Welcome to L.A. Weekly's Movie Guide, your look at the hottest films in Los Angeles theaters this week, from indie art-house gems and classics to popcorn-perfect blockbusters and new movies garnering buzz. Check here every week before you make your big-screen plans.

Wide release

Friday, April 12

Hellboy is a reboot of the Dark Horse comic popularized onscreen by director Guillermo del Toro and star Ron Perlman. A solid decade has passed since we last saw the hulking red hero in a movie — long enough for the franchise to have faded, if not quite vanished, from cultural memory. David Harbour plays the titular badass, an agent of justice with demonic DNA and the soul of a mildly rebellious teenager. The notion that people can transcend their ignominious family background through individual agency is a powerful theme that del Toro's films draw upon beautifully. Neil Marshall, who takes the reins here as director, seems to be aiming for the same slightly irreverent tone while delivering the apocalyptic action required of the genre.

Also opening Friday: After; Billboard; A Dark Place; Dogman; Her Smell; I Am Cuba; Little; Long Day's Journey Into Night; Mary Magdalene; Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy; Mia and the White Lion; Missing Link; The Most Dangerous Year; Penguin Highway; Satan & Adam; Stockholm; Teen Spirit; Wild Nights With Emily; Working Woman

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.