Here are the movies we’re most excited about that are playing in New Orleans this week.

Movies We Haven’t Seen (Yet)

Jojo Rabbit – The latest offbeat comedy from Taika Waititi is “an anti-hate satire” in which the Jewish director plays a WWII era German child’s imaginary friend in the form of Adolf Hitler. Early critical responses to this film have been strongly polarized, but Waititi has more than earned the benefit of the doubt with his recent string of five-star gems: Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows, Boy. If nothing else, it’s endearing to see him put his newfound Marvel money to use on an ambitious, personal project that’s willing to alienate people. Playing wide.

Pain and Glory – Pedro Almodóvar looks back on the loves & losses of his own life as an aging gay filmmaker through the onscreen avatar of longtime collaborator Antonio Banderas. Looks to be a formidable Awards Season contender, but more importantly it’s appointment viewing for anyone with an active interest in Almodóvar’s legacy as one of the great living auteurs. Playing only at AMC Elmwood.

Doctor Sleep – Horror nerd poster boy Mike Flanagan adapts Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining in what looks like his biggest-budgeted production to date (give or take an entire season of The Haunting of Hill House). What’s most interesting here is how Flanagan’s interpretation has somehow wholly earned approval from King while also pulling massive visual influence from the Kubrick adaptation of The Shining (to the point of Ready Player One-level scene recreations) that the author notoriously despised. Playing wide.

Foreign Correspondent (1940) – One of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest American productions and one of two films he had competing for Best Picture at that year’s Academy Awards (which it lost to Hitch’s own Rebecca). I don’t’ know much about this WWII political-conspiracy thriller beyond that, but I’ve had many great experiences walking into lesser-known Hitchcock films blind in the past. Screening Sunday 11/10 and Wednesday 11/13 as part of The Prytania’s ongoing Classic Movies series.

Movies We’ve Already Enjoyed

Parasite – The latest from Bong Joon-ho (director of Okja and Swampflix’s favorite movie of 2014, Snowpiercer) is a twisty, crowd-pleasing thriller about class resentment that’s been selling out screenings & earning ecstatic critical praise for weeks as its distribution exponentially spreads. Guaranteed to be in discussions of the best movies of the year, so don’t miss your chance to see it big, loud, and with an enraptured crowd. Playing only at The Broad & AMC Elmwood.

The Lighthouse – Robert Eggers’s follow up to The Witch (Swampflix’s favorite movie of 2016) is a Lovecraftian vision of madness wherein two lighthouse operators (Robert Pattinson & Wile Dafoe) grow to hate each other on a cosmic scale in tense, cramped quarters. A baroque, erotically charged exploration of the horrors of having a roommate. Playing only at AMC Elmwood.

Greener Grass – A warped Adult Swim-style comedy of manners about overly competitive soccer moms, featuring performances from D’arcy Carden, Mary Holland, Janicza Bravo, Beck Bennett, and similar improv-scene comedy folks. Total illogical chaos and menacing irreverence from start to end. Playing only at Zeitgeist Theater & Lounge.

Countdown – A gimmicky thriller about a killer smartphone app – in the modern tradition of cyber-horrors like Unfriended, Friend Request, #horror, Sickhouse, Nerve, and Truth or Dare?. This is my cinematic junk food – my personal version of the straight-to-Netflix romcom or the Adam Sandler yuck-em-up. Your own mileage my vary. Playing wide.

-Brandon Ledet