Money Monster Is A Tense Real-Time Thriller

This week at the movies, we’ve got a financial crisis (Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts) and a supernatural souvenir (The Darkness, starring Kevin Bacon and Radha Mitchell). What do the critics have to say?

Money Monster (2016) 59%

A topical thriller that takes on both glib TV infotainment and Wall Street greed, Jodie Foster’s latest directorial effort is a movie with a lot on its mind. However, critics say Money Monster works best as a showcase for George Clooney and Julia Roberts, whose commanding performances help to balance the film’s occasional overreach. When the latest pick from TV stock pundit Lee Gates (Clooney) mysteriously tanks, an angry investor holds the show’s crew hostage on-air; it’s up to Gates and producer Patty Fenn (Roberts) to diffuse the situation and find out what happened to the stock. The pundits say Money Monster isn’t always plausible, but it’s suspenseful and sometimes darkly funny.

The Darkness (2016) 3%

When it comes to The Darkness, critics have been left in the dark — the film wasn’t screened for reviewers prior to its release in theaters. Kevin Bacon and Radha Mitchell star as a couple who unwittingly unleash a malevolent force on their home after a trip to the Grand Canyon. Hey everybody, guess the Tomatoemeter!

Also Opening This Week In Limited Release

• Cash Only (2015) , an action thriller about a desperate man trying to scrounge up $25,000 in cash to ransom his kidnapped daughter, is at 100 percent.
• SPL 2: A Time for Consequences (2015) , starring Tony Jaa in a martial arts film about a prison guard teaming up with a jailed undercover cop to take down a corrupt warden, is at 100 percent.
• Love & Friendship (2016) , starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny in Whit Stillman‘s adaptation of a Jane Austen novel about a widow who attracts the attention of three suitors, is at 100 percent.
• The Lobster (2015) , starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz in a  Certified Fresh sci-fi dramedy about a man who must choose a mate or risk turning into a lobster, is at 91 percent.
• A Monster With a Thousand Heads (2015) , a dramatic thriller about a woman willing to go to extreme lengths to find her husband the cancer treatment he needs, is at 84 percent.
• Sunset Song (2015) , Terence Davies‘ Certified Fresh drama about a young farm girl who finds independence and romance at the outset of World War I, is at 83 percent.
• Last Days in the Desert (2015) , starring Ewan McGregor in a spiritual drama following Jesus Christ, who finds himself tested by the devil during his 40 days in the wilderness, is at 75 percent.
• High-Rise (2015) , starring Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons in an adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel about a luxury skyscraper whose tenants gradually descend into anarchy, is at 64 percent.
• The Trust (2016) , starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood in a thriller about a pair of crooked cops who plot to rob a heroin dealer’s stash, is at 50 percent.
• Pelé (2016) , a biopic about the soccer legend’s early years, is at 11 percent.
• Search Party (2014) , starring Thomas Middleditch and T.J. Miller in a road comedy about three friends trying to reunite one of them with his jilted fiancee, is at zero percent.
• Sundown (2016) , a comedy about a pair of high school seniors who run into trouble on spring break in Puerto Vallarta, is at zero percent.