When veteran writer and producer René Echevarria began working on a new show featuring women of the Bible, he knew the project was an answer to prayer.

Moviegoers can count on consuming quite a few Kleenex while watching “Reminders of Him” (Universal) a romantic drama that, when not taxing the tear ducts, offers a compelling take on loss, grief and reconciliation.

A lack of originality, treacly sentiment and a wholly unjustified two-hour, 36-minute running time combine to weigh down the sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM).

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

Released in theaters nationwide on March 11, “The Optimist” brings to life the incredible story of Heller (1929-2021), who escaped the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz as a teenager before pursuing a successful life in the United States.

On March 17, as the world’s 80 million people of Irish descent celebrate Ireland’s national patron St. Patrick — a Briton who brought Christianity to the island in 432 — the Irish convent school that gave the world Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley is brimming with pride.

Although the environmentally themed animated comedy “Hoppers” (Disney) has everything to do with animals, it has little to do with rabbits. Instead, the title refers to an imaginary technology that allows humans to infuse their consciousness into robots disguised as various fauna and to communicate with real animals.

As the March 15 Academy Awards ceremony approaches, many will be speculating about which film might win what is widely regarded as its most prestigious accolade, that for Best Picture.

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

As its title suggests, “Scream 7” (Paramount) is the latest extension of a long-lived horror franchise, one that’s currently approaching its 30th anniversary on screen. Since each chapter of this slasher saga has been a bloodsoaked mess, the series’ longevity will strike moviegoers of sense as inexplicable.