The Circle (Rated PG-13)
Adapted from Dave Eggers’ 2013 novel, this sci-fi thriller echoes George Orwell’s 1984. Mae (Emma Watson) is recruited by a fictionalized Internet conglomerate called The Circle. As a willing user of SeeChange, The Circle’s wearable camera technology that broadcasts her life to millions of followers, she rises through Circle’s ranks. Tom Hanks portrays Bailey—one of the company’s “three wise men” and Mae’s mentor. Ellar Coltran appears as an ordinary guy who learns that getting off the grid is dangerous to your health, while John Boyega plays a mysterious Circle employee. Though critics lamented Mae’s paper-thin character in Eggers’ book, casting Watson and Hanks in the lead roles is intriguing.
How to Be a Latin Lover (Rated PG-13)
After 25 years married to a wealthy widow, Latin gigolo Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) has grown flabby and lazy before she throws him out in favor of a younger man. Forced to toe the line after moving in with his sister, Sara (Salma Hayek), a single mother, Maximo helps out by caring for his little nephew, Hugo. While taking the lad to school, the washed-up gigolo spots a wealthy widow (Raquel Welch) who inspires him to ply his old trade—minus the youthful good looks that once made him a hot commodity. Chuckles give way to learning a host of life lessons, leaving little Hugo to charm both viewers and his reluctant uncle, alike.
Sleight (Rated R)
Street magician Bo (Jacob Latimore) delights crowds by levitating small metal objects using a hidden electromagnetic device he invented. In order to make ends meet while raising his orphaned baby sister, Bo also works for drug dealer Angelo (Dulé Hill)—until Bo draws the line because Angelo orders him to beat up a coworker. After Angelo threatens to kill everyone Bo cares for, the magician is surprised to discover that he possesses real hidden powers. Unfolding as a drama before taking the leap into superhero territory, the film’s organic transition is an unexpected pleasure.
