Here are a couple picks from two of our staff members…

Brent’s Pick:

Brent

The United States of Leland

Rated R
Directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge
Starring Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Kevin Spacey

When a quiet suburban boy commits a brutal crime, the seemingly serene façade of stability that surrounds him comes crashing down to earth in this chilling and thought-provoking release from Paramount Pictures.

Maggie’s Pick: The Pledge

Maggie

Rated R

Directed by Sean Penn

Starring Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright-Penn, Patricia Clarkson

Sean Penn directed this tense drama of loyalty, honor, and obsession, based on a novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt. Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) is a veteran police detective who lives and works in a small Nevada town. On the day of his retirement, it falls to Jerry to handle an especially unpleasant assignment — a seven-year-old girl has been brutally murdered, and Jerry has to check out the crime scene, and then tell the girl’s parents the awful news. Jerry begins to investigate the case on his own time, over the objections of his former boss. Before long, Jerry’s personal investigation has taken over his life, and he uncovers evidence that suggests the girl’s murder was just one in a series of killings involving young girls and a mysterious man called “the Wizard.” The Pledge’s stellar supporting cast includes Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Harry Dean Stanton, and Mickey Rourke.