The 5 Best New Films Showing In Pittsburgh This Week
Story Hoodline — If you're looking to forgo the latest franchise mega-blockbuster in favor of the best-reviewed new movies in theaters, this week presents a handful of top options around Pittsburgh.
From a star-studded political satire to an edge-of-your-seat horror flick, here are the five movies to see in and around the city this week, based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The Death of Stalin
The one-liners fly as fast as political fortunes fall in this uproarious, wickedly irreverent satire from Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop). Moscow, 1953: when tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin drops dead, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to be the next Soviet leader. Among the contenders are the dweeby Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), the wily Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), and the sadistic secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale). But as they bumble, brawl, and backstab their way to the top, just who is running the government?
Satirical comedy "The Death of Stalin" enjoys a 96 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes; it's playing at AMC Classic Mt. Lebanon (1500 Washington Rd., Mt. Lebanon) through the week. Get tickets here.
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
What do the most ravishingly beautiful actress of the 1930s and 40s and the inventor whose concepts were the basis of cell phone and bluetooth technology have in common? They are both Hedy Lamarr, the glamour icon whose ravishing visage was the inspiration for Snow White and Cat Woman and a technological trailblazer who perfected a secure radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes during WWII. Weaving interviews and clips with never-before-heard audio tapes of Hedy speaking on the record about her incredible life, BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY brings to light the story of an unusual and accomplished woman, spurned as too beautiful to be smart, but a role model to this day.
With a 96 percent positive critical rating, "Bombshell" is making a splash. It's playing at Row House Cinema (4115 Butler St.) starting May 11. Get tickets here.
A Quiet Place
In the modern horror thriller A Quiet Place, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you.
With a current critical score of 95 percent, positive feedback for the horror film has been anything but muted. It's playing at Waterworks Cinemas (923 Freeport Rd.), AMC Classic South Hills Village 10 (700 Ft. Couch Rd.), Cinemark Robinson Township (2100 Settlers Ridge Center Dr.), Cinemark North Hills (851 Providence Blvd.) and Southside Works Cinema (425 Cinema Dr.). Get tickets here.
RBG
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg has created a breathtaking legal legacy for women's rights while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. The personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior's rise to the nation's highest court during a hostile time for women, is revealed in this inspiring and multidimensional portrait. Now 85, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, continues to have vigorous dissenting opinions and her exercise workouts.
Fans of Ruth Bader Ginsberg have spoken: the documentary has a 94 percentapproval rating from critics. Catch it at Cinemagic Manor Theatres (1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill) starting May 11. Get tickets here.
Zama
Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he is stagnating, to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He is forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind. The years go by and the letter from the King never arrives. When Zama notices everything is lost, he joins a party of soldiers that go after a dangerous bandit.
"Zama" currently holds a 93 percent critical score. It's playing at the Harris Theater (803 Liberty Ave.) through May 16. Tickets are available at the box office 30 minutes before showtime.
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