Review: L.A. movie openings, Dec. 8

Dec. 8

Along for the Ride

Documentary on Dennis Hopper. Directed by Nick Ebeling.

Arthur Miller: Writer

Director Rebecca Miller profiles her father, one of the greats of American playwriting, in this documentary.

Big Sonia

Documentary on an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor. Co-directed by Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Documentary on the Austrian immigrant, whose technological innovations were overshadowed by her glamorous acting career. Directed by Alexandra Dean.

Bullet Head

Crime drama with Antonio Banderas, Adrien Brody, John Malkovich. Written and directed by Paul Solet.

Company Town

Documentary on Crossett, Ark. (pop., 5,500), and its battle with the Koch brothers-owned Georgia-Pacific paper and chemical plant and the town’s high rate of cancer and illness. Featuring pastor David Bouie. Directed by Natalie Kottke-Masocco, Erica Sardarian.

The Dancer

Drama. With Soko, Gaspard Ulliel, Mélanie Thierry, Lily-Rose Depp. Directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto.

The Doll

Horror. With Valeria Lukyanova. Written and directed by Susannah O’Brien.

Foxtrot

The parents of a young soldier reel after learning of his death. With Sarah Adler, Lior Ashkenazi and Yonatan Shiray. Written and directed by Samuel Maoz. Qualifying run. Opens March 2.

From the Ground Up

Documentary on vegan athletes. Directed by Santino Panico.

Hollow In The Land

Thriller. Written & Directed by Scooter Corkle. Starring Dianna Agron, Shawn Ashmore, Rachelle Lefevre.

I Am Evidence

Documentary probes the existence hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits across the country through the stories of survivors and the efforts by some in law enforcement to work through the backlog. Co-directed by Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir.

I, Tonya

The dark comic story of figure skater Tonya Harding, her scheming husband, hard-driving mother and the infamous attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. With Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney. Written by Steven Rogers. Directed by Craig Gillespie.

Just Getting Started

Rivals at a Palm Springs seniors resort compete for the attention of an attractive newcomer. With Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Rene Russo. Written and directed by Ron Shelton.

Kaleidoscope

Thriller. With Anne Reid. Written and directed by Rupert Jones.

Naples ’44

Benedict Cumberbatch narrates this documentary on the impact of World War II on the Italian city. Directed by Francesco Patierno, based on the memoir by Norman Lewis.

The Pirates of Somalia

Biographical drama. With Evan Peters, Al Pacino. Written and directed by Bryan Buckley.

The Rape of Recy Taylor

Documentary on a young African American woman’s stand against sexual assault in the Jim Crow South. Directed by Nancy Buirski.

Shadowman

1980s New York street artist Richard Hambleton is profiled in this documentary. Directed by Oren Jacoby.

The Shape of Water

The discovery of a secret otherworldly experiment changes the life of a lonely government employee in 1962. With Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer. Written by Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; story by Del Toro. Directed by Del Toro.

Song of Granite

The near mythic rise of Irish folk singer Jon Heaney from the village of Carna to national troubadour is chronicled in this drama. With Macdara Ó Fátharta, Mícheál Ó Confhaola, Jaren Cerf. Written by Pat Collins, Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Sharon Whooley. Directed by Collins.

The Tribes of Palos Verdes

A teenage girl turns to surfing after her family’s move to the Southern California coast turns out to be less than idyllic. With Jennifer Garner, Maika Monroe, Cody Fern, Alicia Silverstone. Written by Karen Croner; based on the novel by Joy Nicholson. Directed by Emmett Malloy and Brendan Malloy.

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