THE DARK SIDE OF THE THEATER — The big release this week is the final chapter of the Hunger Games saga, and everybody knows it. What not everyone knows is that another movie is opening this weekend starring two Academy Award winners and an Academy Award nominee.

"Secret in Their Eyes" is a thriller starring Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film is a twisting drama with some jumps and potential psychological damage. I'll explain more about that later.

So, let's get into it. Here's what you should know about the movie you've maybe not even heard of yet, "Secret in Their Eyes."

Superb acting

Most critics don't like this film and I know why, I'll get into that later, but I don't really care what most critics think. Overall I liked the film and the performances were the main reason.

Nicole Kidman is solid, and Julia Roberts turns in a great performance as a grieving and vengeful mother. While both of these women are fantastic, I was blown away by Chiwetel Ejiofor. His performance was entrancing and powerful. The movie had its missteps and even his character's motivations were a bit blurry at times, but that wasn't his fault; that was the fault of the script. One scene in particular — that I won't get into in hopes of avoiding any spoilers — had me glued to the screen and wide eyed as I was mesmerized by what Ejiofor was showing me.

Ejifor alone is worth seeing the movie for.

It's not the original

Many people don't know that "Secret in Their Eyes" is actually a remake of the film "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" from Argentina. Not many people in the U.S. have seen the film, but it won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 2009.

Personally I have never seen the original. It sounds like it's something I should do, but most critics are giving the film bad marks because it's not as good as the original. As I said, I've never seen the film from Argentina and because of that I had nothing to compare it to. Maybe that makes me a bit ignorant, but I don't care because I didn't know what was coming and enjoyed the film.

It's dark

Here's the warning: this movie is dark. The subject matter is heavy, the storyline is fairly bleak and these people are dealing with some pretty terrible events in their lives.

Once the credits roll you'll be thinking about the movie for a day or two afterward because it really sticks with you, but not in the happy-go-lucky way. "Secret in Their Eyes" is PG-13, but it for sure pushes that envelope.

Anyone who has read my past articles knows that I am not the biggest fan of the MPAA ratings system, and this movie is a great example as to why. I'm not sure it deserves an R rating, but it's also a bit higher than your typical PG-13. The movie revolves around the brutal murder of a teenage girl and the aftereffects of the crime on those close to her and investigating the act. There is some language, violence and strong thematic elements that make this a dark film more appropriate for older teens, maybe 15 years old, depending on maturity level.

Overall

The movie has some mistakes and isn't perfect, far from it in fact. What the film does have, however, are powerful performances and intriguing storylines. The film unfolds slowly in a way that keeps you intrigued and tense as you wait for the other shoe to drop.

If dark thrillers are your cup of tea, this film is worth a look; if not then you're really not going to like and should avoid "Secret in Their Eyes."

"Secret in Their Eyes" is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving disturbing violent content, language and some sexual references.

John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories.

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