OPENING

“Homestead” — (Action, PG-13, 110 minutes). After a nuclear bomb goes off in Los Angeles, causing complete chaos, ex-Green Beret Jeff Eriksson and his family move to The Homestead, a fortress in the mountains. As the apocalyptic conditions move toward The Homestead, residents are stuck between the military compulsions of veteran operators and the rural values of family members.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” — (Action, PG, 120 minutes). Mufasa, an orphaned cub, and Taka, an heir to a royal bloodline, join a group of misfits while searching for their destiny.

“The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker” — (Concert not rated, 120 minutes). Once everyone is tucked in bed, a Christmas Eve party becomes a magical adventure as Clara and the Nutcracker fight the Mouse King and go to the Kingdom of Sweets to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” — (Action, PG, 110 minutes). Sonic, Knuckles and Tails must seek out an unlikely alliance to help defeat Shadow, a villain with powers stronger than any they have faced in the past.

ONGOING

“A Real Pain” — (Comedy, R, 90 minutes). Grade: B, Mark Meszoros. Old tensions resurface when two mismatched cousins tour Poland to honor their grandmother.

“Anora” — (Comedy, R, 139 minutes). Once news reaches Russia that Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, marries the son of an oligarch, her parents travel to New York to get the marriage annulled.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” — (Drama, not rated, 114 minutes). Grade: C, Katie Walsh. When six of the worst kids in the history of the world take over the town’s yearly Christmas performance, they may unwittingly teach the town the true meaning of Christmas.

“Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.” — (Drama, PG-13, 132 minutes). Risking his faith and fate to save millions of Jews from genocide, Dietrich Bonhoeffer joins a plot to assassinate Hitler as the world teeters on the brink of annihilation..

“Elf” — (Comedy, PG, 97 minutes). Buddy is a human who was adopted by and raised by elves in the North Pole. After finding out he was adopted, Buddy goes to New York to find his real father who doesn’t know he exists.

“Emilia Pérez” — (Comedy, R, 132 minutes). A lawyer in Mexico is asked to help a cartel boss retired and disappear forever by becoming the woman he always wanted to be.

“Flow” — (Adventure, PG, 88 minutes). Although Cat is a solitary animal, when his home is devastated by a flood, he must learn to live with other animals on the boat he found as a refuge.

“Gladiator II” — (Action, R, 148 minutes). Grade: B Katie Walsh. Lucius must look to his past to find a way to return the glory of Rome to its people after it’s conquered by tyrannical emperors.

“In the End” — (Drama, not rated, 148 minutes). A family living in a salt mine encounters a stranger after living decades alone.

“Jenni” — (Biography, R, 113 minutes). Based on the life of Jenni Rivera, a Mexican-American singer-songwriter, actor, producer and women’s rights activist.

“Kraven the Hunter” — (Action, R, 127 minutes). Grade: C, Katie Walsh. Kraven’s relationship with his ruthless father drives him down a path of vengeance, making him want to be the best and most feared hunter in the world.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” — (Action, PG-13, 134 minutes). After an attack by Wulf, who is seeking vengeance for his father’s death, Helm Hammerhand and his people must take a stand in a building in Hornburg that is safe from attack. At the same time, Hammerhand’s daughter Héra leads the resistance against the deadly enemy.

“The Man in the White Van” — (Thriller, PG-13, 105 minutes). In 1974 a white van stalks a young girl named Annie, but her parents dismiss her fears. Soon Annie’s life turns into a terrifying nightmare.

“Maria” — (Drama, R, 124 minutes). The world’s greatest opera singer, Maria Callas, confronts her identity and life as she lives out the last days of her life in Paris.

“Moana 2” — (Adventure, PG, 100 minutes). Grade: B, Katie Walsh. After Moana receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, she journeys to the far seas of Oceania and finds herself on an adventure unlike any adventure she has ever been on before.

“National Lampoon’s Vacation” — (Comedy, R, 97 minutes). The Griswold family’s well-planned cross-country trip to Walley World theme park turns out to be a lot more stressful than they could have ever imagined.

“The Order” — (Crime, R, 114 minutes). Grade: B, Michael Phillips. After numerous armored car heists and bank robberies frighten communities in the Pacific Northwest, one FBI agent thinks the crimes were committed by domestic terrorists and not by financially motivated criminals.

“Pushpa: The Rule — Part 2” — (Action, not rated, 201 minutes). In the conclusion to the two-part drama, Pushpa and Singh continue their rivalry.

“Queer” — (Drama, R, 135 minutes). An American in his late 40’s is living a solitary life in the 1950’s in Mexico City but that changes when a young student arrives and he finally finds a meaningful connection with someone.

“Red One” — (Comedy, PG-13, 123 minutes). Grade: D, Katie Walsh. When Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s head of security and a world-famous bounty hunter go on a mission to save Christmas.

“The Return” — (History, R, 116 minutes). When Odysseus returns to Ithaca after 20 years, he finds his wife is being held prisoner and his son facing death by those vying to be king. Now he must rediscover his strength to win back his family and what he has lost.

“Werewolves” — (Horror, R, 94 minutes). Scientists try to stop the mutation of a dormant gene that was placed into all humans a year ago by a super moon. Now the super moon is back and anyone who goes into the moonlight will be turned into werewolves.

“Wicked” — (Fairy Tale, PG, 160 minutes). Grade: B-, Katie Walsh. Elphaba’s and Glinda’s friendship reaches a crossroads after an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

“Y2K” — (Sci-Fi, R, 93 minutes). Grade: B-, Katie Walsh. When the clock strikes midnight, the night becomes crazy for two high schoolers who crashed a New Year’s 1999 celebration.

Editor’s note: Please contact individual movie theaters for showtimes and other movies added after this list was compiled.

Carlotta Olson, The Denver Gazette