Film Previews

‘Bullet Train’

R | 126 minutes

Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe — all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives — on the world’s fastest train. The end of the line is just the beginning in this non-stop thrill-ride through modern-day Japan.

‘Emily the Criminal’

NR | 93 minutes 
Director/Writer: John Patton Ford
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Bernardo Badillo

It’s hard to really blame Emily (Aubrey Plaza) for choosing a life of crime. A low-paid service gig brings nothing but stress. A seemingly inescapable student loan is gathering interest by the day. A couple of minor, years-back criminal charges have closed off a world of employment. It’s a familiar predicament that plagues many in America.

When Emily is offered an opportunity for an extra income, she nervously inches down the rabbit hole. It starts off simple. She’s given a cloned credit card and has to buy a TV. She then takes it to her new bosses and gets paid $200. It’s easier than she anticipated, and soon she’s doing it on the regular, edging closer to taskmaster Youcef (Theo Rossi) who slowly becomes more than her mentor. But how far is she willing to go?

‘Vengeance’ 

R | 94 minutes
Director/Writer: B.J. Novak
Stars: Isabella Amara, Nathaniel Augustson, Grayson Berry 

When the girl he hooked up with regularly suddenly dies, a man sets out to uncover the cause behind her grisly death. To do this, he creates a podcast where members of the deceased woman’s community speak out about what they know about her, especially about the final days leading up to her passing. The goal of the podcast is to find the truth in a sea of conspiracies, but when no one is willing to open up to him about what they know, he realizes he’ll have to be much craftier to single out the liars. ♦