Movies Opening Labor Day Weekend: 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' 'Tulip Fever,' And 'Viceroy's House'

With a rare extended weekend ahead of us, what better way to take advantage of your time off than hitting the local theater to check out a new movie? But what's worth seeing, and what should you skip? Lucky for you, we can help you with that.

Gillian Anderson leads a cast of the "Downton Abbey"-esque "Viceroy's House," which takes place during the lead-up to India's independence.

Another period drama, "Tulip Fever," takes us to 17th century Holland, where an aristocrat's wife falls for the man hired to paint her.

And “Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Release” is no less poignant than it was in 1977, and the alien thriller is now available in a high-end digital version.

Find out which of these are must-sees and which you'd be better off skipping.

Opening This Weekend

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“Viceroy’s House” — Gillian Anderson, Michael Gambon, Hugh Bonneville, directed by Gurinder Chadha

A poignant tale about India’s tragic partition, “Viceroy’s House” provides an insight into the tumultuous events leading up to India’s independence and the creation of Pakistan. Enter Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville and his sympathetic wife Edwina (Gillian Anderson) as the last royals to occupy the famous Viceroy’s House. Together, they navigate us through the ebbs and flows of the searing monumental change. With a fascinating multi-layered story, impressive performances (especially Anderson’s) and captivating direction, the movie feels authentic and passionate.

See it. If you’re a “Downton Abbey” fan, watch closely for the "Upstairs-Downstairs" elements of the Viceroy household.

“Tulip Fever” — Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Christoph Waltz, directed by Justin Chadwick

A period drama set in 17th century Holland, “Tulip Fever” is a screen adaptation of Deborah Moggach’s 1999 novel about a pair of adulterous lovers. Alicia Vikander stars as the wife of an aristocrat, who later falls for the dashing painter (Dane DeHaan) commissioned to paint her portrait during the Tulip-mania era.

Note: Due to a movie review embargo until Friday, Sept. 1, we cannot provide a See/Skip verdict on this movie at the time of this guide’s publication.

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“Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Release” — Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr, directed by Steven Spielberg

Spielberg’s sci-fi classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” returns to the big screen in a high-end digital version (4K). The film centers on the first contact between extraterrestrials and humanity and its impact in people’s daily lives— “what happens now to all of us?” is the crux of the question. After 40 years, this movie is as enthralling as ever, only further elevated by the immersive digital movie experience.

See it. It is a MUST-SEE.

Check out trailers:

In addition to the three movies above, past weeks' favorites — "Wind River" and "Patti Cake$" — will be released nationwide this weekend after previously being shown in limited theaters.

More movie news:

• 5 Shows To Binge Watch Over Labor Day Weekend
• Reviews of 'Logan Lucky,' 'Patti Cake$,' 'Shot Caller,' And 'The Hitman's Bodyguard'
• Reviews of 'Ingrid Goes West,' Annabelle: Creation,' 'The Glass Castle,' And 'Good Time'
• Reviews of 'The Dark Tower,' 'Step,' 'Wind River' And 'Kidnap'
• 7 Things You Didn't Know About 'Detroit'
• What's New On Netflix: September 2017

Top photo: Actress Alicia Vikander arrives for a ribbon cutting ceremony of a Bulgari pop-up store at the Galleries Lafayette department store in Paris, Tuesday, July 4. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)