Movies Out This Weekend: 'Night School,' 'Smallfoot' And More

This weekend, Robert Redford will steal moviegoers' hearts playing a legendary bank robber in what he's said will be his final film, "The Old Man & The Gun."

You can also catch a couple of comedies that are headed to theaters this weekend. "Night School" is a back-to-school comedy starring Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart as a teacher-student duo. Meanwhile, Channing Tatum plays a young yeti with a larger-than-life mission in the animated flick "Smallfoot."

Looking for chills and thrills? "Hell Fest" makes its theatrical debut this weekend.

Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

Movies Out This Weekend

“The Old Man & The Gun” — Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck, directed by David Lowery

Academy Award winner Robert Redford brings the legend of career bank robber and prison-escape artist Forrest Tucker to life in David Lowery’s “The Old Man & The Gun.”

A life-long criminal who has been incarcerated 18 times since age 15, Forrest (Redford) has spent much of his life in jail, serving sentences and plotting to break out. (In real life, the lawless felon was able to escape prison 18 times!)

Now in his 70s and enjoying a romance with his paramour Jewel (Sissy Spacek), Tucker is known as the gentleman bandit with manners. Along with his two elderly buddies (Danny Glover and Tom Waits), collectively known as “Over-the-Hill Gang,” Forrest robs banks with creativity, charisma, and calmness. But all the while, his gang is being pursued by Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck). Will this make Forrest finally retire?

See it. Redford and Spacek are simply irresistible together. Plus, Lowery adroitly delivers an unforgettable tale of restlessness and lawlessness.

Watch the trailer:

“Night School” — Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, directed by Malcolm D. Lee

Malcolm Lee’s latest comedy is about a group of misfits forced to attend night school in order to pass their GED exams and finally obtain their high school diplomas.

Kevin Hart plays Teddy Walker, a high school dropout who has become a successful barbecue grill salesman over the years. But when he accidentally burns down the barbecue joint, he loses his job. Luckily for him, his close friend (Ben Schwartz) offers him an entry-level position with his finance company, but under one condition: He needs to obtain his GED.

And so, Teddy finds himself attending night school, where he is joined by a cohort of misfits (played by Rob Riggle, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Romany Malco, Al Madrigal, Anne Winters and Fat Jo) who turn his life upside down. But with a no-nonsense teacher named Cassie (Tiffanny Haddish), will Teddy finally get his high school diploma?

Skip it. Despite Hart’s and Haddish’s infectious rapport, the movie’s stale script disappoints.

Watch the trailer:

“Hell Fest” — Bex Taylor-Klaus, Reign Edwards, Amy Forsyth, directed by Gregory Plotkin

A horror-themed amusement park turns gory-for-real in Gregory Plotkin’s new movie.

When three childhood friends (played by Reign Edwards, Amy Forsyth and Bex Taylor-Klaus) and their boyfriends go to a traveling ghoulish carnival called “Hell Fest,” they expect some make-believe thrills and chills to enjoy. But, unbeknownst to them and the rest of the patrons, a masked serial killer is hell-bent on turning the amusement park into to his own personal gore fest. Will the close-knit group of friends survive the night?

Skip it. Though there are some boo-scares for horror fans to enjoy, the movie, overall, lacks suspense.

Watch the trailer:

“Smallfoot”— Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, and Jason Reisig

From co-directors Karey Kirkpatrick and Jason Reisig comes an animated comedy that is based on Sergio Pablos’s book, “Yeti Tracks.”

The film follows the adventures of Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum), a young happy-go-lucky yeti who lives with other snowy bigfoot creatures in a Himalayan mountain-top village. Everything in his life is full of bliss and happiness — that is, until he unwittingly encounters a mythical "smallfoot" — a human. According to the Yeti doctrine, human species don’t and can’t exist. Before long, Milo embarks on a mission to prove to his village folks that mankind is indeed real.

See it. The movie is filled with laughter and fun despite a predictable storyline and a sluggish first act. Plus, you’ll be amazed at the montage surrounding Common’s song, “Let It Lie.”

Watch the trailer:

Other entertainment news:

• Patch Living: Your September Entertainment Guide
• Emmys Winners 2018: The Complete List
• Reviews of 'Colette,' 'Life Itself,' 'The House With A Clock In Its Walls,' And 'The Sisters Brothers'
• Reviews of 'A Simple Favor,' 'White Boy Rick,' 'The Predator,' And 'Unbroken: Path To Redemption'
• Reviews of 'Peppermint, 'The Nun,' And 'God Bless the Broken Road'

Top Photo: (L-R) Robert Redford, Danny Glover, Sissy Spacek, and Casey Affleck attend the New York Premiere of "THE OLD MAN & THE GUN" on September 20, 2018. (Photo Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Fox Searchlight)