Here Are All the Movies Opening Today, February 20; What Will You See?
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, February 20th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.)
Wide
The DUFF
Director: Ari Sandel
Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels, Ken Jeong, Bianca A. Santos, Nick Eversman, Allison Janney
Synopsis: “Bianca (Mae Whitman) is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as ‘The DUFF’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). Now, despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher (Ken Jeong), she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), and enlists Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school’s ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone’s DUFF.”
Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Director: Steve Pink
Cast: Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Adam Scott, Chevy Chase, Gillian Jacobs, Bianca Haase
Synopsis: “When Lou, who has become the ‘father of the Internet,’ is shot by an unknown assailant, Jacob and Nick fire up the time machine again to save their friend.”
McFarland USA
Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Vincent Martella, Elsie Fisher, Daniel Moncada, Mariann Gavelo, Catherine Toribio, Diana-Maria Riva, Vanessa Martinez, Carlos Pratts, Connor Weil, Jackie Di Crystal, Chelsea Rendon, Ben Bray
Synopsis: “Inspired by the 1987 true story, ‘McFarland, USA’ follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.”
Limited
All the Wilderness
Director: Michael Johnson
Cast: Isabelle Fuhrman, Virginia Madsen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Danny DeVito, Evan Ross, Hannah Barefoot
Synopsis: “James (Kodi-Smit-McPhee) has shut himself off from his surroundings, falling into a world of imagination and darkness. Visits with his psychiatrist (Danny Devito) have proven unhelpful – though he takes a liking to fellow patient, Val (Isabelle Fuhrman). As James begins to rebel against his single mother (Virginia Madsen), he ventures into the night where he meets a mysterious kid (Evan Ross) who welcomes him into an eccentric city. Relationships are put to the test as James navigates unfamiliar territory, wrestling with the reality of his own personal wilderness.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle
Big in Japan
Director: John Jeffcoat
Cast: David Drury, Philip A. Peterson, Sean Lowry, Alex Vincent, Adam Powers
Synopsis: “A semi-fictionalized rock and roll road movie about a struggling Seattle band determined to not fade away. The film, which is based loosely on actual events, follows real life rockers, Tennis Pro, as they travel to Japan- a last ditch attempt to prevent their day jobs from becoming their careers.” [SXSW Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average:
Theatrical Release: Seattle
The Business of Disease
Director: Sonia Barrett
Synopsis: “The Business of DisEase is a groundbreaking documentary exploring the vastness of human potential despite the restrictions of programmed beliefs. For the sheer purpose of profit and control illness is marketed to the minds of the unsuspecting masses. The results? A society programmed for sickness and death.”
Theatrical Release: New York (opens in Los Angeles on February 27th)
Digging Up the Marrow
Director: Adam Green
Cast: Ray Wise, Adam Green, Kane Hodder, Mick Garris
Synopsis: “What if the ghastly images and abominations haunting our collective nightmares actually exist? Writer/director Adam Green sets out to make a documentary exploring this tantalizing premise after being contacted by a mysterious man named William Dekker. Dekker claims he can prove that “monsters are real” and insists these grotesque creatures are forgotten, hideously deformed humanoids inhabiting a vast, underground metropolis of the damned. Determined to expose the truth, Green embarks on a bone-chilling odyssey and gets more than he bargains for.”
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles (expands to various cities on March 2nd)
Drunktown’s Finest
Director: Sydney Freeland
Cast: Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morningstar Angeline, Kiowa Gordon, Shauna Baker, Elizabeth Frances
Synopsis: “Sydney Freeland’s feature film debut and her response to a news story that characterized her hometown of Gallup, New Mexico, as “Drunktown, USA.” Nizhoni was adopted and raised as a Christian by a white family, transsexual Felixxia dreams of becoming a model, and Sickboy is headed to basic training so he can take care of his soon-to-be-born child. We observe the Navajo Nation from the inside out through the eyes of these three unlikely characters. At first our preconceptions are reinforced, but slowly, as each of their lives unfolds, we confront the reality of living in this community, and we see these three aspiring to leave their town behind.” [Sundance Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average:
Theatrical Release: New York (opens in Los Angeles on February 27th)
Gloria
Director: Christian Keller
Cast: Sofía Espinosa, Marco Pérez, Tatiana Del Real, Ximena Romo
Synopsis: “Gloria Trevi, the ‘Mexican Madonna,’ rose from poverty to international stardom, only to be brought crashing down by a sex scandal that mesmerized the Spanish-speaking world. The new movie GLORIA tells the true story of her astonishing life, from her meteoric rise to the top of the pop charts to the humiliating fall that followed, all set to a soundtrack of the diva’s infectious hits.” [SXSW Film Festival]
Theatrical Release: Limited
My Way
Director: Vinny Sisson & Dominique Mollee
Synopsis: “‘My Way‘ begins with the conventional ‘small-town girl livin’ in a lonely (corporate) world.’ Yet instead of taking the midnight train, Rebekah Starr trades her briefcase for a Les Paul, grabs her sassy Estonian tambourine-banging sidekick Annika and hits the highway—destination: Sunset Strip. When Rebekah’s marriage falls apart in real time, we realize her dream is not a whim. It is a burning passion for music that comes with its share of real world sacrifices. Her contagious optimism acts as the film’s through line, hoping to inspire anyone feeling trapped by their circumstances.”
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles (opens in New York on February 27th)
Queen and Country
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Vanessa Kirby, David Thewlis, Richard E. Grant, Caleb Landry Jones, Tamsin Egerton, Sinead Cusack, David Hayman, Brian F. O’Byrne, Callum Turner, Pat Shortt
Synopsis: “1952. Bill Rohan is 18 and wanders, dreamy and happy, along the riverside where his family have a house. His daydreaming is rudely interrupted by the Korean war, the draft, and the harsh reality of the military camp where he trains. There, he meets Percy, who becomes his firm friend. After their induction, numerous conscripts are sent to Korea. Bill and Percy are lucky enough to find themselves as instructors in a training camp. They plot against an unbearable sergeant. They also make some excursions into the outside world. During one of them, Bill falls in love with a girl who is unattainable.” [Cannes – Director’s Fortnight]
Criticwire Grade Average: B (6 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York (expands to Los Angeles on February 24th, various cities nationwide through the end of April)
Triumph in the Skies
Director: Matt Chow & Wilson Yi
Cast: Frances Djulibing, Louis Koo, Sammi Cheng
Synopsis: “The film version of hugely successful Hong Kong TV series centered on airline crew and their drama and hijinks across multiple Asian cities.”
Theatrical Release: Various
Wild Tales
Director: Damián Szifrón
Cast: Ricardo Darín, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Nancy Dupláa, Maria Onetto, Rita Cortese, Oscar Martinez, Julieta Zylberberg
Synopsis: “A story about love deception, the return of the past, a tragedy, or even the violence contained in an everyday detail, appear themselves to push them towards the abyss, into the undeniable pleasure of losing control.” [Cannes Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (22 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (opens in various cities nationwide through the end of April)
Missed last week? Here are all the releases from the weekend of February 13th.
