Kam's Kapsules for movies opening August 24, 2018

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

by Kam Williams  

OPENING THIS WEEK

WIDE RELEASES

A.X.L (PG for action, peril, suggestive material, mild epithets and mature themes) Epic sci-fi adventure about the unlikely friendship forged between a kindhearted loner (Alex Neustaedter) and the top secret, robotic dog he finds hiding in the desert. With Becky G, Ted McGinley and Thomas Jane.

The Happytime Murders (R for crude humor, graphic sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity) Crime comedy about two private eyes, one human (Melissa McCarthy), one puppet (Bill Barretta), who grudgingly join forces to find the serial killer targeting cast members of a popular puppet show from the 1980s. Cast includes Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks and Joel McHale.

Searching (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, drug references and mature themes) Hi-tech whodunit revolving around a desperate father (John Cho) who looks on his missing 16 year-old daughter's (Michelle La) laptop computer for clues to her sudden disappearance without a trace. With Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Alex Jayne Go, Megan Liu and Sarah Sohn.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN

Blue Iquana (Unrated) Crime comedy about a couple of ex-cons (Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz) working in dead end jobs at a NYC diner when a British lawyer (Phoebe Fox) walks in and makes an offer they can't refuse. With Simon Callow, Amanda Donohoe and Frances Barber

The Bookshop (PG for mild epithets, mature themes and smoking) Romance drama, set in England in 1959, about a free-spirited widow (Emily Mortimer) who opens a bookstore in a conservative coastal town where she meets resistance from a local grand dame (Patricia Clarkson) but also finds an ardent admirer in reclusive widower (Bill Nighy). With James Lance, Harvey Bennett and Frances Barber.

John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (Unrated) Tennis retrospective revisiting the final match of the 1984 French open between McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. Narrated by Mathieu Amalric. (In French and English with subtitles)

An L.A. Minute (R for sexuality and profanity) Hollywood spoof taking a satirical look at fame and fortune in Tinseltown while revolving around a love affair between a best-selling author (Gabriel Byrne) and an avant garde performance artist (Kiersey Clemons). Supporting cast includes Ned Bellamy, Ed Marinaro and Bob Balaban.

Papillon (R for profanity, nudity, violence, bloody images and some sexuality) Charlie Hunnam plays the title character in this remake of the 1973 classic based on unjustly-convicted Henri "Papillon" Charriere's memoir recounting his and a fellow inmate's (Rami Malek) daring escape from an infamous penal colony on Devil's Island. With Tommy Flanagan, Eve Hewson and Roland Moller. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Replicas (PG-13 for violence, nudity, sexual references, disturbing images and mature themes) Sci-fi thriller about a grieving biologist (Keanu Reeves) who becomes obsessed with bringing his family members back to life after they perish in a tragic car accident. Featuring Alice Eve, Thomas Middleditch and John Ortiz.

Support the Girls (R for profanity, sexual references and brief nudity) Ensemble comedy chronicling a day-in-the-life of the nurturing manager (Regina Hall) of a sports bar with scantily-clad waitresses. Cast includes Haley Lu Richardson, Zoe Graham and Dylan Gelula.