4 films worth checking out in Fresno this week

In the age of streaming entertainment, it can be hard to leave the couch. But movie theaters still offer a special experience for those willing to get out of the house. Want to see what's out there? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Fresno.

Here are the highest rated films to catch, based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. (Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango.)

Free Solo

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free-solo climb Yosemite's 3,000-foot-high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock-climbing history.

Boasting a 98 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on Sept. 28. The site's critical consensus has it that "'Free Solo' depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason - and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal."

Get a piece of the action at Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX (250 Paseo del Centro) through Thursday, Feb. 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Miles Morales is juggling his life between being a high school student and being a spider-man. When Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk uses a super collider, others from across the Spider-Verse are transported to this dimension.

With a critical approval rating of 97 percent and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on Dec. 14. The site's critical consensus has it that "'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' matches bold storytelling with striking animation for a purely enjoyable adventure with heart, humor and plenty of superhero action."

Catch it on the big screen at Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX (250 Paseo del Centro) through Thursday, Feb. 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

BlacKkKlansman

In Colorado Springs in the late '70s, Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.

With a 96 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "BlacKkKlansman" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on Aug. 10, with a consensus that "'BlacKkKlansman' uses history to offer bitingly trenchant commentary on current events -- and brings out some of Spike Lee's hardest-hitting work in decades along the way."

The film has multiple Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director.

Catch it on the big screen at UA Clovis Movies 8 (2301 Villa Avenue, Clovis) through Friday, Feb. 22. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

Bumblebee

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary yellow VW bug.

With a 93 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bumblebee" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on Dec. 21. The site's critical consensus has it that "'Bumblebee' proves it's possible to bring fun and a sense of wonder back to a bloated blockbuster franchise -- and sets up its own slate of sequels in the bargain."

Interested? It's playing at Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX (250 Paseo del Centro) through Thursday, Feb. 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.