Boy and the World
Don't be dissuaded by the title's proximity to a certain insufferable TV show. Boy and the World is a mostly silent, completely gorgeous animated feature from Brazilian director Alê Abreu about a little kid who goes on an occasionally-terrifying quest to find his father, who's left to find work in a nearby city. That sounds heartbreaking, and it is: I had to pause my screener during some of the worst child-in-peril moments. Still, this is worth it for the visuals alone—absurdly beautiful bursts of scribbled color that evoke some kind of high-low mash-up between Kandinsky, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the animators of Doug. MEGAN BURBANK Fox Tower 10.

recommended Brick
Possibly the best film noir since 1992's Red Rock West. Degree of difficulty: It takes place in high school and nobody even remotely speaks (or looks) like an actual teenager. If you can get past the deliberate artifice, you're in for some deliciously cold and calculated storytelling from Rian Johnson (this is his first film!), and a flat-out fascinating performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. BOBBY ROBERTS Fifth Avenue Cinema.

recommended Creed
Creed is the latest entry in the Rocky franchise, though it's the first that doesn't include a writing credit from Sylvester Stallone. It probably took a lot of nerve for the star to allow relative newcomer Ryan Coogler (who gave us 2013's excellent Fruitvale Station) to take the directorial reins—but the payoff is oh-so-worth it. Creed is not only a loving homage to Rocky, it builds upon the legend while maintaining the original film's heart and purity. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY Various Theaters.

Dirty Grandpa
This is normally where we'd put the disappointed screed about De Niro wiping his ass with his own legacy. But at this point, that kind of whining is more cliche than the shit-poor comedies he's been churning out for two decades. Dude wants to cash a check for going shirtless on spring break with Zac Efron? Fuck it. Which is probably what the studio said when they decided not to screen this for critics. Various Theaters.

recommended Fashion in Film
Eden Dawn and former Mercury fashion maven Marjorie Skinner present a special screening of the 1985 mistaken identity caper Desperately Seeking Susan, where Rosanna Arquette gets hit in the head, wakes up, and everyone thinks she's Madonna. So yeah, it's basically an '80s wish-fulfillment fantasy flick. Prizes will be awarded to the attendee who can best channel Madonna's unique sense of elan. Hollywood Theatre.

The Fifth Wave
See review this issue. Various Theaters.

recommended Hecklevision
Hecklevision's been around for a hot minute or two, and you might be thinking "What viable targets are even left for me to fling my poisonous texts at?" Well sweet christmas, the Hollywood is putting that super-shitty Fantastic Four movie on their screen. No, not that one. Or that other one. Or the sequel to that other one, either. No, the 1990 Roger Corman "classic" that was buried (rightfully) upon completion, only to live on through comic convention bootlegs, and now in Hecklevision. BOBBY ROBERTS Hollywood Theatre.

recommended The Hunger
The Thin White Duke's recent death has prompted many repertory houses to go digging for David Bowie films to fill their screens. The Laurelhurst has chosen Tony Scott's stylish-yet-nigh-fucking-incomprehensible vampire flick, where Bowie's weird majesty is almost completely dwarfed by Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon as two of the sexiest people ever captured on film. Laurelhurst Theater.

recommended Ip Man 3
A legendary Wing Chun master (Donnie Yen) finds his 1950s' Hong Kong salad days threatened by both a family medical crisis and an upstart fighter looking to make his mark. While an improvement over 2010's dramatically inert second installment, this potentially final entry in the series is admittedly a bit pokey at times, with Yen struggling to keep the historical sereneness of his character interesting. (A cameo by a certain aspiring student named Bruce helps a bit.) When the throwdowns do occur, though, Oh Holy Mother of God. Eschewing obvious wirework and CGI enhancements, director Wilson Yip and his team of maniacs concoct a delirious flurry of poles, axes, and a bunch of people matter-of-factly performing feats that they should not be able to do. And then a nattily dressed Mike Tyson shows up and picks a fight, and the roof is raised one more ludicrously awesome level. ANDREW WRIGHT Fox Tower 10.

recommended Kung Fu Theater
You know all the stuff with the gruff voiced dude and the little kid on the GZA's Liquid Swords album? The stuff that sounds like it came from some insanely great old-school samurai flick? Guess what: it did. And tonight, you can watch something so genius even The Genius had to pay homage: an extremely rare 35mm print of 1980's ultra-violent adaptation of the Lone Wolf & Cub stories, Shogun Assassin. BOBBY ROBERTS Hollywood Theatre.

Lunafest
A film fest that aims to "promote women filmmakers, raise awareness for women's issues, and support worthy women's nonprofit organizations." Sponsored by "LUNA, the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women"! Clinton Street Theater.

recommended Re-run Theater
Re-run Theater isn't just about watching old shit you half-remember from the '70s & '80s. It's about evoking a specific atmosphere. And nothing says "late '70s cheese" like the original Battlestar Galactica. Tonight's Re-run is the two-parter The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, which is equal parts ripped off from The Guns of Navarone and The Dirty Dozen, but with walking toasters, capes, and the old dude that used to sell you Alpo. Speaking of which: Re-run Theater includes vintage commercials! BOBBY ROBERTS Hollywood Theatre.

Ride Along 2
The modern buddy cop action comedy requires a precise mixture of elements. You need to move the audience from heavy themes like cocaine trafficking and police brutality to sitcom-style goof-ups and pratfalls, and then repeat that process several times over the course of 90 minutes. It's not easy. For every Bad Boys there's a Tango & Cash; for every Rush Hour there's a Hollywood Homicide. Director Tim Story's Ride Along 2 falls on the fun end of the spectrum—no mean feat for a sequel to a 2014 vehicle designed for Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. BEN COLEMAN Various Theaters.

Spaceballs
"So, Lone Star! Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb." Academy Theater.

What You Need to Know About the KKK
Film historian Dennis Nyback goes into his 16mm vaults to answer what seems like a pretty easy question. Hollywood Theatre.

recommended The X-Files
See Film, this issue. Mission Theater, Your TV.