What To Watch This Weekend: 'Penguins,' 'Breakthrough,' And More

This weekend, themes of love and family abound in the new releases coming to theaters near you.

In the coming-of-age film, "Penguin," a male Adélie penguin sets off on a quest to find his lady love and start a family in icy Antarctica.

Also opening this weekend is the faith-based movie "Breakthrough," in which Chrissy Metz plays a mother whose prayers are answered by a miracle when her dead son suddenly comes back to life.

Looking for a horror flick? "The Curse of La Llorona" also makes its debut, starring Linda Cardellini as a mom who catches the wrath of a 17th-century evil spirit.

Here's what to see and skip this weekend:

Opening This Weekend

“Penguins” — Ed Helms; directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson

Ed Helms narrates the nature-documentary film, “Penguins,” a story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who embarks on the journey of a lifetime to build a suitable nest, find his soul mate and build one happy family in icy Antarctica.

The film opens with 5-year-old Steve frantically trying to catch up with thousands of fellow male penguins in the frigid Arctic spring as they make their annual trek to fulfill their destiny. He may wobble, stumble and fall, but he never gives up on his dream of finding that one true love.

As Steve’s quest unfolds, it will be an uphill battle for our hero to build a nest out of rocks in order to impress one special lady penguin. In the end, he wins her heart, and they start a family. However, it will not be easy for the first-time dad and his lady love as they try to raise their chicks in one of the most unforgiving habitats. Can they weather the storm as threats loom ahead?

Fact: Cinematographers immersed themselves in the Antarctic landscape for approximately 900 camera days to gather footages on land and underwater.

See it. The G-rated film is both visually and viscerally exhilarating.

Watch the trailer:

“Breakthrough”— Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Marcel Ruiz; directed by Roxann Dawson

Based on true events chronicled in the book, “The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection,” the film stars Chrissy Metz and Josh Lucas as married couple Joyce and Brian Smith. The pair is constantly grappling with their son, John (Marcel Ruiz), a 14-year-old boy who is reckless and self-absorbed.

One day, when John and a couple of his school pals venture out onto a frozen lake, the boys fall through the icy expanse, leaving them scrambling for their lives. While John’s mates haul themselves to safety, John remains trapped under the ice. Within minutes, paramedics arrive and soon pluck John’s body from the freezing water.

Barely alive, the teenager is taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors will pronounce him dead half-an-hour later. But Joyce, a devout Christian, remains undeterred more than ever as she prays hard pleading for a miracle. Then, suddenly, John comes back to life against all odds.

See it. While the faith-based drama sounds preachy at times, it is the mother’s undying love that will resonate with the moviegoers.

Watch the trailer:

“The Curse of La Llorona” — Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz; directed by Michael Chavez

Michael Chavez’s feature directorial debut is the latest entry into the “The Conjuring” universe, a horror flick inspired by the iconic Latin American legend of the titular bogey-woman.

The movie, which is set in 1973 Los Angeles, follows the story of Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini), a widowed social worker who suspects a case of child abuse when she discovers a mother hell-bent on locking her two young sons away in a closet in order to save them from evil. In turn, Anna places the kids into foster care, and places a psychiatric hold over their mom.

However, the following morning, the boys are found drowned in a river. We will learn that La Llorona, also known as “The Weeping Woman,” a malevolent 17th-century spirit is responsible for the boys’ death. Can Anna and her two children escape this evil’s wrath? A former priest-turned-faith healer (Raymond Cruz) might just have the answer to stop La Llorona.

Skip it. The horror flick is bland and too formulaic. It lacks the scary oomph.

Watch the trailer:

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