PLANNING ON HEADING to the cinema this weekend?

There are a few new movies out, but which is a must-watch, and are there any you should avoid? 

We take a look.

An Engineer Imagines

What we know

Peter Rice has been described as an Irish genius – he was an engineer who was involved in the design of buildings like Paris’s Pompidou, the Inverted Pyramid at the Louvre, and the Sydney Opera House. This film looks back on his life and incredible legacy.

What the critics say

• “An Engineer Imagines, a new film about Rice’s life, is as much about art as it is about engineering. Indeed it is hardly technical at all in its proceedings, looking more to highlight the playful, risk-taking side of the bold engineer.” – RTÉ
• “It’s rare a documentary manages to make an apparently happy existence seem interesting. We’re more easily distracted by flying plates and serial betrayals. The whole man is well served.” – Irish Times

What’s it rated?

• IMDB: None yet

Serenity

What we know

Alright, alright, alright. Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway star in this mystery with a twist – it’s about a woman who asks a fishing boat captain, who’s also her ex-husband, to kill her violent spouse.

What the critics say

• “But if you like seeing authentically unusual movies, then ignore the haters: In its fusion of disparate genres, its sentimentality, and its weirdness, Serenity is actually worth watching.” – The New Republic
• “For much of the film, the clichés are so blatant, the general tone of tropical mystery and menace so brazenly cribbed, that the movie would make sense only as a high-level goof, a collection of clichés assembled as a meta-movie.” – The New Yorker (contains spoilers)

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 4/10
• IMDB: 5.2/10

The Hole in the Ground

What we know

In this Irish horror, a mother starts worrying about her young son after he begins acting strangely. The weird behaviour came about after they stumbled on a sinkhole in a huge forest… Starring a great Seána Kerslake and directed by Lee Cronin. (Watch out for our interview with them at the weekend.)

What the critics say

• “One of Ireland’s finest actresses, Seana Kerslake delivers a brilliant, authentic turn. Her Sarah moves from moment to moment between reassuring herself all is fine to visceral terror in a way which feels recognisable and human, helping to anchor the horror in reality.” – Headstuff
• “Parental anxiety has long been fertile ground for horror, going back to The Bad Seed and The Exorcist, and The Hole In The Ground finds a somewhat fresh angle on the possessed-kid subgenre.” – AV Club

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 90%
• IMDB: 5.7/10

Which one would you go see first?

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