'Sinners,' 'Sneaks' and more new movies at Milwaukee theaters this week

Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Updated Wed, April 16, 2025 at 10:03 AM UTC

7 min read

Look for the Journal Sentinel's movie roundup each Wednesday morning at jsonline.com/entertainment/tv-movies, and in print every Friday.

One of Hollywood's most innovative directors goes in a new direction this weekend, and it's pretty dark — and getting some of the best reviews of 2025 to date.

Here's what's new in Milwaukee-area theaters starting Friday, as well as some of the new movies available on streaming and on demand this week.

'Sinners'

Short version:Twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their Mississippi hometown after making it big in Chicago, only to discover that the juke joint they've opened also reaches into the afterlife — and summons vampires eager for a taste of the fun. "Black Panther" and "Creed" director Ryan Coogler is getting some of the year's best reviews for this violent horror thriller co-starring Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo.

Where you can see it:ACX Cinema/Bayshore; AMC Mayfair Mall; Avalon Theater; Marcus Theatres' Bistroplex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas; Silverspot Cinema; Times Cinema.

'Sneaks'

Short version:In this animated fantasy, a designer sneaker (voiced by Anthony Mackie) heads into New York City on a rescue mission, with a little help from his footwear friends, when his sister-shoe is stolen by a collector. Chloe Bailey, Macy Gray, Laurence Fishburne, Keith David and Martin Lawrence also are in the voice cast.

Where you can see it:ACX Cinema/Bayshore; AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres' Bistroplex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.

Kelly Marie Tran (from left), Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan and Bowen Yang star in "The Wedding Banquet."

'The Wedding Banquet'

Short version:To keep his green card, a closeted gay man from a wealthy Korean family agrees to marry his lesbian friend and pay for her in vitro fertilization treatments — a plan that gets more complicated when the man's grandmother throws them a traditional Korean wedding banquet. Han Gi-Chan, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone star in this romantic comedy.

Where you can see it:AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatre's Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas; Silverspot Cinema.

Lea Myren stars in "The Ugly Stepsister."

'The Ugly Stepsister'

Short version:A young woman will stop at nothing to win a prince despite competition from her beautiful stepsister in this horror-fied Norwegian take on the Cinderella story. (Note: The movie is also showing at the 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival in early May.)

Where you can see it:AMC Mayfair Mall.

Friday Night Freak Show: Cheech & Chong's 'Up in Smoke'

The stoner comedy to beat all stoner comedies, the 1978 Cheech & Chong classic "Up in Smoke,"is showing under the Friday Night Freak Show banner at 7:30 p.m. April 18. (It's also a good refresher for the comedy/documentary "Cheech & Chong's Last Movie," which comes out April 25.) Tickets are $13. Info: mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre.

2025 Milwaukee Film Festival opens with Sally Ride documentary, block party

The 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival kicks off April 24 with "Sally,"a documentary portrait of groundbreaking astronaut Sally Ride, showing at 6 p.m. Opening-night tickets are $20, $18 for Milwaukee Film members. Following the screening, there's an opening-night block party around the Oriental; admission to the party is free. Info: mkefilm.org/mff25.

'Sneak Peek Showcase'

You might have heard about CinemaCon, the annual convention earlier in April where the big movie studios show off coming attractions to theater industry types. Now you can see what the theater operators saw: "Sneak Peek Showcase,"a 70-minute highlight reel of the movies coming out soon to theaters near you, is showing at 6 p.m. April 22 and 24 for just $3 at ACX Cinema at Bayshore; AMC Mayfair Mall; Avalon Theater; Marcus Theatres' Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas; Rosebud Cinema; and Times Cinema. See theater websites for details.

Milwaukee Underground Film Festival

The student-run Milwaukee Underground Film Festival is showing eight juried programs of independent, "artist-driven" short films April 17-19. Opening night is at UWM Union Cinema; screenings April 18-19 are at the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, 926 E. Center St. Admission is free. Info: milwaukeeundergroundfilm.org .

'Pride & Prejudice' 20th anniversary screenings

Yes, it's been 20 years since Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen embraced in that 19th-century English field in one of the best adaptations of Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice."It's showing for a full week starting April 18 at AMC Mayfair Mall and Marcus Theatres' Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. Tickets are $6. Info: amctheatres.com and marcustheatres.com.

'Lord of the Rings' marathon at Marcus Theatres

You can watch all three "Lord of the Rings" movies back to back (over 12 hours of Tolkien extended-cut goodness) at 11:30 a.m. April 19 at Marcus Theatres' Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas (some theaters have added more showtimes). Tickets start at $18. Info: marcustheatres.com.

'Monty Python's Life of Brian' at Avalon Theater

The Avalon Theater marks Easter with something (not so) completely different: "Monty Python's Life of Brian,"showing at 7 p.m. April 20. Tickets are $11. Info: ntg-wi.com .

"Memoir of a Snail" was nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature in 2025.

Animation in April at Oriental Theatre

Animation in April at the Oriental Theatre celebrates 50 years of beloved and sometimes groundbreaking animation. The final movies in the series: "Memoir of a Snail,"4 p.m. April 18 and 6 p.m. April 20; "Paprika,"9 p.m. April 17-19; and "The Last Unicorn,"3 p.m. April 19-20. Tickets are $13. Info: mkefilm.org .

Milwaukee Film's David Lynch tribute

Milwaukee Film wraps up its monthlong David Lynch Retrospective at the Oriental Theatre with "Mulholland Dr.,"7 p.m. April 19; and "Inland Empire,"6 p.m. April 21. Tickets are $13. Info: mkefilm.org.

Released in 2023, "The Boy and the Heron" was Japanese animated film master Hayao Miyazaki's first movie in a decade.

Anime April on Saturdays at Avalon, Rosebud

Neighborhood Theater Group's Avalon Theater and Rosebud Cinema are both celebrating Japanese anime this month. Showing April 19: "The Boy and the Heron"at 1 p.m. at the Avalon, and "Spirited Away"at 1 p.m. at the Rosebud. Tickets are $9. Info: ntg-wi.com .

Marcus Theatres' 'Fan Faves'

For the windup to the summer movie season, Marcus Theatres is bringing back 10 popular classics on Sundays and Mondays through May 19. Tickets for the "Fan Faves" movies are $6, with a passport good for four movies in the series going for $18. This week's pick: "Titanic,"showing at Marcus' Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge and South Shore cinemas at varying showtimes April 13-14. Info: marcustheatres.com.

New movies on demand

Recent releases newly available on demand: "Locked,"April 22.

The crew of a high-speed train in Japan has to contend with a bomb set to go off if their speed drops below 100 mph in "Bullet Train Explosion."

New movies on streaming services

"All About a Check 2":An unexpected arrival complicates a survivor's ability to navigate the risks of winning on the street in this sequel to the 2023 movie — both co-written and directed by Milwaukee filmmaker Ramon Sloan. (The sequel is the 11th movie from Sloan's production company, Swift Motion Pictures.) On Tubi April 18.

"Bullet Train Explosion":A terrorist group puts a bomb on a bullet train, with the explosive set to go off if the train slows down below 100 mph, in this Japanese "Speed"-inspired thriller. On Netflix April 23.

An armed man takes shoppers and workers in an Apple Store in Amsterdam hostage in the based-on-a-true-story thriller "iHostage."

"iHostage":In this based-on-a-true-story Dutch thriller, an armed man holds the occupants of an Apple Store in Amsterdam hostage. On Netflix April 18.

"Pangolin: Kulu's Journey":In this nature documentary by the director of "My Octopus Teacher," a man rescues and helps rehabilitate a trafficked baby pangolin (aka a scaly anteater), and finds new purpose in the bargain. On Netflix April 21.

"Sea Lions of the Galapagos":Brendan Fraser narrates this Disney documentary following the adventures of a sea lion pup in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. On Disney+ April 22.

Recent releases newly available on streaming services: "Companion,"Max April; 18; "Wolf Man,"Peacock April 18; "The Order"(2024), Hulu April 18; "In a Violent Nature,"Hulu April 22; "Superboys of Malegaon,"Prime Video April 24.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New movies in Milwaukee: 'Sinners,' 'Sneaks' and more