WORTH SEEING
Which Movies to Watch This Weekend
The Death of Stalin: Hilarious, but not in a laugh-out-loud way, this comic retelling of Stalin’s death and the ensuing power struggle is told from the standpoint of the Central Committee, with a fretting, befuddled Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) going up against the ruthless, depraved Beria (Simon Russell Beale). It’s a very original and successful comedy from director Armando Iannucci. Rated R. 106 minutes.
RBG: Even most people who are disposed to admire Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are unfamiliar with her background and personal story. This documentary sets the record straight, positing Ginsburg as the Thurgood Marshall of feminist jurisprudence. It’s an entertaining and uplifting documentary. Rated PG. 97 minutes.
Solo: A Star Wars Story: This is about as close as one can get to a borderline case: If this were the first “Star Wars” movie, it would stand as a fairly mediocre sci-fi action movie when compared to recent films such as “Thor: Ragnarok.” But as part of a series, this origins story of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) will satisfy. Co-stars Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson tip this into the plus column. Rated PG-13. 135 minutes.
Upgrade: This mystery/body horror/ thriller by Leigh Whannell has flaws in pacing and execution, and the vision of the future always seems about 45 percent complete. But there’s a renegade spirit to the film, which revels in new ideas and crowd-pleasing moments. And in the scenes when the execution matches the ambition (and there are plenty), it’s an outstanding effort. R. 99 minutes.