Considering that nearly all of its performances are motion-capture ones, I didn't expect to spend so much time at Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes marveling at the nuances of naturalistic human acting.

Lauded by the New York Times as "big-screen perfection ... exceptionally well-written, full of wordplay and lively argument," Barbie visionary and Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig's coming-of-age masterpiece Lady Bird enjoys a May 16 screening with the Rock Island Public Library's downtown-branch Downtown Movie Club, the film a National Society of Film Critics Best Picture winner that, according to Variety, boasts "a powerfully distinctive voice."

An Oscar-winning smash that Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus says "delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person's sci-fi," and presented by Filmosofia and the Socratic Society, Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed 2016 film Arrival enjoys a special May 2 at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox, its raves including The Telegraph deeming the work an "introspective, philosophical, and existentially inclined" work that "unfolds in an unwavering tenor of chest-tightening excitement."

What is a marketing team to do when the element guaranteed to get butts in seats – in truth, the film's entire reason for being – is the one element that shouldn't be spoiled in advance?