Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

new in theaters

BONHOEFFER: PASTOR. SPY. ASSASSIN: A Lutheran minister (Jonas Dassler) joins a plot to assassinate Hitler in this historical thriller directed by Todd Komarnicki. (132 min, PG-13. Essex)

GLADIATOR II: Ridley Scott directed the sequel to his 2000 epic of ancient Rome, in which Maximus’ son (Paul Mescal) is forced to fight for his life just like Dad. With Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen. (148 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Newport, Star)

WICKED: Gregory Maguire’s subversive take on The Wizard of Oz becomes a musical becomes a movie, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande playing young witches Elphaba and Glinda. Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) directed. (160 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Newport, Playhouse, Star)

currently playing

ANORA ★★★★ The Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or went to this drama about the romance between a sex worker (Mikey Madison) and a Russian oligarch’s son from writer-director Sean Baker (Red Rocket). (139 min, R. Catamount, Essex, Majestic, Savoy; reviewed 11/20)

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER ★★★ Six siblings known for making trouble take over the local church’s festivities in this comedy from director Dallas Jenkins, starring Lauren Graham and Judy Greer. (99 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Welden)

CONCLAVE ★★★★ A conspiracy interferes with the selection of a new pope in this thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, directed by Edward Berger. (120 min, PG. Majestic, Savoy)

HERETIC ★★★★1/2 Missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) try to convert the wrong person (Hugh Grant) in this horror film from directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. (110 min, R. Majestic; reviewed 11/13)

LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE: This adventure drama from director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger is the survival tale of a 12-year-old (Luke David Blumm) who becomes stranded on Mount Katahdin. (98 min, PG. Capitol)

A REAL PAIN ★★★★1/2 Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars with Kieran Culkin in this comedy-drama about two estranged cousins exploring their family history in Poland. (90 min, R. Majestic)

RED ONE ★1/2 The North Pole’s head of security (Dwayne Johnson) joins forces with a bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus in this action comedy. (123 min, PG-13. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Newport, Paramount, Star, Welden)

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE ★★ Tom Hardy returns as the Marvel Comics character in a complicated relationship with an alien symbiote. (109 min, PG-13. Majestic, Stowe)

WE LIVE IN TIME ★★★1/2 John Crowley (Brooklyn) directed this romance starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. (107 min, R. Majestic; reviewed 10/30)

THE WILD ROBOT ★★★★1/2 A shipwrecked robot becomes caretaker to an orphaned gosling in this animated family adventure. (101 min, PG. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Stowe)

older films and special screenings

ALICE’S RESTAURANT (Catamount, Wed 20 only)

THE FIFTH ELEMENT (Essex, Wed 20 only)

METROPOLITAN OPERA: TOSCA (Essex, Sat only)

MOANA 2 (Capitol, Essex, Newport, Paramount, Tue only)

POM POKO 30TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sun & Wed only)

THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA (Essex, Mon & Wed 27 only)

open theaters

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

This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2024.

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Margot Harrison is a consulting editor and film critic at Seven Days. Her film reviews appear every week in the paper and online. In 2024, she won the Jim Ridley Award for arts criticism from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Her book reviews...