John C. Reilly in How To Rob A Bank Credit: Courtesy of Megan Schoenbachler/Amazon Content Services LLC.

new in theaters

EBENEZER: Johnny Depp plays Scrooge in yet another take on A Christmas Carol, also starring Ian McKellen and Rupert Grint. Ti West directed. (116 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Star, Welden)

GHOST SOLDIER: A former Green Beret (Jim Caviezel) protects his rural neighbors from a corporate threat in this action flick from director Will Eubank. (90 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic)

HOW TO ROB A BANK: A young heist crew becomes a social media sensation in this dark action comedy from David Leitch (Atomic Blonde), starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Christian Slater. (122 min, R. City Cinema, Essex, Majestic)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM: This documentary presents footage of a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance artists in Duke Ellington’s apartment, captured by late filmmaker William Greaves. (100 min, PG-13. Savoy)

YOU HAD TO BE THERE: HOW THE TORONTO GODSPELL IGNITED THE COMEDY REVOLUTION, SPREAD LOVE & OVERALLS, AND CREATED A COMMUNITY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (IN A CANADIAN KIND OF WAY): Nick Davis’ documentary, featuring interviews with comedy luminaries, traces the power of a single 1972 theatrical production. (98 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

currently playing

THE CAT IN THE HAT★★1/2 The feline (voice of Bill Hader) must cheer up depressed siblings in a new animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic. (107 min, PG. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis [ends Sun], Paramount, Star, Welden)

CLAYFACE★★★ A Hollywood actor (Tom Rhys Harries) becomes the subject of a disturbing experiment in this DC Comics horror thriller. (108 min, R. Majestic, Paramount)

DRUMMER BOY: Music brings hope in this faith-based drama set during the American Revolution, starring and codirected by Joel David Smallbone. (129 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex)

FJORD★★★★ In the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or winner, Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan play a couple who are accused of mistreating their kids. Cristian Mungiu (Beyond the Hills) directed. (146 min, R. Partizanfilm)

GODZILLA MINUS ZERO★★★1/2 In the sequel to Godzilla Minus One, a family must survive a new giant-monster threat in postwar Japan. Takashi Yamazaki directed. (135 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Welden; reviewed 11/11)

LA BOLA NEGRA★★★★ This Cannes Film Festival winner inspired by Federico García Lorca explores the lives of gay men in three eras. Guitarricadelafuente and Carlos González star; Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo directed. (160 min, R. Savoy)

RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND★★★ An ancient Indian epic becomes an action spectacular about the adventures of a prince (Ranbir Kapoor) in exile. Nitesh Tiwari directed. (165 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic)

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY★★★1/2 Two sisters must seek husbands in director Georgia Oakley’s new take on the Jane Austen classic. (131 min, PG. Playhouse)

WICKER★★★1/2 In a small village, a lonely fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) gets herself a very special husband (Alexander Skårsgard) in this fantastical comedy from Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. (105 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Playhouse, Welden)

WILD HORSE NINE★★★★ John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play CIA agents on a mission in 1973 Chile in the latest dark comedy from Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin). (118 min, R. Essex, Majestic)

WILDWOOD★★★★1/2 In acclaimed studio Laika’s new fantasy animation, a young girl (voice of Peyton Elizabeth Lee) seeks her missing brother in the wilderness. Travis Knight directed. (132 min, PG-13. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe; reviewed 11/4)

THE WORK IN PROGRESS★★★★ In Ian Cheney’s documentary inspired by Robert Reich, filmmakers ask people across the U.S. about the state of the nation. (106 min, NR. Catamount)

YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING★★★★★ Maverick filmmaker Nathan Fielder interviews convicted tech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes on her way to prison in this documentary. (174 min, R. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Partizanfilm, Stowe; reviewed 10/28)

older films and special screenings

BABY FACE (Catamount, Wed 11 only)

THE DEAD ZONE (Partizanfilm, Wed 11 only)

MOCK TRIAL (Partizanfilm, Sat & Sun only)

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 2 — EXILE: SECTION I (VTIFF, Fri & Sat only)

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 2 — EXILE: SECTION II (VTIFF, Sat & Sun only)

A TALENT FOR MURDER (VTIFF, Thu only)

A TRIP TO MARS (VTIFF, Wed 11 only)

TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL (Catamount, Fri only)

YOUR VALLEY, MY VALLEY (Partizanfilm, Mon only)

open theaters

(* = upcoming schedule for theater could not be confirmed at press time)

  • *BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info. Closed through April 29.
  • BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com
  • CAPITOL THEATER: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com
  • CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org
  • CITY CINEMA: 137 Waterfront Plaza, Newport, 334-2610, citycinemanewport.com
  • 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.
  • *PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com
  • PARTIZANFILM: 230 College St., Unit 13, Burlington, 276-4588, partizanfilm.org. Reopens October 30.
  • PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com
  • SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com
  • THE SCREENING ROOM @ VTIFF: 60 Lake St., Ste. 1C, Burlington, 660-2600, vtiff.org
  • 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

This article appears in Winter Preview • 2026.

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 have also appeared in the New York Times. She is a member of the Online Film Critics Society, with reviews on the Tomatometer, and the author of five novels, including YA thrillers Only She Came Back and We Made It All Up.