Now Playing in Theaters: January 18-24 

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• Courtesy Of Universal
• M3gan

new in theaters

MISSING: Storm Reid plays a girl who must use digital sleuthing to find her mom (Nia Long), who disappeared on a Colombian vacation, in this thriller from Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick. (111 min, PG-13. Essex)

WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD: Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut with this comedy-drama in which Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard play a mother and teenage son struggling to understand each other. (88 min, R. Playhouse)

currently playing

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER ★★★1/2 Director James Cameron returns to Pandora for this sequel in which Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family face a new threat. (192 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Stowe)

BABYLON ★★★ Two young people set out to succeed in 1920s Hollywood in this ensemble epic from Damien Chazelle (La La Land), starring Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Jean Smart. (188 min, R. Palace, Stowe)

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER ★★★1/2 In Marvel Comics' fictional African kingdom, the Wakandans mourn King T'Challa and protect their nation from new threats. (161 min, PG-13. Majestic)

BROKER ★★★★ In South Korea, two men take advantage of a church drop-off for unwanted babies to sell the children for adoption in this acclaimed drama from Hirokazu Koreeda. (129 min, R. Catamount, Roxy, Savoy)

CORSAGE ★★★★ Vicky Krieps plays Empress Elisabeth of Austria in this irreverent period piece. Marie Kreutzer directed. (114 min, NR. Roxy)

THE DEVIL CONSPIRACY ★★ A biotech company has satanic plans for the shroud of Turin in this horror flick directed by Nathan Frankowski. (111 min, R. Majestic)

EMPIRE OF LIGHT ★★★ Olivia Colman plays the manager of a movie theater in the early '80s who is changed by her friendship with a young immigrant (Micheal Ward) in Sam Mendes' drama. (115 min, R. Savoy)

EO ★★★★1/2 This Palme d'Or nominee from director Jerzy Skolimowski explores modern Europe from the point of view of a donkey. With Sandra Drzymalska and Isabelle Huppert. (86 min, NR. Savoy)

THE FABELMANS ★★★★ A teen in midcentury Arizona sets out to become a filmmaker in Steven Spielberg's acclaimed autobiographical drama, starring Michelle Williams and Gabriel LaBelle. (151 min, PG-13. Palace, Welden; reviewed 12/14)

A MAN CALLED OTTO ★★1/2 In the American adaptation of Fredrik Backman's bestseller A Man Called Ove, Tom Hanks plays a widower in need of a new lease on life. Marc Forster directed. (126 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Star)

M3GAN ★★★1/2 A robotics engineer (Allison Williams) makes the bad decision to introduce her young niece to her new lifelike creation in this viral horror flick. (102 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Star, Welden)

ON SACRED GROUND: Vermont-raised Rebecca Harrell Tickell codirected this drama about a journalist (William Mapother) assigned to cover the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. (86 min, PG-13. Roxy)

PLANE ★★★ Gerard Butler plays a pilot who makes a successful crash landing only to find more trouble on the ground in this action thriller from Jean-François Richet. (107 min, R. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace)

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH ★★★★ Antonio Banderas again voices the titular cool cat in this animated adventure in which Puss seeks to restore his nine lives. (100 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Welden)

SKINAMARINK ★★★1/2 Two young children wake to find their parents gone and their home a prison in Kyle Edward Ball's low-budget horror film, which is already gathering a cult following. (100 min, R. Essex)

THE WHALE ★★★ Brendan Fraser plays an obese, shut-in English teacher at a critical life juncture in this drama directed by Darren Aronofksky, based on Samuel D. Hunter's play. (117 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Roxy, Savoy; reviewed 1/18)

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY ★★1/2 This biopic from Kasi Lemmons traces the R&B singer's rise to mega-stardom. Naomi Ackie stars. (146 min, PG-13. Marquis, Welden)

older films and special screenings

CESAR CHAVEZ (Catamount, Wed 25 only)

FATHOM'S BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: ROMAN HOLIDAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sun & Wed 25 only)

THE INVISIBLE CLASS (Catamount, Thu only)

MONSIEUR LAZHAR (Catamount, Wed 18 only)

THE QUARRY PROJECT (Savoy, Wed 18 only)

open theaters

(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

• *BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info
• *BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com
• *CAPITOL SHOWPLACE: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com
• CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org
• ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com
• *MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com
• MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com
• *MERRILL'S ROXY CINEMAS: 222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net
• *PALACE 9 CINEMAS: 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.com
• *PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com
• PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com
• SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com
• STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com
• *STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com
• WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com

Note: These capsule descriptions are not intended as reviews. Star ratings come from Metacritic unless we reviewed the film (noted at the end of the description). Find reviews written by Seven Days critic Margot Harrison at sevendaysvt.com/onscreen-reviews.