• Angel Studios
• Rule Breakers

Rule Breakers
The "underdog competition movie" is about as tried-and-true as any genre in cinema history, but it's a little weird when you create one where the stakes may be life-and-death, but underplay it as just a feel-good story. The central fact-based events take place circa 2017, as Afghan computer-science entrepreneur Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri) and her brother Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus) recruit teenage girls to form a team to travel to international robotics competitions. The screenwriting team—including director Bill Guttentag and Roya's sister/business partner, Elaha Mahboob—effectively sets the context of a society where girls are usually segregated from advanced education in science, and the societal and familial pressures faced by the young competitors. Yet while the narrative occasionally drops in a direct threat to Roya and/or her team, it's weirdly focused on the primary obstacles being administrative and logistical, leading to tedious stretches involving whether a package will be released from customs, whether the team will be granted travel visas, or if they'll miss a connecting flight. And that's leaving aside how much time is spent on the event organizers giving speeches. Guttentag drops in a few lively moments conveying how opportunity allows Roya to see the world as alive with possibility, but there's ultimately too much abstraction to the female-empowerment ideas here, resulting in a low-key drama that turns into an afterthought how much these women actually risked. Available March 7 in theaters. (PG)

March 2025 Special Screenings

"Battle Royales" @ Salt Lake Film Society: There is an art to great movie fight scenes, and those who love them know exactly what I'm talking about. The Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South) dedicates several special screenings in the month of March to some of the wildest, freakiest and most popular cinematic melees, beginning with 2000's Battle Royale and 2012's The Hunger Games (March 7 - 8), and continuing with John Wick and the original 2003 Oldboy (March 14 - 15), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Everything Everywhere All At Once (March 21 – 22) and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The Princess Bride (March 28 – 29). slfs.org

The Wizard of Oz: The smash success of the movie musical Wicked certainly raised interest in the original 1939 film version of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. But have you ever had to see that movie masterpiece in all of its sepia-tone-to-Technicolor glory? March's Sunday Brunch series at Brewvies (677 South 200 West) includes notable classics that didn't win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and that includes this one. The screening takes place Sunday, March 9 at noon, with doors open at 11:30 a.m. Admission is free, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the door only (no online reservation). Come and enjoy a $3 mimosa as Dorothy encounters all her new friends. brewvies.com

Utah Film Center: Still Working 9 to 5: The 1980 comedy 9 to 5 starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton—beyond providing the hit title song by Parton—was a somewhat groundbreaking story about women in the workplace, dealing with sexism, harassment and disrespect. As part of Women's History Month, Utah Film Center presents the local premiere of a documentary that explores the legacy of the film, including interviews with original cast members, to see how much (or how little) has changed in more than 40 years. The screening—free to the public, with online reservation required—takes place Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Library Tessman Auditorium (210 E. 400 South), featuring a post-film conversation with co-directors Camille Hardman and Gary Lane, moderated by KUER's Doug Fabrizio. utahfilmcenter.org

Dune: Parts One and Two: Sure, we all have our streaming services, but some movies just need to be experienced in a big room, on a big screen, with big sound. Megaplex Theatres locations, as part of their $5 Reel Deal series, offer a chance to see both 2021's Dune: Part One and 2024's Dune: Part Two. Per the series' name, tickets are only $5, and there will be multiple showings per day March 7 – 20. Visit the website for participating locations and showtimes. megaplextheatres.com