Shazam!

After saving his friend from bullies and being deemed pure of heart, streetwise foster kid Billy Batson (Angel) is selected by the ancient wizard Shazam (Hounsou) to be endowed with a very special power. By calling the wizard's name, Billy is transformed into a full-grown superhero (Levi), complete with super strength, speed, intellect and flight, plus the ability to manipulate electricity. When Shazam becomes a viral sensation, he becomes the target of Thaddeus Sivana (Strong), an embittered physicist who was rejected as Shazam's champion years earlier and who has gained powers of his own.

Director: David F. Sandberg. Stars: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Djimon Hounsou, Adam Brody, Grace Fulton. 2019. 132 min. Action.

Breakthrough

Based on the book "The Impossible," this film is based on true events. Fourteen-year-old John (Ruiz) is a Guatemalan boy being raised by loving parents in Missouri, Joyce (Metz) and Brian (Lucas) Smith. When he and two friends venture out on a frozen lake, heedless of a neighbor's warning, tragedy strikes when the ice breaks and the boys fall through. John is the only one of the three who doesn't make it back to the surface, and when two rescuers dive in, they're unable to find John. Just when they're about to give up, one of the rescuers, Tommy (Colter), hears a voice telling him to turn back, and he retrieves the drowning boy. Though barely alive, John begins to make a gradual recovery, and his mother relies on her faith for a miracle to bring him back from the brink of death.

Director: Roxann Dawson. Stars: Topher Grace, Josh Lucas, Chrissy Metz, Mike Colter, Marcel Ruiz, Dennis Haysbert. 2019. 116 min. Drama.

Teen Spirit

Violet (Fanning) is a shy teenager from a small European town who longs to pursue her passion to sing. She gets her chance when she enters an international singing competition, and with the help of an unlikely mentor (Buric), she impresses audiences and executives alike. With raw talent, integrity and a fierce ambition, Violet's dreams of pop stardom are right at her fingertips.

Director: Max Minghella. Stars: Elle Fanning, Agnieszka Grochowska, Archie Madekwe, Zlatko Buric. 2018. 93 min. Drama.