If you’re looking for a serious prestige film this Memorial Day weekend, you probably aren’t finding it within 40 miles of Mystic. This is very much a popcorn-movie lineup. Big franchises, horror, familiar sequels, and crowd-pleasers built for long weekends when people want air conditioning, snacks, and something loud enough to drown out the rest of the world for two hours.
So instead of pretending otherwise, let’s triage what’s actually playing and who these movies are really for. And honestly? Staying home entirely this weekend is also a perfectly reasonable option. The theaters are going to be packed.
Ready for some Grogu with my popcorn
Let’s start with the 800-pound Wookie in theaters this weekend: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
I’ll admit upfront that I’m a Star Wars fan, even if I haven’t kept up with most of the Disney+ shows. I have only a vague understanding of what this movie is actually about and, strangely enough, I don’t really care. I’m a sci-fi fan first and foremost and sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes you just want to sit in a dark theater and watch talented people throw every visual effect trick they have onto the screen while you revisit a universe you grew up with.
The movie currently sits around 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means critics are split, and your enjoyment could entirely depend on how invested you already are in Star Wars. If you’re not a fan, this likely won’t convert you, but still entertain. If you are, there’s a decent chance you’ll have a great time. I won’t get into plot details except to say it takes place after Return of the Jedi and doesn’t revolve around the Skywalker family, which, for me, is always a good thing. Rated PG-13.
It’s playing basically everywhere.
- Mystic Luxury
- Regal Waterford
- AMC Classic Lisbon 12
- Westbrook Cinemas 12
- Mansfield Movieplex
- Showcase Warwick
Demi Moore in a Chaotic Comedy
And then there’s I Love Boosters from Boots Riley, which looks completely unhinged in exactly the way you want a Boots Riley movie to be. Keke Palmer leads a crew of designer-clothes shoplifters fighting back against a fashion empire in what appears to be part anti-capitalist satire, part fever dream, and part “how did a studio actually greenlight this?” experience while it sits at a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
This is not a “turn your brain off” movie. This is a “someone took a sociology class, got furious about wealth inequality, and then got handed a pile of money to make a movie” kind of experience. Which, to be fair, is basically Boots Riley’s whole brand. If you loved Sorry to Bother You, this is probably mandatory viewing. Rated R.
Playing at:
Obsession is still the best horror in theaters
If horror is more your thing, there are two options right now.
First is Obsession, which I mentioned last week. It’s still sitting at a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is a rare thing for horror. Honestly, that alone should make horror fans curious. It’s from the horror movie studio Blumhouse. Check out last week’s write-up for more on that one. Rated R.
Still playing at:
Sergeant Howard, What Happened?
The other horror release is Passenger, starring the always-great Melissa Leo from Homicide: Life on the Street, still the best cop show ever made in my opinion. Unfortunately, she’s mostly wasted here in a pretty standard jump-scare road-trip thriller. The setup is familiar immediately: you pass a creepy hitchhiker on a dark road, and somehow he keeps reappearing farther ahead. And, I can’t give you the Rotten Tomatoes score, which means critics didn’t get to review it before release, which is all that needs to be said. Rated R.
Playing at:
The Sheep Make a Great Family Choice
For family movies, Sheep Detective is still hanging around theaters. I covered it a couple weeks ago and it remains a solid choice if you have kids. More importantly, it’s one of those family movies that parents can actually sit through without mentally drifting into another dimension. Rated PG.
It’s still playing everywhere:
- Mystic Luxury
- Regal Waterford
- AMC Classic Lisbon 12
- Westbrook Cinemas 12
- Mansfield Movieplex
- Showcase Warwick
You Can Still Spend Some Time with Meryl
The only other movie really worth mentioning is The Devil Wears Prada 2. Twenty years later, the formula still works. If you liked the first movie, you’ll probably like this one. And honestly, who doesn’t want to watch Meryl Streep return to verbally dismantling people while wearing impossibly expensive clothes? Rated PG-13.
It’s also playing everywhere:
- Mystic Luxury
- Regal Waterford
- AMC Classic Lisbon 12
- Westbrook Cinemas 12
- Mansfield Movieplex
- Showcase Warwick
Until Next Week
That’s the movie situation in SE Connecticut and southern Rhode Island this Memorial Day weekend. No prestige masterpieces. Just a lineup of space battles, horror movies, sequels, family films, and air-conditioned escapism built for a long holiday.
Honestly? There are worse ways to spend a weekend.
Have a fun, safe, and hopefully crowd-tolerable time.
Last modified: May 21, 2026
