✸ WEEKLY FILM RUNDOWN: February 9-13

The latest releases and special screenings hitting Music City this week. 

The Promised Land Mads Mikkelsen trades in his Bond/Indiana Jones/Harry Potter/Marvel villain schtick for the true story of a scrappy 18th-century Danish military captain whose hopes to join the nobility by cultivating the treacherous land in the country's outer region. Part western, part moral fable, it’s a masterfully crafted interrogation of the limits of freedom and the perils of compromise. Now playing at the Belcourt. 

Lisa Frankenstein Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody teams up with Robin Williams’s daughter for an 80s-steeped retelling of Frankenstein about a teenage punk (Kathryn Newton) who would have created the perfect boy (Dylan Sprouse) if not for his murderous tendencies. It’s getting the same polarizing reviews Jennifer’s Body did fifteen years ago, and look how that turned out. Now playing in theaters. 

Out of Darkness A mystical being hunts down a group of Stone Age settlers just hoping to find a home in a gritty indie horror entry that all reviews suggest more than lives up to the hype. Now playing in theaters. 

The Teachers’ Lounge An idealistic teacher finds herself on the precipice of falling from grace when a string of thefts at school leads to widespread community outrage in this quiet German character study up for a Best International Feature Film Oscar. Now playing at the Belcourt. 

Sometimes I Think About Dying It may be a phrase you hear Star Wars superfans say often these days, but it's also the title of the latest indie starring latest Jedi, Daisy Ridley. This time, she plays a lonely cubicle drone in Oregon who finds her passion for life rekindled thanks to a new coworker. Now playing at the Belcourt. Director Rachel Lambert and editor Ryan Kendrick will be in attendance at the 7:00 Friday screening. 

Molli and Max in the Future This indie sci-fi romcom starring Zosia Mamet (Girls) about a man and woman in orbit who collide every twelve years gives off serious future cult classic vibes. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred 20.

Bad Press When the Muscogee Nation’s leaders shut down its tribal newspaper in 2018, an irate journalist goes to great lengths to speak truth to power in this Sundance-winning doc. Now playing at the Belcourt.

Swoon: A Love Series: The Belcourt is the ultimate Valentine’s Day destination with a host of classic romances like One From the Heart and His Girl Friday as well as beloved contemporary entries, including weepfest The Notebook and Richard Linklater’s restored Before Trilogy. Those sick of love even have a chance to ruin the vibe with the slasher classic My Bloody Valentine. This weekend brings Charlie Chaplin’s masterwork City Lights and a Valentine’s Day screening of Casablanca. 

The Private Eye Comedian Matt Rife plays a detective inspired to kill his client’s husband when he falls for her in a movie with little marketing, all negative reviews, and a split screen its first weekend. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred 20. 

Dune: Part 1 Revisit one of 2021’s best just in time for the release of its conclusion on March 1 and have a good laugh at the studio heads who thought streaming was the wave of the future. Now playing in theaters. 

Turning Red Pixar’s puberty allegory about a teenage Asian-American girl who wakes up to discover she’s now a red panda finally makes its way to the bigscreen in the second entry of Disney’s streaming apology tour. 

Peppa’s Cinema Party The children’s TV icon celebrates her 20th anniversary with a movie-length block party featuring Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. Now playing in theaters.

The Latest in Bolly/Tolly/Kolly/Lollywood and Other Special Presentations of Asian and Middle Eastern Imports.

Anweshippin Kandethum (Malayalam) Detectives investigate two heinous crimes that rock Kerala in this psychological thriller. Now playing at Regal Hollywood 27. 

Eagle (Telugu) A journalist investigating an assassin stumbles on a massive government coverup.  Now playing at Regal Hollywood 27.

Lal Salaam (Tamil) Smalltown gangster Moideen seeks to mend his awful ways with dance numbers and over-the-top action sequences. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred and Regal Hollywood 27.

Lover (Tamil) Six years into their relationship, a couple wonders if they can put the skids to their growing rift in this romantic dramedy. Now playing at Regal Hollywood 27.

Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (Hindi) A resigned bachelor  meets the perfect woman on a trip to America and tries to defy impossible odds. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred and Regal Hollywood 27.

Yatra 2 (Telugu) The conclusion to the epic biopic of Indian politician Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy who gained international fame for his 900-mile walking tour and met an untimely demise in a helicopter accident. Now playing at Regal Hollywood 27.

El Harifa (Arabic) A young soccer star strives to fit in at his public school after his family faces financial hardship in this Egyptian teen comedy. Now playing at Regal Opry Mills 20.