What’s playing? From ‘Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion’ to ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley,’ our weekend movie picks in LA

The weekend is fast approaching — text your friends, make dinner plans, and catch a movie!

With Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion playing as a midnight show at the New Beverly Cinema on Friday night, grab tacos and margaritas at El Coyote down the street before heading into the theater with your bestie.

And what would pair better with The Talented Mr. Ripley than a Sazerac or an old fashioned at The Dresden down the street from the Los Feliz 3? You might not be sneaking around in Italy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel chic.

I might grab a black coffee at Canter’s and then head into The Wicker Man (the 70s original, not the Nic Cage remake) — it’s atmospheric and unsettling and could certainly set the tone for an… interesting weekend. Or you could pair a martini at Fanny’s with a screening of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls at the Academy Museum — or do a martini at Musso & Frank’s before settling into the thriller Klute at the Egyptian.

This weekend is all about the atmosphere, the ambiance, the vibes. Let’s get into it.

For the dolls…

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

The Academy Museum

Friday, Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10, more info here.

Synopsis: A late-60s set, rock ‘n roll, psychedelic, sex-crazed musical satire. Originally intended as a sequel to the critical flop Valley of the Dolls, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls ended up as an X-rated parody of the original. This over-the-top story of three girls trying to make it in Hollywood has become a cult classic — one that looks incredible on 35mm.

For the outsiders

The Wicker Man

Brain Dead Studios

Friday, Aug. 9, 10 p.m.

Tickets are $13, more info here.

Synopsis: A little girl is missing, a detective is dispatched to a remote island to look for her, and nothing is as it seems among a group of pagan worshippers gearing up for a ritual. This folk-horror classic unfolds slowly and builds dread like nothing else. Did you love Midsommar, and are you desperate for more May Queen stories and sacrifices? I don’t want to say more — if you’re even remotely curious, this is worth a watch.

For the high school besties

Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion

The New Beverly Cinema

Saturday, Aug. 10, 11:59 p.m.

Tickets are $11.25, more info here.

Synopsis: This iconic 90s comedy is a classic for a reason. Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michelle (Lisa Kudrow) share an apartment in Venice, and their greatest accomplishment since graduating high school is their long-standing friendship. Worried they’ll look bad in front of their old bullies, they come up with a scheme to seem super successful at their reunion. Shenanigans involving cute dresses, dream sequences, and an interpretive dance number ensue.

For the detectives

Klute

The Egyptian

Sunday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10-$15, more info here.

Synopsis: Yes, another 70s detective movie — no, this one isn’t about cults. This neo-noir thriller stars the late Donald Sutherland as detective John Klute. He’s investigating a high powered executive’s disappearance, and clues bring him into the life of NYC call girl Bree Daniel (Jane Fonda in an Oscar-winning performance). Is she involved with the crime? Is she in danger? Will Bree and John fall in love? It’s a sexy, suspenseful, nuanced thriller.

For the boys

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Los Feliz 3

Sunday, Aug. 11, 10 p.m.

Tickets are $8-$13, more info here.

Synopsis: A homoerotic friendship between a rich boy and a social climber that leads to murder? No, it’s not Saltburn, it’s the (in my opinion!) far superior 1999 classic starring Jude Law and Matt Damon. When heir to a shipping company fortune, Dickie Greenleaf (Law), heads to Italy to live on his father’s dime, men’s room attendant Tom Ripley (Damon) is sent to fetch him back. Their friendship blossoms as Tom becomes enraptured with Dickie and his life. Why not just be him?