What to watch in theaters and at home this weekend August 25-27, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Seeing as I've just changed my desktop background to the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon -- to match the standing desk that was just installed for my co-worker who is here on the weekends -- it should be absolutely no surprise that this week’s options is headlined by “Ahsoka,” the latest Star Wars series for Disney+. I love what they’ve done this far. It isn’t perfect, but most of my complaints are minor. I put together a guide to some of the Ahsoka collectables that are now or soon available. You can window shop here.

Elsewhere we have the reasonably good "Golda," a Golda Meir biopic starring Helen Mirren as the title character. It's a bit strange and not quite the history lesson I was expecting. History is there, of course, but the focus is more personal and internal. Other options include the first two episodes of Apple TV+'s second season of "Invasion;" the incredibly bad “Retribution” featuring Liam Neeson, faith drama “The Hill;” a documentary about Carlos Ghosn, Adam Sandler’s “You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah;” and MGM+’s Arthurian series “The Winter King.”

Earlier this week I attended a screening of “What Comes Around,” a film shot by Amy Redford and starring Grace Van Dien, Summer Phoenix and Kyle Gallner. The movie was shot in Utah during the pandemic. There was a Q&A with Redford following the screening. There were things I liked about the film, but it wanted to be too many things and ended up not really being anything. You can read my more detailed review here.

Ahsoka (Disney+)

Studio Synopsis:Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka will follow the former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy

WhereTo Watch: Disney+

Golda (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:"Golda" is a ticking-clock thriller set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren), faced with the potential of Israel’s complete destruction, must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet, and a complex relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schreiber), with millions of lives in the balance. Her tough leadership and compassion would ultimately decide the fate of her nation and leave her with a controversial legacy around the world.

Invasion: Season 2 (Apple TV+)

Studio Synopsis:From Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg (“X-Men” films, “Deadpool” films, “The Martian”) and David Weil (“Citadel”), and executive produced by Boat Rocker, “Invasion” is a sweeping, character-driven science fiction drama series that follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world.

Retribution (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:Liam Neeson stars in "Retribution," an immersive ticking clock thriller that straps audiences in for a high-octane ride of redemption and revenge. When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner (Neeson) begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

The Hill (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:Growing up impoverished in small-town Texas, young Rickey Hill shows an extraordinary ability for hitting a baseball, despite being burdened by leg braces from a degenerative spinal disease. His stern, pastor father (Dennis Quaid) discourages Rickey from playing baseball to protect him from injury, and to have him follow in his footsteps and become a preacher. As a young man, Rickey (Colin Ford) becomes a baseball phenomenon. His desire to participate in a try-out for a legendary major league scout divides the family and threatens Rickey’s dream of playing professional baseball.

Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn (Apple TV+)

Studio Synopsis: The riveting story of CEO-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn and his relentless climb to the top of the corporate ladder, shocking arrest and unbelievable escape that stunned the world.

What Comes Around (Theater/Digital Retailers)

Synopsis:A young love affair becomes a menacing game of cat and mouse where nothing is what it seems in this immersive thriller.

Winter King (MGM+)

Studio Synopsis:Epic Arthurian tale based on book trilogy by Bernard Cornwell ("The Winter King," "Enemy of God," "Excalibur"). A powerful warrior named Arthur Pendragon existed and ruled his people in the 6th century. Long before Britain was united, the land was a collection of warring factions and tribes. Arthur ruled during a critical time in the shaping of a nation and over centuries became the stuff of legend and myth.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (Netflix)

Studio Synopsis:Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who've always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. But things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.