"First Reformed"
Release date: May 18
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 97%
"First Reformed" is from writer/director Paul Scrader, the writer behind classic Martin Scorsese films "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull." With "First Reformed," he delivers a story packed with questions on the relationship between faith and morality, and Ethan Hawke gives one of his best performances as a priest struggling with those ideas.
Description: "Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver; American Gigolo; Affliction) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary."
"On Chesil Beach"
Release date: May 18
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
Saoirse Ronan follows up her Oscar-nominated performance in "Lady Bird" with "On Cesil Beach." If you're in the mood for a romantic story, and more of Ronan (who is great in everything she does), then this might be the movie for you.
Description: "Adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel, the drama centers on a young couple of drastically different backgrounds in the summer of 1962. Following the pair through their idyllic courtship, the film explores sex and the societal pressure that can accompany physical intimacy, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Billy Howle, Anne-Marie Duff, Adrian Scarborough, Emily Watson, and Samuel West."
"Tully"
Release date: May 4
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Charlize Theron delivers another amazing performance as a mother struggling to raise her children. If you liked director Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" and writer Diablo Cody's "Juno," then you might like this. You may even relate to it if you have children of your own.
Description: "A new comedy from Academy Award-nominated director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno). Marlo (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Mark Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis)."
"Disobedience"
Release date: April 27
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
It's hard to go wrong with two dynamic actresses like Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, and critics agree. Like "First Reformed," the movie explores thought-provoking questions about faith.
Description: "From a screenplay by Sebastián Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz, and based on Naomi Alderman’s book, the film follows a woman (Rachel Weisz) as she returns to the community that shunned her decades earlier for an attraction to a childhood friend (Rachel McAdams). Once back, their passions reignite as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality. "
"RGB"
Release date: January 21
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
In this heated political climate, "RBG" strips all that away to get to the heart of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You'll love it if you're looking for a great documentary, no matter your political allegiance.
Description: "At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But without a definitive Ginsburg biography, the unique personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior's rise to the nation's highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg 's exceptional life and career from Betsy West and Julie Cohen, and co-produced by Storyville Films and CNN Films."