Movie Man: Horror, feel-good films, and Sci-Fi thrills

This weekend’s movie lineup spans the full emotional spectrum, from psychological horror to inspiring true stories and animated mayhem. News 9's Movie Man, Dino Lalli, breaks down what you can see in theatres this weekend.

A Sinister Game in a Retirement Home

"The Rule of Jenny Pen" takes horror in a unique and unsettling direction. Set in a retirement home, the psychological thriller stars John Lithgow as Dave, a resident with a disturbing hobby—terrorizing his fellow seniors with a sinister game centered around a creepy doll. His primary target is a partially paralyzed former judge, played by Geoffrey Rush.

The film is rated R.

Breaking Barriers With Robotics

Based on a true story and set in Afghanistan between 2017 and 2019, "Rule Breakers" follows a determined college student who defies cultural expectations by recruiting high school girls to form a robotics team. Facing opposition from family members and deeply ingrained traditions, the young women develop remarkable technical skills and compete on the international stage.

The film captures their journey against the complex and often dangerous backdrop of Afghan politics, showing how their passion for science and technology became an act of quiet revolution.

This film is rated PG.

Animated Chaos Unleashed at the Zoo

"Nights of the Zoopocalypse" brings a family-friendly twist to horror-comedy. This G-rated animated adventure, surprisingly inspired by a concept from horror master Clive Barker, follows the chaos after a meteor carrying an alien virus transforms zoo animals into zombies.

At the heart of the story are two unlikely heroes—a young wolf and an aging mountain lion—who must lead the remaining uninfected animals to safety.

A Sci-Fi Thriller From Bong Joon Ho

From Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho comes "Mickey 17," an R-rated sci-fi thriller starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.

Based on the novel "Mickey 7," Pattinson plays Mickey, the ultimate disposable employee on a human mission to colonize the frozen world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a task too dangerous for anyone else, they send in Mickey—and when he inevitably dies, he’s simply regenerated with most of his memories intact. After his sixth death, Mickey finally realizes why nobody else wanted the job.