Movies In Theaters Now: How To Choose What To See This Weekend

Your situation	Best fit	Tomatometer / Popcornmeter	Planning use
Mixed group that needs one safe choice	Wildwood	100% / 97%	Highest critic and audience scores on this list, so the least risk of a split verdict.
Want a genre thriller	Clayface	75% / 94%	Audience score runs well above the critic score, so it suits fans of the genre more than skeptics.
Want a critic-approved alternative	Wicker	94% / 93%	Scores are close together, which points to broad agreement; check the listing for genre and rating.
Want a quieter drama	Klara and the Sun	Check the Rotten Tomatoes listing	Choose it on genre and runtime, then confirm scores before booking.

Scores come from the Rotten Tomatoes movies in theaters listing, which shows a Tomatometer and a Popcornmeter for each title.

Movies in theaters now include Clayface, Wildwood and Klara and the Sun, all opening October 23, 2026 per Cinema United’s calendar. Wildwood has the strongest Rotten Tomatoes scores; choose by mood, then confirm showtimes.

This list covers what is playing this weekend. For titles still to come, see our guide to upcoming movies this year.

Best for a group that wants one safe choice

Wildwood

Wildwood is the pick when a group cannot agree. Box Office Mojo lists it as Adventure, Animation, Fantasy with a runtime of 2 hr 12 min. Cinema United’s release calendar shows a PG-13 rating, Fathom as the distributor and an October 23, 2026 opening. On Rotten Tomatoes it sits at a 100% Tomatometer and a 97% Popcornmeter, the highest pairing among the titles here.

Several audience members have raised arms, and the lit stage area sits at the center of the frame.

The two scores measure different crowds, which is why the pairing matters. A film that critics and ticket buyers both rate highly leaves little room for a split verdict in your party. The limit is fit. A high score says people agree the film works; it does not say an animated fantasy suits your evening. Wildwood also has the longest listed runtime here, so it asks more of the night than Clayface or Klara and the Sun.

Choose it if you are booking for people with different tastes and want the lowest chance of an argument afterwards.
Look elsewhere if you only have a short window, or if the group wants something darker than an adventure-fantasy.

Best for genre thrills

Clayface

Clayface is the weekend’s horror-leaning option. Box Office Mojo tags it Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller with a 1 hr 48 min runtime, and Cinema United lists it as a Warner Bros. wide release rated R, opening October 23, 2026. Fandango marks it Certified Fresh in its now-playing listing.

The ornate, arched architecture of the auditorium is visible behind the screen.

The scores on Rotten Tomatoes are 75% for the Tomatometer and 94% for the Popcornmeter. That gap is the useful detail. Audiences are warmer than critics, so the film looks like a better bet for people who already enjoy the genre than for viewers who go in neutral. It also has the shortest runtime of the listed titles, which makes it easier to fit into a weeknight or an early evening.

Choose it if you want a thriller and trust audience reaction over critic consensus for this kind of film.
Check first that everyone in your group is comfortable with an R rating before you buy tickets.
Look elsewhere if you want the strongest critic backing; Wildwood and Wicker both score higher on the Tomatometer.

Best for a quieter night

Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun is the reflective option. Box Office Mojo lists it as Drama, Sci-Fi with a runtime of 1 hr 56 min, released wide by Sony. Cinema United shows a PG-13 rating and an October 23, 2026 opening.

It suits viewers who prefer character-led drama to spectacle and who do not need a crowd reaction to enjoy a film. Pull up its Rotten Tomatoes page before committing, because its Tomatometer and Popcornmeter decide whether it beats Wicker for you. Its runtime sits between Clayface and Wildwood, so it is a reasonable middle option on length.

Wicker

Wicker is the alternative for readers who want strong reviews without picking the obvious headline title. Rotten Tomatoes lists it with a 94% Tomatometer and a 93% Popcornmeter. Scores this close together point to critics and audiences agreeing, which is the same reassurance Wildwood offers at a slightly lower level.

Confirm its genre, rating and runtime on your local listing before you plan around it. If the film’s description appeals and the rating suits your group, its scores give you no reason to hesitate.

Finding showtimes near you

Showtimes depend on your city, so the national lists above only narrow the field. CinemaClock lets you browse current showtimes, watch trailers and read reviews by city. Its Charlotte-area page reports over 60 movies currently playing, which shows how much longer a local list can be than any weekend shortlist.

That is why a shortlist helps. Decide on two candidates first, then look up where and when they play, rather than scrolling an entire local schedule.

Pick two titles using the situations in the table at the top.
Open a city listing such as CinemaClock’s, or the Fandango movies in theaters page, and search your area.
Watch the trailer if you are torn; a trailer is a faster tiebreaker than another score.
Compare showtimes against runtime so a long film does not push you past your own bedtime.

Reading scores and release labels

Tomatometer and Popcornmeter

Rotten Tomatoes shows the Tomatometer as the critic score and the Popcornmeter as the audience score. Read them as a pair. Wildwood and Wicker score high on both, so they are low-risk. Clayface splits, so your taste in the genre decides. A score is a signal about agreement, not a prediction of your own reaction, so use it to rule out a poor fit rather than to guarantee a good one.

What a wide release means

A wide release is a film opening broadly rather than in a handful of cities. Cinema United describes the wide releases on its calendar as expected to open at 2,000+ locations in North America. Expected is the operative word: a wide release is likely to reach your area, but a specific theater can still choose its own schedule, so confirm local showtimes. If you want box office history instead of this weekend’s choices, our list of the highest grossing movies of all time covers that.

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
What movies are in theaters right now?	Clayface, Wildwood and Klara and the Sun opened October 23, 2026 according to Cinema United, and Rotten Tomatoes lists Wicker with the same opening date. Your local list will include more titles.
How do I pick a movie for the weekend?	Start with the genre you are in the mood for, check the rating suits your group, then use the critic and audience scores to break a tie.
Does a 100% Tomatometer guarantee I will enjoy a film?	No. Wildwood’s 100% shows critics agree it works, but it cannot account for whether animated fantasy suits you. Use it alongside the Popcornmeter and your own taste.