What To Watch This Weekend: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' And More

This weekend boasts an expansive list of new movie releases, including the much-anticipated "Bohemian Rhapsody," in which Rami Malek plays Queen front man Freddie Mercury. The big screen also welcomes powerhouse drama, "A Private War," starring Rosamund Pike as the late war correspondent Marie Colvin.

Also headed to theaters this weekend is the magical adventure “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms," in which Mackenzie Foy and Morgan Freeman play a Godfather-goddaughter duo dealing with a good-versus-evil struggle. Meanwhile, Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe portray a family wrestling with faith and sexuality in "Boy Erased."

Craving a good comedy? Tyler Perry's "Nobody's Fool" also makes a splash this weekend, starring Tiffany Haddish as a woman trying to make a fresh start in life.

In the musical world, "Bodied" sings the right hip-hop notes with comedic tones, starring Calum Worthy as a grad student thrust into the world of battle raps.

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

Movies Out This Weekend

“Bohemian Rhapsody” — Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Allen Leech, directed by Bryan Singer

Music, love, and sex resonate in Bryan Singer’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a biopic about the rise and tragic end of Queen’s front man and lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991.

The movie opens with Queen’s iconic performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Then, it flashes back to 1970s London, when young Farrok Bulsara adopts a stage name Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) and convinces his bandmates (Joe Mazzello, Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy) to rename their band Queen.

As their popularity grows, so do the emotional upheavals in Mercury's life, all related to his repressed emotions, sexual desires, drug dependency and romantic relationships. In the process, his personal struggles will ultimately cause a rift between him and his bandmates.

See it. Malek’s electrifying performance and the outstanding reenactments of Queen’s concerts are both infectious and foot-stomping. However, the movie doesn't offer enough insights into Queen’s illustrious career and Mercury's off-stage life.

Watch the trailer:

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” — Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston

Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston’s fantasy adventure is a film adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s 1816 original tale — “The Nutcracker And The Mouse King”— about good versus evil. In the movie version, Mackenzie Foy plays 14-year-old Clara, a teenager who’s grappling with the recent death of her mother.

It’s Yuletide, and the young girl learns that her late mom has left behind a Christmas gift for her to open. It is an egg-shaped music box bearing a note “Everything you need is inside.” But the key is missing to unlock the box and the secrets it holds.

Soon enough, she discovers the precious key at her godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party. However, it mysteriously vanishes, thrusting Clara into a strange and parallel world with three good realms — Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets— and a menacing fourth realm. Will the young girl ever find the coveted key? Could this be the key to her happiness?

Skip it. The movie is aesthetically pleasing, but it lacks the excitement and pizzazz of Tchaikovsky’s famed ballet version.

“Nobody’s Fool” — Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Whoopi Goldberg, directed by Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry’s latest comedy follows the story of two sibling sisters who make a pact to pursue a fake person online — also known as a "catfish."

When Tanya (Tiffany Haddish) is released from prison, she goes to live with her highly successful sister Danica (Tika Sumpter) to start a new life. But as the former inmate tries to land on her feet, she soon discovers that her younger sibling is in an online relationship with a man who is too good to be true. Is Danika a victim of catfishing? Does her picture-perfect boyfriend truly exist?

Note: This movie was not screened in advance for film critics, so we cannot provide a See/Skip verdict at the time of this guide's publication.

Watch the trailer:

“A Private War” — Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, directed by Matthew Heineman

Rosamund Pike stars as the iconic war correspondent Marie Colvin in Matthew Heineman’s narrative feature debut that is based on the remarkable life and career of the late journalist.

It is 2001, and despite Sri Lanka's longstanding ban on journalists, Colvin, an American-born expat working in London for the Sunday Times, enters the Tamil-held region on assignment, losing her eye to a grenade blast in the process.

Undeterred and donning a distinctive black eye patch thereafter, Colvin remains fully committed to her career. But over the years, her war experiences take a toll on her personal life. Her panic attacks become increasingly unbearable, early warning signs of PTSD. In a timely fashion, she finds respite and romance in the arms of businessman Tony Shaw (Stanley Tucci).

But a conventional life away from the front lines of crisis is never enough for Colvin. Her next assignment in the besieged city of Homs, Syria — along with renowned British photojournalist Paul Conroy (Jamie Dornan) — will prove to be the deadliest of them all!

See it. A powerhouse drama, “A Private War” is a moving love letter to journalism, further elevated by Pike’s nuanced and riveting performance.

Watch the trailer:

"Boy Erased" — Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, directed by Joel Edgerton

Director Joel Edgerton's sophomore film is based on Garrard Conley's eponymous memoir of self-identity.

The film stars Lucas Hedges as 19-year-old Jared, a teenager who belongs to a middle-class Arkansas family. His mother, Nancy (Nicole Kidman), is a stay-at-home mom and his father, Marshall (Russell Crowe), is a Baptist preacher. Everything in Jared's life is seemingly perfect until a college friend outs the young man as a homosexual.

Supportive and understanding in their own way, Jared’s parents see the young man’s homosexuality as an affliction that can be cured. They soon send their son to a church-supported gay conversion program that reinforces male stereotypes through military drills, rage-venting sessions and personal confessions.

As the teenager commits to therapy, Jared begins to assess his upbringing, self-respect and his own moral truths. Does he really need healing? Can he live a life full of lies and excuses?

See it. Hedges, Kidman, and Crowe are all stellar while Edgerton skillfully delivers a balanced and sensitive film.

Watch the trailer:

“Bodied” — Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, directed by Joseph Khan

Music video veteran Joseph Khan’s hip-hop comedy, which is executive-produced by Eminem, is a paean to the power of language expressed through rap music and social satire.

The movie takes place in the underground rap battle world, where two competitors use words of insults as their weapons— the more vicious, the better! Whoever gets the most "oohs" and "ahhs" wins the competition.

Our hero is Adam Merkin (Calum Worthy), a grad student at Berkeley who’s working on his thesis about battle rap. As he gathers more information for his dissertation, he suddenly finds himself propelled into the battle-rap arena, ultimately showcasing his latent natural rapping chops.

See it. Crude and offensive at times, the movie nevertheless delivers a smart and amusing take on political correctness.

Other entertainment news:

• The Most Anticipated Movies Of Fall 2018
• Reviews of 'Suspiria,' 'Hunter Killer,' And 'Mid90s'
• Reviews of 'Halloween,' 'What They Had,' 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?,' 'Wildlife'
• Reviews of 'First Man,' 'Bad Times At The El Royale,' 'Beautiful Boy,' And 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween'
• Reviews of 'A Star Is Born,' 'Venom,' 'The Hate U Give'

Top Photo: (L-R) Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek and Joe Mazzello attend the World Premiere of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on October 23, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Twentieth Century Fox)