Here Are All the Movies Opening Today, February 27; What Will You See?

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, February 27th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.)

Wide

Focus
Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Robert Taylor, Gerald McRaney
Synopsis: “Nicky is a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess. As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets too close for comfort and he abruptly breaks it off. Three years later, the former flame—now an accomplished femme fatale—shows up in Buenos Aires in the middle of the high stakes racecar circuit. In the midst of Nicky’s latest, very dangerous scheme, she throws his plans for a loop…and the consummate con man off his game.”
Criticwire Grade Average: C+ (6 reviews)

The Lazarus Effect
Director: David Gelb
Cast: Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, Sarah Bolger
Synopsis: “A group of medical students discover a way to bring dead patients back to life.”

Limited

’71
Director: Yann Demange
Cast: Jack O’Connell, Sam Reid, Paul Anderson, Sam Hazeldine, Sean Harris, Richard Dormer, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann, Charlie Murphy
Synopsis: “A young British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe and increasingly wary of his own comrades, the raw recruit must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorienting, alien and deadly landscape.” [Toronto International Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (22 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles

A La Mala
Director: Pedro Pablo Ibarra
Cast: Aislinn Derbez, Mauricio Ochmann, Luis Arrieta, Aurora Papile, Daniela Schmidt
Synopsis: “Maria Laura ‘Mala’ is an actress with little luck, but she is successful working for other women, seducing their boyfriends to know if they are faithful or not. But everything changes when her dream to perform in her acting career depends on a job to be performed with Santiago who breaks the pattern and shakes her professional convictions.”
Theatrical Release: Limited

Almost There
Director: Dan Rybicky & Aaron Wickenden
Synopsis: “A coming-of-(old)-age story about Peter Anton, an elderly ‘outsider’ artist living in isolated and crippling conditions whose world changes when two filmmakers discover his work and storied past. Shot over eight years, ‘Almost There‘ documents Anton’s first major exhibition and how the controversy it generates forces him to leave his childhood home. Each layer revealed reflects on the intersections of social norms, elder care, and artistic expression.”
Theatrical Release: Carbondale, IL (opens in Columbia, MO on March 6th and Columbus, OH on April 3rd)

Ana Maria in Novela Land
Director: Georgina Riedel
Cast: Edy Ganem, Michael Steger, Luis Guzmán, Elizabeth Peña
Synopsis: “Ana Maria is a typical 20-something living life on her own terms but frustrating her family and friends all the while doing so. As she journeys inside a world of seemingly limitless opportunities in “Novela Land,” things get heated during a love affair with a wealthy businessman and his younger, sexy son. Meanwhile, Ariana is forced to deal with the harsh realities of living in Los Angeles with an over-protective but loving family. As each of these women navigate their new lives, they come to the realization that love and true faith in themselves is all they really needed to have the life they dreamed of.”
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles, Houston and Miami

Anita Ho
Director: Steve Myung
Cast: George Cheung, Elizabeth Sung, Lina So, Steve Myung, Albert Wong, Raymond Ma, Brian Yang
Synopsis: “Harry Ho, a down on his luck 30-something finally decides to propose to his girlfriend, Anita on her 30th birthday. But when Anita decides to spend her birthday in Las Vegas with her entire family – the fireworks begin! See, Anita is a traditional Chinese-American girl and Harry is not Chinese and her parents have never even met him! To make matters worse, unbeknownst to both of them – Anita’s Mom has a nice doctor in mind for Anita, not a broke Harry Ho!”
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles

Bluebird
Director: Lance Edmands
Cast: Adam Driver, Margo Martindale, John Slattery, Louisa Krause, Emily Meade, Amy Morton
Synopsis: “On a freezing January evening, school bus driver Lesley completes her route, but her final inspection abruptly ends when a bluebird comes into view. What happens next shakes her small Maine logging town, proving that even the slightest actions have enormous consequences.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (8 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York

Deli Man
Director: Erik Greenberg Anjou
Synopsis: “Every story needs a brave and trustworthy guide, and Deli Man’s is the effusive and charming Ziggy Gruber, a third-generation delicatessen man – his uncle and great-uncle owned Berger’s in the diamond district, and the Woodrow Deli on Long Island. His grandfather owned the famous Rialto Delicatessen on Broadway, and Ziggy was stuffing cabbages atop of a crate when he was eight. Now he is owner and maven (as well as a Yiddish-speaking French trained chef) of one of the country’s top delis, Kenny and Ziggy’s in Houston – yes, Texas…Shalom y’all.”
Theatrical Release: Various (including Houston, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix)

Eastern Boys
Director: Robin Campillo
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov, Edéa Darcque, Camila Chanirova
Synopsis: “They come from all over Eastern Europe: Russia, Romania, Chechnya. They are Eastern boys. The oldest appear no more than 25; as for the youngest, there is no way of telling their age. They hang around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. They might be prostitutes, but there is no way of knowing for certain. Muller, a discreet man in his late fifties has his eye on one of them – Marek. One afternoon, Muller gathers his courage and speaks to him. The young man agrees to come visit Muller the following day, at his place. However the next day, when the doorbell rings, Muller doesn’t have the faintest idea that he has fallen into a trap.”
Theatrical Release: New York

Ejecta
Director: Chad Archibald & Matt Wiele
Cast: Julian Richings, Lisa Houle, Adam Seybold, Mark Gibson, Justin Darmanin, Ry Barrett, Ari Millen, Cat Hostick, Tony Burgess
Synopsis: “The story of one night on earth that changed everything we know about the universe.”
Theatrical Release: Limited

Everly
Director: Joe Lynch
Cast: Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Jennifer Blanc, Caroline Chikezie, Gabriella Wright
Synopsis: “It’s Christmas time, but all is not well in the world of Everly. A call girl by trade, Everly has turned against her gangster boss Taiko and become a police informant. In response, Taiko has put out a hit on Everly and her family. Soon, every criminal in town wants to cash in. Everly’s survival instincts quickly kick in as she matches wits and firepower with Taiko and a seemingly endless stream of killers.” [Fantastic Fest]
Criticwire Grade Average: B- (5 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York

Farewell to Hollywood
Director: Henry Corra & Regina Nicholson
Synopsis: “In a recurring poetic image, 17-year-old Regina Diane Nicholson swings between heaven and earth on a breathtakingly high cliff by the sea. Reggie is a tomboy struggling with terminal illness, her parents and her dream of making a film. She impresses us with her loving, strong personality and wisdom beyond her years, as well as her morbid sense of humor. When director Henry Corra met 17-year-old filmmaker Regina Nicholson at a film festival, he agreed to help her make a feature film. What developed over nearly two years is a powerful friendship and poignant relationship between Reggie and Henry. He became her collaborator, friend and defender in her fight to find artistic and personal freedom. When Reggie turns 18 and can make decisions on her own, things become even more intense.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (opens in Santa Fe on March 20th and Columbus, OH on April 3rd)

Futuro Beach
Director: Karim Aïnouz
Cast: Wagner Moura, Clemens Schick, Jesuita Barbosa, Sabine Timoteo, Sophie Charlotte Conrad, Demick Lopes
Synopsis: “Moura is the lifeguard Donato, who works at the Praia do Futuro. He starts to escape from his life after losing a German tourist during a rescue. When Donato begins to drift away, his younger brother, Ayrton, starts trying to help him up.”
Theatrical Release: New York (opens in San Francisco on March 13th, Denver on March 27th and Miami on April 10th)

The Hunting Ground
Director: Kirby Dick
Synopsis: “The statistics are staggering. One in five women in college are sexually assaulted, yet only a fraction of these crimes are reported, and even fewer result in punishment for the perpetrators. From the intrepid team behind The Invisible War, comes The Hunting Ground, a piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on campuses, poised to light a fire under a national debate.” [Sundance Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (9 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (expands to various cities nationwide through the end of April)

Kung Fu Elliot
Director: Jaret Belliveau & Matthew Bauckman
Cast: Elliot Scott, Blake Zwicker, Linda Lum
Synopsis: “The bizarre story of Elliot ‘White Lightning’ Scott, who plans on becoming Canada’s first action hero with his low-budget karate epic, Blood Fight. This surreal documentary captures two years in the lives of a passionate amateur filmmaker, his supportive partner Linda Lum, and their cast and crew of outrageous dreamers – all striving to achieve success.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B (5 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles, Austin and Philadelphia (already open in New York, Houston and Columbus, OH)

Maps to the Stars
Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Evan Bird
Synopsis: “Maps to the Stars connects the savage beauty of writer Bruce Wagner’s Los Angeles with the riveting filmmaking of director David Cronenberg and a stellar ensemble cast to take a tour into the darkly comic heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts. The result is a modern Hollywood Gothic at once about the ravenous 21st Century need for fame and validation — and the yearning, loss and fragility that lurk in the shadows underneath.” [Cannes Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B (45 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Memphis, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC)

My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Director: Liv Corfixen
Synopsis: “Liv Corfixen documents her husband, filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, during the production and release of his movie ‘Only God Forgives.'”
Theatrical Release: Limited

Out of the Dark
Director: Lluís Quílez
Cast: Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman, Stephen Rea, Alejandro Furth, Pixie Davies, Guillermo Morales Vitola
Synopsis: “A couple and their daughter moves to Colombia to take over a family manufacturing plant, only to realize their new home is haunted.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, DC

The Salvation
Director: Kristian Levring
Cast: Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Cantona, Mikael Persbrandt, Jonathan Pryce, Daniel Henshall, Michael Raymond-James, Nanna Øland Fabricius
Synopsis: “1870s America. When settler John kills his family’s murderer, he unleashes the fury of notorious gang leader Delarue. Betrayed by his corrupt and cowardly community, the peaceful pioneer must turn vengeful hunter, slay the outlaws, and cleanse the town’s black heart.” [Cannes Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B (8 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Los Angeles and New York

Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal
Director: Zhao Tianyu & Peter Pau
Cast: Chen Kun, Li Bingbing, Winston Chao, Zishan Yang, Bao Bei-Er, Summer Jike
Synopsis: “The story of Chinese legendary anti-hero Zhong Kui, a young man endowed with mysterious powers who is forced into a battle among the realms of Heaven, Earth and Hell in the course of his attempt to save his countrymen and the woman he loves.”
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC)

The Widowmaker
Director: Patrick Forbes
Cast: Gillian Anderson
Synopsis: “Every minute of every year an American drops dead of a heart attack, hundreds of thousands without any warning or prior symptom. But these people could have been saved. The Widowmaker uncovers a chilling tale of greed, ego, and a conspiracy of silence around that most vulnerable of human organs – the heart.”
Theatrical Release: Limited

Wild Canaries
Director: Lawrence Michael Levine
Cast: Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter, Kevin Corrigan
Synopsis: “Barri and Noah, a newly engaged Brooklyn couple, are disheartened by the death of their elderly downstairs neighbor, Sylvia. Though Noah sees nothing unusual about the old woman’s death, Barri suspects foul play and sets out to investigate, enlisting her roommate Jean to join her on a reconnaissance mission to trail a possible suspect. Tensions mount, however, when the investigation uncovers unsettling secrets throughout the building—including in their own apartment—and suddenly everyone seems like a reasonable suspect. ‘Wild Canaries‘ is a freshly comedic take on classic film noir.” [SXSW Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (6 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York (opens in Los Angeles on March 6th)

Young Bodies Heal Quickly 
Director: Andrew T. Betzer
Cast: Daniel P. Jones, Hale Lytle, Julie Sokolowski, Kate Lyn Sheil, Gabriel Croft, Alexandre Marouani
Synopsis: “Two brothers drift aimlessly through their summer days, trashing abandoned cars and playing with paintball guns, until the accidental death of a young woman forces them to make drastic decisions. With few options, the duo flee across state lines to dodge arrest and search for refuge. Poetic, funny, and poignant, this quietly mesmerizing film follows the brothers’ transitions from boys to men through an absorption of the world—good and bad—around them.” [Tribeca Film Festival]
Theatrical Release: New York

Missed last week? Here are all the releases from the weekend of February 20th.