RT Recommends: Our Favorite Movies This Week
If you were to ask any member of our staff for a recommendation on what to watch, chances are we’d have a slew of titles to share. We’re exposed to a lot of movies here at Rotten Tomatoes, and we’re not mad about it. That’s why we’ve put together this weekly guide of films, staff picks in alphabetical order, that we recommend you check out every week.
With Certified Fresh Disclosure Day hitting theaters this past weekend, we’ve been looking back at some of our favorite Steven Spielberg movies, from Jurassic Park to Jaws to Catch Me If You Can. You’ll see a few of those classics listed below. Or maybe you’re looking for a film or TV show that celebrates LGBTQ+ voices; we’ve also named some critically-acclaimed TV shows and movies that we recommend adding to your watchlist, including Queens of the Dead and Heated Rivalry.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, if you’re fresh out of ideas on what to watch this week and need a little help, the following list of staff favorites ranges from beloved classics to new releases. Check out the list below, and be sure to explore the RT Recommends collection on Fandango at Home.
90%
Critics Consensus: One of the most influential of all sci-fi films -- and one of the most controversial -- Stanley Kubrick's 2001 is a delicate, poetic meditation on the ingenuity -- and folly -- of mankind.
Synopsis: An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by revered sci-fi author... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
88%
Critics Consensus: Bound's more titillating elements attracted attention, but it's the stylish direction, solid performances, and entertaining neo-noir caper plot that make it worth a watch.
Synopsis: Sparks fly when Violet (Jennifer Tilly) sets eyes on Corky (Gina Gershon) in an elevator. Violet is the girlfriend of a violent gangster, Caesar (Joe... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Kivel
Directed By: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
98%
Critics Consensus: Blockbuster dramatist James L. Brooks delivers with Broadcast News, fully entertaining with deft, deep characterization.
Synopsis: Intelligent satire of American television news. A highly strung news producer finds herself strangely attracted to a vapid anchorman even through she loathes everything he... View Full Synopsis
Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky
Directed By: James L. Brooks
96%
Critics Consensus: With help from a strong performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life wunderkind con artist Frank Abagnale, Steven Spielberg crafts a film that's stylish, breezily entertaining, and surprisingly sweet.
Synopsis: Frank Abagnale, Jr. works as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline, all before his 18th birthday. A master of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
81%
Critics Consensus: Building on the legacy of the previous film adaptation while incorporating elements of the stage musical, The Color Purple is a crowd-pleasing testament to resilience in the face of trauma.
Synopsis: A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades-spanning tale of one woman's journey... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins
Directed By: Blitz Bazawule
99%
Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg's touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.
Synopsis: After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott. Bringing the extraterrestrial into his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
96%
88%
Synopsis: A romance set in the world of hockey; Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry, and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Robbie G.K.
57%
Critics Consensus: Heaven's Gate contains too many ideas and striking spectacle to be a disaster, but this western buckles under the weight of its own sprawl.
Synopsis: Harvard graduate James Averill (Kris Kristofferson) is the sheriff of prosperous Jackson County, Wyo., when a battle erupts between the area's poverty-stricken immigrants and its... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, John Hurt
Directed By: Michael Cimino
37%
Critics Consensus: The look of Hook is lively indeed but Steven Spielberg directs on autopilot here, giving in too quickly to his sentimental, syrupy qualities.
Synopsis: When his young children are abducted by his old nemesis, Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman) middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams) returns to his magical origins... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
97%
Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg's Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.
Synopsis: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
47%
Critics Consensus: Jeepers Creepers has a promising start -- unfortunately, the tension and suspense quickly deflates into genre cliches as movie goes on.
Synopsis: After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old abandoned church, Trish (Gina Philips) and her brother Darry (Justin Long) watch their routine... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gina Philips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck, Patricia Belcher
Directed By: Victor Salva
86%
Critics Consensus: Edgier than traditional Disney fare, Lilo and Stitch explores issues of family while providing a fun and charming story.
Synopsis: A tale of a young girl's close encounter with the galaxy's most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small ugly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Christopher Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers
Directed By: Christopher Sanders
91%
Critics Consensus: Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg's best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.
Synopsis: In Steven Spielberg's massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
93%
84%
Synopsis: Newly divorced mom Paula falls down a rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer; convinced she witnessed a crime, while struggling through a custody... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, Charlie Hall, Jon Michael Hill
84%
Critics Consensus: Setting the stage to slay all day, Tina Romero's feature debut is a glowing zombie-fest filled with humor and heart, proving that there's more than enough room in the genre for these Queens of the Dead.
Synopsis: Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Margaret Cho
Directed By: Tina Romero
72%
Critics Consensus: With little gore and a lot of creepy visuals, The Ring gets under your skin, thanks to director Gore Verbinski's haunting sense of atmosphere and an impassioned performance from Naomi Watts.
Synopsis: It sounds like just another urban legend -- a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer's death in exactly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox
Directed By: Gore Verbinski
100%
96%
Synopsis: The crew of a damaged deep space freighter are stranded on a beautiful but dangerous planet.
Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Bob Stephenson, Sunita Mani, Ted Travelstead
92%
95%
Synopsis: "The Twilight Zone" was the brainchild of Emmy Award-winner Rod Serling, who served as host and wrote over 80 episodes of the original show's 150-plus... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rod Serling
77%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Black, a boy who seeks to bend the city to his will through strength, and White, his innocent counterpart, are two orphaned street kids living... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Yû Aoi, Kazunari Ninomiya, Yusuke Iseya, Kankurô Kudô
Directed By: Michael Arias
98%
Critics Consensus: A stellar showcase for the talented June Squibb, Thelma avoids cheap laughs as it finds the lighter side of some serious issues.
Synopsis: Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin's own grandmother, THELMA puts a clever spin on movies like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, shining the spotlight on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey
Directed By: Josh Margolin
74%
Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg's customary flair.
Synopsis: Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and Joey are... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
15%
Critics Consensus: Without a Paddle has a few laughs, but not enough to sustain its running time.
Synopsis: After their friend Billy (Anthony Starr) dies, Tom (Dax Shepard), Jerry (Matthew Lillard) and Dan (Seth Green) go on a camping trip to honor his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, Dax Shepard, Ethan Suplee
Directed By: Steven Brill
