The Top Films Currently Showing in Theaters

      Looking for what to check out in theaters? Our weekly updated feature showcases our top picks for films currently showing, ranging from fresh releases to restorations that deserve a proper theatrical experience.

      Although we offer detailed monthly recommendations for new releases and weekly suggestions for streaming, given the variability in distributors’ roll-outs, this is your go-to list for the must-see films that might be screening nearby.

      All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia)

      Following her enigmatic and beautiful debut, A Night of Knowing Nothing, Payal Kapadia presents a completely different tone in her visually stunning Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize winner, All We Imagine as Light. Despite India’s unwise decision not to enter it for the international feature category at this year’s Academy Awards, there’s hope it will follow a similar path to Anatomy of a Fall this season. Luke Hicks noted in his review, “Writer-director Payal Kapadia isn’t captivated by the glamorous Mumbai scene that garners global attention. From its opening soundscape, All We Imagine as Light aims to illuminate the vibrancy of life among India’s lower classes, acknowledging the socio-economic inequalities that impact their daily existence while showcasing their inherent resilience and the unyielding love and beauty that permeates their lives.”

      Anora (Sean Baker)

      Sean Baker’s luminous rom-com/thriller Anora is indeed one of the most celebrated films of the year. After winning the Palme d’Or, it is now finally in theaters, allowing viewers to witness Mikey Madison’s enchanting performance. Luke Hicks remarked in his review, “Anora is a heart-wrenching blend of beauty and humor––thanks to regular cinematographer Drew Daniels, who contributes his expertise to yet another Baker masterpiece. It’s the style of film that simultaneously breaks your heart while holding you in a comforting embrace, laughter and tears streaming down your face.”

      Babygirl (Halina Reijn)

      After a fervent premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies follow-up, Babygirl, features Nicole Kidman as a powerful CEO who risks her career and family when she enters into a passionate affair with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson), a role that earned her Best Actress honors at the festival. Savina Petkova praised the film in her review, stating, “It’s not too early to declare that Reijn has crafted one of––if not the––most compelling films in this year’s Venice lineup and deserves acclaim for harnessing a project of this caliber while executing a nearly flawless third feature. Babygirl is labeled an erotic thriller and wastes no time in establishing that; the very first scene shows Romy (Kidman) in an intimate moment, her face captured in a close-up until she collapses next to her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas).”

      The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)

      Destined to be recognized as one of the most ambitious cinematic projects in independent film this year, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist is an epic drama. Spanning 215 minutes with a 15-minute intermission, shot on VistaVision and shown on 70mm in select locations, this film, recognized as Venice’s Best Director, is out in limited release. As Rory O’Connor remarked in his review, “In Corbet’s extraordinary introduction, the musical overture is interrupted by a dizzying ascent: first capturing Brody’s shadowed visage deep within a ship, then racing to the deck with Lol Crawley’s 70mm camera struggling to keep pace. Briefly, the visuals are hard to decipher––then suddenly, the score swells, the men reach fresh air, and the Statue of Liberty appears from above them, representing the New World turned upside-down. Moments in, we start to taste what Corbet’s film ultimately conveys about the American dream. In the opening act, Tóth moves in with his assimilated cousin (Alessandro Nivola), who has adopted a new name and faith, and begins working in his furniture shop, soon sensing that his modernist ideals may clash with those around him. His engagement with Van Buren, whom he meets after being commissioned to refurbish his library into a bright space featuring Life magazine, gives him hope of artistic freedom and social advancement; yet soon enough, ego, envy, and xenophobia emerge. Corbet allows this atmosphere to fester slowly, building to a metaphor that is as crude as it is starkly impactful. It’s perhaps best to leave it at that.”

      Flow (Gints Zilbalodis)

      For any cat owner who experienced the tension in this year’s A Quiet Place: Day One, you may recall the stress of witnessing a cat submerged underwater, mirroring the perilous situations our feline protagonist endures. They are not alone, as they engage with a lovable ensemble of animals including a capybara, golden retriever, lemur, and a tall bird with limp wings. The adorable companions