What to Watch in the Theater:
Overcomer (PG) is in theaters now. This faith-based film has inspiring messages about finding your place in this world, as you (obviously) overcome issues in your past. The story follows young Hannah, a runner with asthma, who lost her parents at an early age. Her new coach, John, has issues of his own, as he transitions from coaching a basketball team to a single runner. When a stranger with serious health problems enters their lives, their lives are changed forever. Full of heart, plot twists and a lot of prayer, this film is not as subtle with its preaching as other recent ones in this genre.
Our rating: 3.5 out of 5

It: Chapter Two (R) is in theaters now. This sequel brings the Losers Club back to Derry, only they’re all grown up. It’s 27 years after the events of the first movie, and bad things are happening to children again. Yes, Pennywise is back, and the group must be strong enough to resist his evil shenanigans and put an end to his reign of terror. That’s tough to do, when you can’t tell what’s real. We get flashbacks with the original kid cast, to fill in any plot holes. The adult cast is pretty compelling, especially since we get to peek into each of their psyches, and see how they transitioned from children to adults, with their individual issues carried along.  The effects are just as scary as in the first one, with some more adult drama thrown in. Perhaps the first was a bit more terrifying because they were a group of kids dealing with a whole lot of evil.
Our rating: 4.75 out of 5 

What to Watch at Home (Or Not):
Falling Inn Love (TVPG) is streaming exclusively on Netflix. This is one of those romcoms that could’ve been made for Lifetime or Hallmark. American architect Gabby is looking for a fresh start. She wins a New Zealand inn, and embarks on an adventure away from home. As she renovates the inn, to become her dream eco project, she bonds with the townsfolk and – of course, it’s in the title – falls in love. The story is completely predictable, with the requisite fish out of water element and bumps along the road to romance – but it’s a fun journey nonetheless. Plus it was actually filmed in New Zealand with Kiwis rounding out the cast nicely.
Our rating: 3.33 out of 5

The Professor (R) is available for rental. This is a depressing Johnny Depp vehicle, about a college professor who finds out he has stage 4 cancer and decides to hide that fact from almost everyone and just live his live as best he can. He goes off the rails at first – all that practice acting drunk in the Pirates movies pays off here – before making some realizations about what his legacy could be. It’s nice to see Depp in a variety of roles, and although this one was a bit of a downer, he did take us on an interesting journey.
Our rating: 3.5 out of 5

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