Welcome back to "Now in Theaters: 5 New Movies for the Weekend."

This week sees the release of the Marvel's latest blockbuster and, oh man, angry internet dudes are raging.

WIDE RELEASE:

Captain Marvel

As the first female-centered superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel's success or failure will likely influence the priorities of Disney's future output. This is probably a positive thing, as the movie is likely to do very well at the box office and it's about time we have more superhero movies that star people other than white guys. But does that mean Captain Marvel will actually be a good movie? Judging from the trailers, it's hard to say––it looks just like every other MCU movie from the past decade. If you like everything else Marvel puts out, you're probably going to like this. Otherwise, it looks as generic as always, albeit with the very talented Brie Larson in the leading role.

LIMITED RELEASE:

An Elephant Sitting Still

AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL Trailer | TIFF 2018www.youtube.com

Deeply human and incredibly depressing, An Elephant Sitting Still follows four people in China as they travel to the city of Manzhouli to visit an elephant who is said to sit completely still and ignore the outside world. Each of the four protagonists, ranging from a schoolboy to a pensioner, are trying to escape their morbid realities––the repercussions of severely injuring a bully, parental disputes, an illicit affair leading to a friend's suicide, being offloaded into a nursing home against one's will. It's not a feel-good movie (the writer/director killed himself shortly after finishing), but it's an honest, empathetic glimpse of humanity.

The Kid

The Kid (2019 Movie) Official Trailer – Ethan Hawke, Dane DeHaan, Jake Schurwww.youtube.com

A semi-biographical Western about a young kid who befriends famous lawman Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and legendary outlaw Billy the Kid (Dane Dehaan) as he tries to save his kidnapped sister from the clutches of his evil uncle (Chris Pratt). The cast is pretty great and the action looks decent, but the dialogue seems a bit too on the nose judging from the trailer. That being said, Westerns don't come to theaters very often, so if you have an itch for gunslinging, this might scratch it.

Babylon

BABYLON • Official Trailer HD • Kino Lorber Repertory & Seventy-Sevenwww.youtube.com

A British film made in 1980 but never before released in the US, Babylon tells the story of a black, working-class reggae musician named Blue. The movie explores the Jamaican "sound system" culture, along with police racism, poverty, and violence against young black men. Watching it now in theaters is an interesting experience, as the movie works as an 80s cultural time capsule while remaining politically relevant today.

Gloria Bell

Gloria Bell | Official Trailer HD | A24www.youtube.com

A reimagining of the 2013 Chilean-Spanish drama Gloria from the same director (Sebastián Leilo), Gloria Bell stars Julianne Moore as a divorcee living it up on the Los Angeles club scene. Not too many movies out there focus on the dating experiences of middle-aged women, making Gloria Bell a rarity, and a good one at that. John Turturro co-stars as Gloria's love interest, but the movie's heart lies entirely with Julianne Moore and her phenomenal performance.

Dan Kahan is a writer & screenwriter from Brooklyn, usually rocking a man bun. Find more at dankahanwriter.com

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