Here Are All the Movies Opening Today, March 6; What Will You See?

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, March 6th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.)

Wide

Chappie
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Brandon Auret, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Anri du Toit, Watkin Tudor Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Kevin Otto, Robert Hobbs
Synopsis: “Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings – some good, some bad – and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there’s one thing that makes Chappie different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever.”
Criticwire Grade Average: C (5 reviews)

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Director: John Madden
Cast: Dev Patel, Richard Gere, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Judi Dench
Synopsis: “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny (Dev Patel), and it’s making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to the love of his life, Sunaina (Tina Desai). Sonny has his eye on a promising property now that his first venture, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, has only a single remaining vacancy – posing a rooming predicament for fresh arrivals Guy (Richard Gere) and Lavinia (Tamsin Greig). Evelyn and Douglas (Judi Dench and Bill Nighy) have now joined the Jaipur workforce, and are wondering where their regular dates for Chilla pancakes will lead, while Norman and Carol (Ronald Pickup and Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating the tricky waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge (Celia Imrie) juggles two eligible and very wealthy suitors.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B- (9 reviews)

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Unfinished Business
Director: Ken Scott
Cast: Dave Franco, Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, June Diane Raphael, Sienna Miller, Nick Frost, Tom Wilkinson, Ella Anderson, Anastasia Sanidopoulos Mousis, Susan Garibotto, Melissa McMeekin, Clement von Franckenstein, Jeffrey Corazzini, Alyssa Mae Walsh, David C. Bunners
Synopsis: “A hard working small business owner and his two associates travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what began as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable and unimaginable way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit.”

Limited

A Year in Champagne
Director: David Kennard
Synopsis: “The exploding cork. Endless tiny bubbles floating up and up in the glass. An indulgence. A celebration. A seduction. A triumph. This is the essence of Champagne, isn’t it? But it’s not just bubbles in a glass that makes the wine, or the mystique. Only sparkling wine produced within the boundaries of the Champagne region is truly “Champagne.” At first glance, the region is not an obvious source of romance. Champagne’s history is grim and bloody, swept by war and destruction from Attila the Hun to the filthy trenches of WWI and the Nazi depredations of WWII. The environment for winemaking is desperately hard — northerly latitude, chalky soil, copious rain, frost, rot. Yet it’s these difficulties that help make the wine unique.”
Theatrical Release: Various

Bad Asses on the Bayou
Director: Craig Moss
Cast: Danny Trejo, Danny Glover, John Amos, Loni Love, Jimmy Bennett
Synopsis: “Bad Asses on the Bayou reunites the dynamic duo, Frank Vega (Danny Trejo) and Bernie Pope (Danny Glover), as they travel to Louisiana to attend the wedding of their dear friend Carmen Gutierrez (Loni Love). What was pictured as a wedding weekend escape to the south turns violently ugly as madness and mayhem ensue, pressing our senior heroes to once again serve justice.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco and Tampa 

Buzzard
Director: Joel Potrykus
Cast: Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Teri Ann Nelson, Alan Longstreet, Rico Bruce Wade, Katie Call, Joe Anderson, Chris Kotcher, Michael Cunningham, TRPL BLK
Synopsis: “Marty is a caustic, small-time con artist drifting from one scam to the next. When his latest ruse goes awry, mounting paranoia forces him from his lousy small town temp job to the desolate streets of Detroit with nothing more than a pocket full of bogus checks, a dangerously altered Nintendo® Power Glove, and a bad temper.”
Criticwire Grade Average: A- (9 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Seattle)

Faults
Director: Riley Stearns
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jon Gries, Lance Reddick, Leland Orser, Chris Ellis, Jon Gries, Leonard Earl Howze, Beth Grant
Synopsis: “Claire is under the grip of a mysterious cult. Desperate to be reunited with their daughter, Claire’s parents set out to recruit Ansel Roth, one of the world’s foremost authorities on mind control. But Ansel’s specialty, deprogramming cult members and returning them to their families, is not an exact science. Now, even his own book publisher is looking to break his legs. Ansel kidnaps Claire, who reveals herself to be a formidable challenge; her belief is unshakeable and her logic is undeniable. A battle of wits develops between the two as they delve deeper and deeper into each others minds.” [SXSW Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: A- (8 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Limited

Hayride 2
Director: Terron R. Parsons
Cast: Richard Tyson, Corlandos Scott, Jeremy D. Ivy, Jeremy Sande, Sherri Eakin, Randy Hicks
Synopsis: “The end of one journey only marks the beginning of another as Agent Loomis returns to uncover the truth behind the Legend of Pitchfork.”
Theatrical Release: Various (including Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Dallas, Orlando, Scottsdale, Seattle)

An Honest Liar
Director: Justin Weinstein & Tyler Measom
Cast: James Randi, Penn Jillette, Bill Nye, Adam Savage
Synopsis: “Renowned magician James “The Amazing” Randi, has been wowing audiences with his jaw-dropping illusions, escapes, and sleight of hand for over 50 years. When Randi began seeing his cherished art form co-opted by all manner of con artists, from faith healers and fortune-tellers to psychics and gurus, Randi made it his mission to expose the simple tricks charlatans have borrowed from magicians to swindle the masses.” [Tribeca Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: A- (7 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (expands to various cities throughout the country until the middle of April)

The Lesson
Director: Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov
Cast: Margita Gosheva, Ivan Burnev, Ivanka Bratoeva, Ivan Savov, Deya Todorova, Stefan Denolyubov
Synopsis: “In a small Bulgarian town, Nadezhda, a young teacher, is looking for the robber in her class so she can teach them the difference between right and wrong. But when she finds herself in debt to loan sharks, can she find the right way out herself?” [Toronto International Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B (5 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Limited

The Life and Mind of Mark DeFriest
Director: Gabriel London
Cast: Mark DeFriest, Scoot McNairy, Shea Whigham
Synopsis: “It isn’t a prison sentence; it’s guerrilla warfare. That’s Mark DeFriest’s philosophy concerning incarceration. Initially sentenced to four years over a misunderstanding, he’s now spent three decades behind bars, amassing a laundry list of disciplinary reports and earning a reputation as the ‘Houdini of high security prisons.'” [LA Film Festival]
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (expands to Boca Raton and Washington, DC on March 13th)

Like Sunday, Like Rain
Director: Frank Whaley
Cast: Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, BIllie Joe Armstrong, J. Smith-Cameron, Conor Carroll, Tamara Torres, Tamara Torres, Olivia Luccardi, Darcy Fowler, Alfredo Narciso, Julian Shatkin, Georgia X. Lifsher
Synopsis: “The story of a struggling musician who becomes the guardian of a 12-year-old music prodigy one summer.”
Theatrical Release: Various 

Merchants of Doubt
Director: Robert Kenner
Cast: Naomi Oreskes, Bob Inglis, James Hansen, Stan Glantz, Marc Morano, Patricia Callahan, Sam Roe, Jamy Ian Swiss, John Passacantando
Synopsis: “Documentarian Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.) investigates the shadowy world of professional skeptics, whose services are bought and paid for by corporations, think tanks and other special interests to cast doubt and delay public and governmental action on climate change.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B (9 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (expands to various cities across the country until the end of April)

October Gale
Director: Ruba Nadda
Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, Tim Roth
Synopsis: “Helen, a doctor mourning the sudden passing of her beloved husband, has retreated to their beautiful island cabin to put his things in order. Unable and unwilling to return to her job and normal life in the city, she stays alone at the remote cabin. When a small boat washes up on her shore carrying a mysterious man – unconscious and bleeding from a gunshot wound – Helen pulls him in and saves him, leaving her alone with this unknown and potentially dangerous stranger.” [Toronto International Film Festival]
Theatrical Release: Limited

Road Hard
Director: Adam Carolla & Kevin Hench
Cast: Adam Carolla, Mindy Robinson, David Koechner, Diane Farr, Vanessa Branch, Illeana Douglas, Heather Paige Cohn, Larry Miller
Synopsis: “A comedian whose movie and sitcom deals have dried up heads back on the road to try and discover his love of stand up.”
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, DC)

These Final Hours
Director: Zak Hilditch
Cast: Nathan Philips, Angourie Rice, Jessica De Gouw, Kathryn Beck, Daniel Henshall, Sarah Snook
Synopsis: “It’s the last day on earth, twelve hours before an event will end life as we know it. James makes his way across a lawless city to the party to end all parties. Along the way he somewhat reluctantly saves the life of a little girl named Rose, desperately searching for her father. Stuck with the unexpected burden of responsibility, James is forced to question what really matters as the hours tick away.” [Cannes – Director’s Fortnight]
Theatrical Release: Limited

Two Men in Town
Director: Rachid Bouchareb
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel, Brenda Blethyn, Luis Guzmán, Dolores Heredia
Synopsis: “A small town in Texas surrounded by desert which, time and again as the day breaks, disgorges an increasing number of Mexicans who have either been murdered or have died of thirst. A convict is released from prison. Thanks to his new-found Muslim faith, William Garnett’s behaviour has been exemplary and, with the aid of a sympathetic parole officer, he begins a new life in the town. But his past is well-known and before long, a sheriff bent on revenge and an ex-crony from the underworld are both breathing down his neck.” [Berlin International Film Festival]
Theatrical Release: Limited

X/Y
Director: Ryan Piers Williams
Cast: Ryan Piers Williams, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Melonie Diaz, Jon Paul Phillips, Dree Hemingway, Common, David Harbour, Adam Rapp, Maria Dizzia, Danny Deferrari, Sue Jean Kim
Synopsis: “A character-driven drama centered around four restless New Yorkers and their shifting sexual and romantic relationships as they search for a sense of intimacy and self-identity. As Mark, Jen, Sylvia, and Jake navigate through their emotionally-arrested states, X/Y reveals the honest and wanton desire we all have to connect with someone and what is at stake when that connection fades.” [Tribeca Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: B (4 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Limited

Missed last week? Here are all the releases from the weekend of February 27th.