All theater listings are as of Friday, Dec. 6.

AFTER CLASS (AKA SAFE SPACES)

What's it rated? PG-13

Where's it showing? Galaxy

New

Daniel Schechter directs this comedy about an NYC professor (Justin Long), who spends a week reconnecting with family and defending his controversial behavior at the college. (93 min.)

—Glen Starkey

THE AERONAUTS

What's it rated? PG-13

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre

New

Tom Harper (Wild Rose) directs this loosely based biopic action adventure about pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne), who in 1862 take flight in a gas balloon to attempt to fly higher than anyone in history and advance human knowledge about weather. (100 min.)

—Glen

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) directs this biopic drama that's based on the real-life friendship between beloved children's television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) and journalist Tom Junod, renamed Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) in the film. This film has magic sprinkled all over it, and Tom Hanks captures the calm realness of Fred Rogers to a tee. He isn't a perfect man and he isn't trying to be, but he is a kind one and he works every day with the goal of kindness in mind. This is a perfect movie to start the holiday season on; it's just a feel-good film all around! (108 min.)

—Anna Starkey

DARK WATERS

What's it rated? PG-13

Where's it showing? Galaxy, The Palm, Park, Stadium 10

New

Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, I'm Not There) directs this historical legal thriller about corporate defense attorney Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) who takes on an environmental lawsuit against his former employer DuPont, which he links to a number of deaths and illnesses caused by its pollution and practices. (126 min.)

—Glen

5POINT FILM FESTIVAL

What's it rated? Not rated

Where's it showing? Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Fremont Theater

New

The 5Point Film Festival screens on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., in the Fremont Theater (all ages; $12 at Boo Boo Records or fremontslo.com). The festival features short films about climbing, biking, skiing, water sports, and running. Find more info at 5pointfilm.org.

—Glen

FORD V FERRARI

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) directs this biopic about car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who in 1966 team up to try to beat a car designed by Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Tracy Letts stars as Henry Ford II and Jon Bernthal stars as Lee Iacocca. What an amazing story! Even if you're not a motorhead, you'll find this tale of determination wholly engaging, largely due to the larger-than-life characters and their complicated relationships. (152 min.)

—Glen

FROZEN II

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In

Pick

Co-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Frozen, 2013) return to helm this animated sequel about Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idena Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad), and Sven the reindeer as they leave Arendelle and travel to an enchanted forest, where they hope to discover the origins of Elsa's power. This worthy sequel is a charmer filled with eye-popping animation, catchy songs, and a sweet story about how sometimes change is good even though it's scary; friendship and protecting your friends from danger; and the power of love. (103 min.)

—Glen

JOJO RABBIT

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

Writer-director Tailka Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) helms this adaptation of Christine Leunens' satirical novel about a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Hitler's (Waititi) army who discovers his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home. Hilarious and heartbreaking—Waititi seems to have copied a page out of the Wes Anderson's (The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom) director's handbook, creating a colorful, comical, absurdist world and a look at one young fanatic's coming-of-age story. (108 min.)

—Glen

KNIVES OUT

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

See Split Screen.

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Sunset Drive-In

Pick

Disney's reimagined black-horned villainess, potentially gone soft, has graced the big screens once again with the direction of Joachim Rønning (co-director of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) to tell the story of how pending nuptials could tear not only Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora's (Elle Fanning) life apart but the human and magical world as well. (118 min.)

—Karen Garcia

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

What's it rated? Not rated

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre on Dec. 8 (1 and 4 p.m.) and Dec. 11 (at 4 and 7 p.m.)

New

/PickVincent Minnelli directs this charming 1944 family dramedy starring Judy Garland, about the four Smith daughters as they learn lessons of life and love leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and their impending move to New York. (113 min.)

—Glen

MIDWAY

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day, The Patriot, White House Down) directs this historical action-drama about World War II's Battle of Midway, told by those who fought it: Lt. Richard "Dick" Best (Ed Skrein), Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson), Lt. Cmdr. Wade McClusky (Luke Evans), Adm. Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson), and Vice Adm. William "Bull" Halsey (Dennis Quaid). This pivotal June 4 through 7, 1942, battle between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy was the Pacific Theater's turning point. (138 min.)

—Glen

PARASITE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

South Korean director Bong Joon Ho plays with genre and societal commentary in this dark comedy thriller about a penniless family's unsavory but satisfying infiltration into a wealthy family's household. We're all capable of being both the heroes and antagonists of our own stories from time to time—able to make healthy and rational decisions in some situations while at the same time perfectly adept at self-destruction in others. And in one way or another, we're all parasites too. That's the running theme in Parasite, the most recent foreign-language film brought to us by director Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host), which centers on Ki-taek Kim (Song Kang Ho) and his destitute family's scrappy struggle for easy money. (132 min.)

—Kasey Bubnash

PLAYING WITH FIRE

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Stream it

Where's it showing? Park, Stadium 10

Andy Fickman (She's the Man, Race to Witch Mountain (2009)) directs this family comedy about a crew of firefighters who rescue three rambunctious kids. The film stars Judy Greer, Keegan-Michael Key, and John Cena. Very young kids might enjoy some of the film's antics, but parents will find nothing to recommend it. (96 min.)

—Glen

PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE

What's it rated? G

Where's it showing? Park, Stadium 10

New

Lino DiSalvo directs this animated adventure comedy based on Playmobil brand toys. Anya Taylor-Joy is Marla, Gabriel Bateman is Charlie, Jim Gaffigan is Del, and Daniel Radcliffe is Rex Dasher. (99 min.)

—Glen

QUEEN & SLIM

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Stadium 10

Pick

Melina Matsoukas directs this drama about a black couple's first date that goes terribly wrong when a police officer pulls them over for a minor traffic infraction. Daniel Kaluuya is Slim and Jodie Turner-Smith is Queen, who become symbols of the minority oppression. This one's ripped out of the Black Lives Matter headlines, delivering a gripping fugitive story wrapped in a timely subtext.

Slim's a retail worker, and Queen's a defense lawyer—both upstanding citizens, except they're black, which makes them suspicious in the eyes of a racist cop. During the traffic stop, things escalate rapidly and in a quick moment of violence, Slim kills the cop in self-defense. Queen knows the judicial system and knows they won't get a fair shake, so off they run, becoming heroes to a black community that knows all too well about police injustice.

Slick and stylishly made, this is a film that has a lot to say about race relations in America. It's worth a watch for both its story and political subtext. (132 min.)

—Glen

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Park

Pick

Tim Miller (Deadpool) directs this next installment into the Terminator franchise. This time around, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and a "retired" T-800 Terminator going by the name Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger) join forces with enhanced soldier, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), who's been sent from the future to protect Daniella "Dani" Ramos (Natalia Reyes), who, if she lives, will give birth to a Resistance leader who will stop an A.I. called Legion, who, like Skynet, hopes to destroy humankind. They're being pursued by Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna), an advanced Terminator that's able to split in two.

If it all sounds a little familiar, it's because it is, but it's also nice to see Hamilton and Schwarzenegger from the original 1984 film and the equally good sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) back together again. Yes, it's essentially the same plot about time travelers battling to either kill or save a future mother who will give birth to the leader who will save humanity, but it's a lot better than, say, Terminator Salvation (2009) and Terminator Genisys (2015). (128 min.)

—Glen

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre on Dec. 7 (at 4 and 7 p.m.)

Pick

Peter Jackson directs this documentary about World War I with some formerly black-and-white archival footage colorized, and in some cases with sound and dialogue added, commemorating the centennial of the war's end. Technically, this film is a remarkable achievement: The colorized and sound/dialogue-added segments are truly unique and interesting. The film is also laudable thanks to its depth of research and the worthiness of its archival elements: In addition to the film footage, there are period posters, photographs, illustrations, and newspaper materials; and instead of a single narrator to explain things, the entire narration is made up of voice recordings of World War I veterans who talk candidly about the war, the battles, the deplorable conditions, and the death. The title seems to refer as much to the actual war dead as the young men captured in these films and pictures, remaining forever young on celluloid. (99 min.)

—Glen

21 BRIDGES

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Rent it

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10

In this action-packed drama, Chadwick Boseman stars as a temperamental NYPD detective who slowly uncovers a drug conspiracy during an investigation into the murder of several cops. This is just like every other basic detective movie. Detective Davis is a cop because his dad died on duty, so it's in his "DNA," which everyone points out repeatedly. He's a little moody and potentially trigger happy, but he's good at his job. Very good. Troubled genius, anyone?

When two robbers kill a slew of cops during a cocaine burglary, Davis is the top man for the job. He quickly deduces that the suspects are in Manhattan, and he shuts the ol' concrete jungle down. Soon it becomes clear that the robbers stumbled upon a bigger conspiracy, which may involve crooked cops (Omg what?! No way!!), a scheme that slowly unravels throughout the film. There's a whole lot of gun shooting and running and jumping and glass shattering, if you're into that sort of thing, and the ultra cool cop he is, Davis greets his cellphone callers by saying, "Talk to me." Because people totally do that. (99 min.)

—Kasey

WAVES

What's it rated? R

Where's it showing? The Palm

New

Writer-director Trey Edwards Shults (It Comes at Night) helms this story about a suburban African-American family as they struggle to come together after a devastating loss. (135 min.) Δ

—Glen

New Times movie reviews were compiled by Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey. Contact him at [email protected].