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.

Catholic Review Radio’s 2026 Oscars Special dives into the year’s most surprising, soulful, and genre‑bending Best Picture nominees. Catholic Review Associate Publisher Chris Gunty is joined by Daughter of St. Paul Sister Rose Pacatte, OSV News media reviewer John Mulderig, and co‑host Ann Augherton of the Arlington Catholic Herald for a fast‑moving, insightful conversation about Hollywood’s biggest night, coming up March 15.

Given the dramatic nature of his conversion and the long-lasting, widespread influence of the family of religious orders he founded, it’s no surprise that the life of St. Francis has often been portrayed on film. As early as 1918, a silent Italian production, “Frate Sole” (“Brother Sun”), directed by Ugo Falena, was devoted to the subject.

Morgan Atkinson’s newest documentary — “In the Company of Change,” released in September — is his second film on the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. His first, “A Change in Order,” released in 1987, reflected on how the Ursuline Sisters were affected by the cultural shifts of the 1980s.

Combine the exuberant screen style of Australian auteur Baz Luhrmann with the intensity of the King of Rock and Roll and the results are bound to be splashy. So it proved with the director’s 2022 biopic “Elvis” and the same now holds true for the helmer’s engaging documentary “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” (Neon).