ANNIHILATION 3 stars. A group of scientists (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson) enters a mysterious zone of new life comprised of mutating alien DNA. Trippy, downbeat sci-fi from director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) mixes old and new special effects, old and new sci-fi ideas. 1 hr. 55 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
BLACK PANTHER. 3.5 stars. Thoughtful, rousing new Marvel adventure from writer-director Ryan Coogler, who delivers the boilerplate blockbuster action components with a provocative story about a modern-day African king (Chadwick Boseman) dealing with threats (in the person of villain Michael B. Jordan) to his nation and his throne _ a story that resonates in the real world. Strong roles for Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, and Danai Gurira. 2 hrs. 20 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
BOMBSHELL: THE STORY OF HEDY LAMARR. 3 stars. Mostly solid documentary recounts (with the help of recently uncovered audiotape) the intriguing true story of Golden Age screen siren Lamarr, who was also a genius inventor who helped Howard Hughes design airplanes and gave the U.S. Navy frequency-hopping radio technology for guided torpedoes, later the basis for Wi-Fi. Featuring Diane Kruger and Mel Brooks. 1 hr. 30 No MPAA rating _ Gary Thompson
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. 3 stars. Handsome production set in 1983 Italy, where a professor (Michael Stuhlbarg) is hosting a handsome student (Armie Hammer) who becomes involved with the professor's son (Timothee Chalamet). Sensitively told coming-of-age story that is well-acted by Chalamet and Hammer. Written by James Ivory, it recalls some of the quintessential Merchant Ivory movies of the 1990s, though it's directed by Luca Guadagnino. 2 hrs. 11 R (sex) _ Gary Thompson
THE DEATH OF STALIN. 3.5 stars. Writer-director Armando Iannucci's caustic black comedy is set in 1953, in the days surrounding the death of the murderous Soviet tyrant, but the scramble for power depicted, with its competing factions and "false narratives," is very much in tune with the craven political age of alternative facts and fake news. The deft comic cast includes Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin and Jason Isaacs. 1 hr. 44 R (language, violence) _ Gary Thompson
DEATH WISH. 2 stars. Clumsy remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson original. This one stars Bruce Willis as a wealthy Chicago physician who becomes a gun-toting vigilante after thugs attack his wife (Elizabeth Shue) and daughter (Camilla Morrone). Willis' character is meant to be grappling with rage and fury, but he's curiously subdued in the role, and the movie registers as wishy-washy exploitation. 1 hr. 47 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
15:17 TO PARIS. 2 stars. Clint Eastwood uses the real-life heroes involved to tell the stories of three American men who stopped an armed terrorist from committing mass murder on a Paris-bound train. Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos. 1 hr. 34 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
FOXTROT. 3stars. Samuel Maoz' film won all the top film awards and caused a great deal of controversy in its native Israel. The story centers on the grief of an Israeli couple (Lior Ashkenzai, Sarah Adler) who learn their son has been killed serving in the IDF, then pivots to examine the events leading up to his death. Maoz successfully manages jolting shifts in tone and point of view, while making a restless, imaginative and original movie. 1 hr. 53 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
FIFTY SHADES FREED. 1.5 stars. Painful conclusion to S&M soap opera about a woman (Dakota Johnson) involved with a wealthy man (Jamie Dornan) who's into kinky bedroom behavior. With Marcia Gay Harden. 1 hr. 45 R (sex) _ Gary Thompson
GAME NIGHT. 3 stars. Forgettable but often funny and efficient comedy about a competitive couple (Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams) whose game night gets out of control when a fake crime-solving exercise goes haywire. Jesse Plemons has a funny supporting role, and Kyle Chandler co-stars. 1 hr. 33 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
I, TONYA. 3 stars. Margot Robbie produces and stars in this biography, told with elements of black comedy, of notorious figure skater Tonya Harding (Robbie), implicated in the conspiracy to injure competitive rival Nancy Kerrigan. Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan are Harding's abusive mother and husband, Bobby Canavale a cynical tabloid TV reporter. 1 hr. 59 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. 3 stars. A complete reboot of the 1995 original. The magical board game is now a magical video game, where archetypal teens (jock, nerd, popular girl) find themselves inhabiting in-game avatars that are the opposite of their real-world personalities. Co-starring Karen Gillen and Nick Jonas. Directed by Jake Kasdan. 2 hrs. 2 PG-13 (language) _ G.T.
RED SPARROW. 2 stars. Lays an egg. Jennifer Lawrence is a Russian woman who washes out as a ballerina and so is trained as a spy/seductress. Her training involves sexual abuse and other forms of brutalization, taking the edge off the movie's claim to female empowerment. Joel Edgerton is the CIA man she's assigned to manipulate. Co-starring Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds and Matthias Schoenaerts. 2 hrs. 19 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
THE SHAPE OF WATER. 3 stars. Adult fable from Guillermo del Toro, set in Cold War Baltimore in 1962, about a lonely woman (Sally Hawkins) working on the cleaning staff in a government lab who falls in love with the amphibious creature (Doug Jones) brought there for study. Richard Jenkins and Octavia Spencer have charming roles as the woman's friends and co-conspirator in a plot to save the creature. Michael Shannon _ surprise _ is the heavy. Full of strange ideas and twists, unified by first-rate visual presentation that maintains the movie's tone of enchantment. 2 hrs. 5 R (nudity) _ Gary Thompson
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. 3.5 stars. From writer-director Martin McDonagh, a timely if scabrous story about a small-town woman (Frances McDormand) taunting the cops (Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell) who have failed to solve her daughter's murder. Contains the brutal violence, savage humor, and surprising moments of warmth that comprise McDonagh's unique voice and good performances as well from McDormand and Rockwell in complex roles, playing complex people. With Peter Dinklage, Lucas Hedges, and John Hawkes. 1 hr. 55 R (violence, language) _ Gary Thompson
THOROUGHBREDS. 3 stars. Effectively creepy black comedy about a prep school teen (Anya Taylor-Joy) who befriends a sociopath (Olivia Cooke) and begins plotting against her hostile stepfather. Taylor-Joy and Cooke make the most of arch dialogue from playwright Cory Finley, making his feature debut as writer and director. 1 hr. 30 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
UNSANE. Claire Foy inadvertently signs papers that commit her to a mental institution, where she tries to convince the staff, and ultimately herself, that she is sane. The movie evolves into a violent and sometimes silly thriller, but Foy's performance is strong, and the movie ends up having some startlingly timely angles relevant to out Time's Up times. With Jay Pharoah, Joshua Leonard. 1 hr. 36 R (Violence) _ Gary Thompson
