New movies this week: Watch Keanu Reeves in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4,’ skip ‘A Good Person’
John Wick.
This weekend, Keanu Reeves reprises his iconic role as a feared ex-hitman – who needs no license to kill, thank you very much – for a fourth time while Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman pair up for a Zach Braff dramedy. And if you’ve ever wondered what happened to the 1970s band Blood, Sweat Tears, a new documentary answers that question.
Here’s a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on-demand debuts:
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ review:There’s still plenty to love about Keanu Reeves’ hard-luck hitman
If you love watching Keanu Reeves wreck bad guys: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’
Prepare for vehicular mayhem, samurai swordplay and so many gunfights in this stairway to action-movie heaven. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of “Chapter 2,” the newest “Wick” sends Reeves’ killer dude on a mission to challenge the sadistic Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) to a duel and be set free from the shadowy High Table, though Wick is forced to deal with friendly betrayal and hordes of henchmen along the way.
Keanu Reeves’ 10 essential movie roles (from John Wick to Neo), ranked
If you dig addiction drama and/or Florence Pugh flicks: ‘A Good Person’
Pugh stars as a New Jersey woman who becomes addicted to opioids after a traumatic car accident and forms an unlikely bond with the man (Morgan Freeman) who, if not for tragedy, would have been her father-in-law. The melodrama piles on and it’s tonally inconsistent (with dark comedic bits that don’t land) but Pugh and Freeman’s performances rise above the relentless sadness.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re down for a historical pick-me-up: ‘The Lost King’
An amateur historian (Sally Hawkins) takes in a production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” and is annoyed he’s presented as a child-killing, hunchbacked usurper to the throne. She embarks on a quest to find the real English king’s missing remains – with an occasional visit from Richard (Harry Lloyd) himself but no real help from the academic community – in Stephen Frears’ feel-good dramedy based on a true story.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re a big ‘Stranger Things’ fan: ‘The Tutor’
Noah Schnapp, best known as good kid Will on the popular Netflix show, takes a creepy turn in this middling thriller. Garrett Hedlund plays a tutor who, with a baby on the way, takes a high-paying gig to help a billionaire’s son (Schnapp), though the kid becomes bizarrely obsessed with his teacher. Tensions grow between them, the youngster makes severe accusations, but not even some twisty reveals help this overcooked outing.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re all about military sci-fi thrillers: ‘Last Sentinel’
The dystopian film imagines a world reduced to two warring continents by climate change and centers on a remote outpost in the vast ocean between them that harbors a skeleton crew of soldiers, on guard for an attack from the other side. But when their tour of duty seems endless and a strange abandoned ship shows up, a whiff of mutiny turns into deadly hostility in a flat potboiler that waits till the last minute to make its real point.
Where to watch: In theaters, Apple TV and on-demand platforms
If you have ‘Spinning Wheel’ still stuck in your head: ‘What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat Tears?’
A rock doc meets political thriller in this intriguing film chronicling the summer of 1970, when the popular horn-fueled group Blood, Sweat Tears was roped into a tour of Yugoslavia, Poland and Romania. Interviews with band members and concertgoers tell a Cold War-era tale about musicians steeped in 1960s counterculture who gained perspective but faced a surprising aftermath when they returned home.
Where to watch: In theaters
Also on streaming:
- Guy Ritchie’s superspy comedy “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza and Josh Hartnett, is now available to buy/rent on Apple TV, Vudu and Amazon.
- The psychological thriller “Knock at the Cabin,” featuring Dave Bautista, premieres on Peacock Friday, joining other streaming M. Night Shyamalan films such as “The Sixth Sense,” “The Village” and “The Happening.”