Now Playing: Bleed for This, The Edge of Seventeen, Fantastic Beasts, Loving and More

Gadzooks, if you were wondering if there would be any new movies in theaters after the screen domination of Trolls and Doctor Strange, this is the week for you.

Indeed, there are so many new titles moving into local theaters today, we are changing our original game plan, which was to include here movies opening Wednesday and on Thanksgiving. Instead, we'll have a new Now Playing up on Wednesday that includes that Friday's openings as well.

As usual, where the film is opening is indicated in parenthesis, and if the movie is in four or more local theaters it is noted with “Countywide.” Check your favorite source for theater addresses, movie times and ticket prices.

Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada (Fear Is Foolishness). Indian Tamil-language action-romance film, written and directed by Gautham Menon, is about a happy-go-lucky young man who is in love. However, in an unexpected turn of events, he and his loved ones are embroiled in a high-risk situation that forces him to rise to the occasion and stand his ground against the odds. (Cinemark Century Stadium, Orange)

Bleed for This. Originally set for limited release on Nov. 4, Ben Younger's boxing biopic shifted to wide release this weekend thanks to great buzz from places such as the Toronto International Film Festival. Miles Teller stars as Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, a two-time world-champion boxer left nearly paralyzed after a near-fatal car crash in 1991. Doctors advised him never to box again, but the Pazmanian Devil didn't listen. (Countywide)

Crosscurrent. A young cargo ship captain (Qin Hao) pilots his boat up the Yangtze River and ponders the recent death of his father in this allegorical drama from director Yang Chao. During the trip, he encounters numerous symbols representing China's past, present and future, including a mysterious woman who is present at every port along the way—and who grows younger looking the closer he gets to her. Like Cher. (Edwards University, Irvine)

The Edge of Seventeen. Originally titled Besties, writer/director Kelly Freeman Craig's coming-of-age flick is about high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) feeling very alone when her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson) and brother (Blake Jenner) hook up. Nadine finds a glimmer of hope through an awkward and thoughtful boy (Hayden Szeto). Also co-starring are Kyra Sedgwick and Woody Harrelson, who is said to be great opposite. (Countywide)

Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada. Near as I can tell by online translators, the title means “Anywhere Pothavu Young.” How about the tag line? “You cannot escape love.” Hmmm … I can tell you is this is an Indian Telugu-language romantic thriller, directed by Vi Anand, whose release was delayed a week due to India’s government killing the high-value currency notes. At least that's a better excuse than bad focus group notes. Nikhil Siddharth, Nandita Swetha and Hebah Patel star, with music composed by Sekhar Chandra. (Cinemark Century Stadium, Orange)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut, off her own book that was spun off from the Harry Potter series. In 1926, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is in the cross-hairs of American wizarding authorities after dangerous creatures escape from a magical briefcase, threatening to strain magical and non-magical relations. Also starring for director David Yates, in the first of what's anticipated to be a trilogy (or foursome or five some), are Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller, Ron Perlman and Jon Voight. (Countywide)

Force 2. A righteous Mumbai police officer (John Abraham) volunteers for an impossible assignment: He must track down those responsible for the massacre of several Indian intelligence agents in just 48 hours. In Hindi with English subtitles. (AMC 30 at the Outlets, Orange; Edwards Westpark, Irvine)

I Am Not Madame Bovary. In this Chinese comedic melodrama, a café proprietor petitions her country’s legal system after she is swindled by her ex-husband. Feng Xiaogang directs screenwriter Liu Zhenyun’s own story. (AMC at the Outlets, Orange)

Loving. I don't believe I got through the whole season of AMC's Preacher, but I saw enough episodes to know Ruth Negga was its breakout star. In writer/director Jeff Nichols' British-American historical drama, she plays Mildred Loving, who joined her husband Richard (Joel Edgerton, who was great in Black Mass) in suing the state of Virginia, which had imprisoned the black woman and white man for marrying. They would become the plaintiffs in the landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage (as well as the state motto “Virginia is for lovers). (Countywide)

National Bird. Wim Wenders and Errol Morris produced Sonia Kennebeck's documentary on one of the most controversial topics of our time: the secret U.S. drone war. Three U.S. military whistleblowers—tortured by the faceless killings and threatened with prosecution—tell all. (Edwards Westpark, Irvine)

Nocturnal Animals. Tom Ford wrote, co-produced and directed this psychological thriller, based on Austin Wright's 1993 novel about an art-gallery owner (Amy Adams) haunted by her ex-husband's (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel, a violent thriller she believes is a veiled threat and symbolic revenge tale. Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Armie Hammer and Laura Linney co-star. So does Isla Fisher, who I always used to mistake for Adams (and vice versa). (Edwards University, Irvine)

A Streetcar Named Bob. This British dramedy, based on the international bestseller, is about busker and recovering drug addict James (Luke Treadaway of Unbroken), whose life is turned around thanks to a stray ginger cat (played by Bob the Cat). Ruta Gedmintas and Joanne Froggatt also took direction from Roger Spottiswoode, who before herding a cat herded a dog in Turner & Hooch. (Edwards Westpark, Irvine)

The Take. A maverick CIA agent (Idris Elba) forges an unlikely bond with a pickpocket (Richard Madden) after the latter is framed for a bombing in Paris. Soon, they work together to get to the bottom of a terrorist conspiracy targeting the city's Bastille Day celebrations. (AMC Fullerton; AMC at the Outlets, Orange)

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