings of its genre roots with sterling direction and a minimalistic approach to horror.” – Rosie Knight, IGN

Available Formats (3/5):

OF FATHERS AND SONS

After his Sundance award-winning documentary Return to Homs, Talal Derki returned to his homeland where he gained the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years. His camera focuses primarily on the children, providing an extremely rare insight into what it means to grow up with a father whose only dream is to establish an Islamic caliphate. Osama (13) and his brother Ayman (12) both love and admire their father and obey his words, but while Osama seems content to follow the path of Jihad, Ayman wants to go back to school.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Academy Award Nominee: Best Documentary

Independent Spirit Awards Nominee: Best Documentary

Sundance Film Festival Winner: Grand Jury Prize – World Cinema Documentary

“An admirably audacious feat of documentarian access, Of Fathers and Sons is of obvious topical and anthropological interest as a glimpse into the gradual radicalization of young males and the deep community ties which underpin the process.” – Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“The result is as despairing as any portrait of close-knit family and dedicated parenthood can be, adeptly blending sensationalism with domestic intimacy, and sincerely eye-opening in its portrayal of inherited Islamist fervor.” – Guy Lodge, Variety

Available Formats (3/5):

GREEN BOOK

When Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world-class black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humor-they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Academy Award Winner: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali, Best Original Screenplay

Academy Award Nominee: Best Actor – Viggo Mortensen, Best Editing

Golden Globe Winner: Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali, Best Screenplay

Golden Globe Nominee: Best Director – Peter Farrelly, Best Actor – Viggo Mortensen

BAFTA Winner: Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali

BAFTA Nominee: Best Picture, Best Actor – Viggo Mortensen, Best Original Screenplay

SAG Awards Winner: Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali

SAG Awards Nominee: Best Actor – Viggo Mortensen

DGA Awards Nominee: Best Director – Peter Farrelly

Toronto International Film Festival Winner: Grosch People’s Choice Award

WGA Awards Nominee: Best Original Screenplay

“Witty and warm as cashmere, Green Book is a two-hander in which both stars soar with humor and heart.” – Rex Reed, Observer

“If there is a big studio movie that’s more generally crowd-pleasing than Green Book this season, I have yet to find it.” – Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press

Available Formats (3/12):

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

BAFTA Nominee: Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design

“There’s real magic here, and nothing fake about the emotions which guide it.” – Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International

“While the first film was jarring and clumsy, the sequel finds itself settling into a groove; it’s darker, weirder, more relevant and, yes, way more magical.” – Charles Barfield, The Playlist

Available Formats (3/12):

MORTAL ENGINES

Hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path. Feral, and fiercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an outcast from London, along with Anna Fang (Jihae), a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“It’s an overpowering world of steampunk delights, almost Miyazakian in its presentation. It’s hard to complain about a path being well-worn when all the sights will make your eyes pop.” – William Bibbiani, TheWrap

“Like all good YA fantasy, it’s rooted in earnest adolescent anxieties, and dresses them up with the same level of earnestness.” – Emily Yoshida, New York Magazine

Available Formats (3/12):

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Academy Award Winner: Best Animated Film

Golden Globe Winner: Best Animated Film

BAFTA Winner: Best Animated Film

“One of the wittiest and most creatively exuberant movies of the year, and maybe one of the best.” – Ty Burr, Boston Globe

“There’s never been anything like this animated exaltation of the Spider-Man canon. The animation is glorious, and more faithful to its comic-book roots than any big-screen graphics in the past. The story is deliciously witty and preposterously complex, but perfectly comprehensible, whether or not you have studied quantum physics. The scale feels vast, yet the spirit is joyous. It’s as if everyone had set out to make the best Spider-Man movie ever, which is exactly what they’ve done.” – Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Available Formats (3/19):

MARY POPPINS RETURNS

In 1930s depression-era London, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep).

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Academy Awards Nominee: Best Original Song, Best Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

Golden Globes Nominee: Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Best Actress (Musical of Comedy) – Emily Blunt, Best Score

BAFTA Nominee: Best Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

SAG Awards Nominee: Best Actress – Emily Blunt

“A sweet, evocative throwback that delivers all the feels – in the most delightful way.” – Jance Crowther, Total Film

“Sticking close to the enduring classic’s template while injecting plenty of freshness to give the follow-up its own distinct repro vitality, this lovingly crafted production delivers both nostalgia and novelty.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

Available Formats (3/19):

THE QUAKE

In 1904 an earthquake with a 5.4 magnitude on the Richter scale shook Oslo. Its epicenter was in the Oslo Rift which runs directly through the Norwegian capital. There are recorded quakes from the rift on a daily basis and geologists cannot be sure, but arguments indicate that we can expect major future earthquakes in this area. When – nobody can say for certain – but we know that the density of people and infrastructure in Oslo is significantly more vulnerable today than in 1904. What if a massive earthquake is looming?

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“John Andreas Andersen’s The Quake, a sequel to the excellent 2015 Norwegian disaster film The Wave, should be required viewing for all of today’s Hollywood franchise jockeys. It shows you how to make one of these things without sacrificing your characters’ souls (or your own, for that matter).” – Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine

“Director Andersen’s pacing is dynamic, allowing white-knuckled viewers to catch their breaths before he takes it away again. This isn’t a sequel, it’s an after-shock – and a doozy at that.” – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Available Formats (3/19):

AQUAMAN

Aquaman reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“It’s a weird and wonderful superhero adventure that strives — and almost succeeds — to be the most epic superhero movie ever made.” – William Bibbiani, TheWrap

“Aquaman works because it isn’t laughing at itself—it’s both joyously whimsical and confident in its own seaworthiness.” – David Sims, The Atlantic

Available Formats (3/26):

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year old Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Tish knows that Fonny is innocent, and is mindful that his good friend Daniel Carty (Brian Tyree Henry) has only recently been freed after an unjust incarceration. While Fonny’s mother (Aunjanue Ellis) clings to piety and his father (Michael Beach) grapples with feelings of powerlessness, Tish’s earthy father Joseph (Colman Domingo) and fierce older sister Ernestine (Teyonah Parris) are unwavering in their support. Even more anxious to clear Fonny’s name is Tish’s deeply compassionate mother Sharon (Regina King), readying to put herself on the line for her daughter and future son-in-law’s happiness…and for the couple’s unborn child, whose arrival will herald new joys and challenges. Facing the unexpected prospect of parenthood and holding down a job without her partner at her side, Tish must adjust her perspective on the realities of her existence. She visits Fonny regularly, trying to shore up his spirit even as prison takes its toll. As the weeks turn to months, Tish reaffirms their hopes and resilience, relying on familial and inner strength.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

Academy Award Winner: Best Supporting Actress – Regina King

Academy Award Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score

Golden Globe Winner: Best Supporting Actress – Regina King

Golden Globe Nominee: Best Picture (Drama), Best Screenplay

BAFTA Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score

Independent Spirit Awards Winner: Best Picture, Best Director – Barry Jenkins, Best Supporting Actress – Regina King

WGA Awards Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay

“A great American novel has been turned into a great American film.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“Deliberately paced, unapologetically mannered and contemplatively attuned, If Beale Street Could Talk invites audiences to venture beyond the screen in front of them to connect with the characters and their world on a deeper, more mystical plane.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Available Formats (3/26):

SECOND ACT

Second Act is a comedy in the vein of Working Girl and Maid In Manhattan. Jennifer Lopez stars as Maya, a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a Second Act.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“If you are someone inclined to head to the theatre specifically to see the new Jennifer Lopez rom-com, you will get exactly the movie you hope for. And you will be happy.” – Kim Hughes, Original-Cin

“What’s fun is just watching Lopez and her supporting cast — including her real-life best friend Remini, Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as her tightly wound coworker, and a loopy Charlyne Yi as her phobic new assistant — move through the scenes so easily.” – Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

Available Formats (3/26):

KING OF THIEVES

A crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist in London’s jewelry district. What starts off as their last criminal hurrah quickly turns into a brutal nightmare due to greed. Based on infamous true events.

Description and score provided by Metacritic.

“British character actors are the best in the world, and King of Thieves provides a perfect example of why. Like the distaff side of today’s British royalty that includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Eileen Atkins, it’s a marvel to watch Caine, Courtenay, Broadbent and Gambon go at each other with an aplomb that dazzles.” – Rex Reed, Observer

“Ignorance to technology is a running theme throughout both to earn easy laughs due to the ageist nature of the joke and intrigue as far as which man — if any — is in control. That probably won’t be enough to get some audiences on board what is a pretty straightforward genre film, but it’s enough to provide its own spin. Between that and the sheer joy of seeing these actors comment on their careers through these characters, a good time should be had.” – Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage

Available Formats (3/26):