In terms of heart, visual invention, and critical acclaim, few animated features of the 21st century can rival Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” (2001). The film, which follows 10-year-old Chihiro as she stumbles into a labyrinthine bathhouse filled with witches, spirits, and other fantastical creatures, is revered not only as a masterpiece of children’s film, but of world cinema as a whole. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Brattle Theatre is screening it in a week-long run, in both subtitled form (screening in 35mm) and dubbed (in a new 4K restoration). It will be accompanied by a series of additional animated films celebrating milestone anniversaries. Also ringing in a quarter century are “Metropolis” (2001, screening Sunday and Wednesday), animator Rintaro’s psychedelic riff on Fritz Lang’s silent classic, and Satoshi Kon’s “Millennium Actress” (2001, Monday and Thursday), a fractured and deeply personal journey through the life of an aging silver screen star. The series is rounded out by a 50th anniversary screening of “Allegro Non Troppo” (1976, Friday and Saturday), Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto’s outrageous spoof of Disney’s “Fantasia.” And if that’s not enough, head over to AMC Assembly Row, where Katsuhiro Otomo’s cyberpunk landmark “Akira” (1986) kicks off a 40th anniversary IMAX run on Friday.
The Harvard Film Archive’s tribute to Graham Greene reaches its centerpiece this weekend with arguably the most famous cinematic realization of the author’s work. Written directly by Greene for the screen (though his initial treatment would later be published as a novella), Carol Reed’s “The Third Man” (1949) holds a central place in the film noir canon. Joseph Cotten plays Holly Martins, a down-on-his-luck pulp author who travels to Vienna, where his old friend Harry Lime has promised him a job — only to find that Lime has apparently died under mysterious circumstances. Though his involvement was kept a secret at the time of the film’s release, “The Third Man” is today best remembered for the fact that Lime is not only alive but played by Cotten’s “Citizen Kane” costar Orson Welles. Welles’ Lime is one of the most devilishly memorable villains in movie history, his infamous “cuckoo clock” monologue (rumored to have been rewritten by Welles himself) as chillingly relevant as ever. “The Third Man” screens Friday through Sunday in a gorgeous, brand new 35mm print.
In today’s accelerated culture, it’s difficult for a film to organically amass “cult classic” status through old-fashioned word of mouth. An exception is Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” (2022), which returns to the Somerville Theatre Saturday in a one-night-only back-to-school engagement. Armed with nothing but a digital camera, ample imagination, and a number of plush mascot costumes, Cheslik and actor/co-writer Ryland Tews tell the story of Jean Kayak, a hapless fur trapper who runs afoul of — you guessed it — hundreds of beavers, all played by actors in ridiculous suits. “Beavers” is one of the most rambunctious comedies of recent years, an homage in equal parts to silent cinema, Warner Brothers cartoons, and point-and-click computer games. Its gleefully dorky sense of humor has earned it a fiercely devoted army of fans; attendees Saturday night should expect a sea of flannel shirts, call-and-response quotes, and, almost certainly, a beaver costume or two.
On Monday, the Somerville joins forces with the Boston Sex Workers and Allies Collective for a screening of Lizzie Borden’s landmark independent film “Working Girls” (1986). Inspired by stories from real-life sex workers among the cast of Borden’s “Born in Flames” (1983), “Working Girls” is remarkably ahead of its time in its portrayal of the oldest profession. Its characters, a group of sex workers working out of a Manhattan apartment over the course of a single night, are neither judged nor glamorized; they see their work as a job like any other, with all the highs, lows, and long stretches of boredom that entails. Following the film, the Somerville will welcome BSWAC members Violeta Félix and Mary Carol for a discussion of the film’s portrayal and impact, and of the struggle to improve conditions for sex workers around the world.
Since 2019, the Taiwan Film Festival of Boston has provided a vital local outlet for stories and voices from Taiwan and the Taiwanese diaspora. On Thursday, the 2026 edition of TFFB kicks off at the Somerville with the feel-good sports documentary “Hero! Hito!” (2025). The documentary, from director Lungnan Isak Fangas, tells the remarkable comeback story of Chinese Taipei, the team which represents Taiwan in international baseball. Once ranked among the bottom of international teams following a gutting loss at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Chinese Taipei, led by coach Tseng Hao-chiu, dedicated themselves to proving their doubters wrong, ultimately winning an upset victory in 2024. TFFB continues through Sept. 21 in venues across the Boston area (including the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Brattle), then pivots to an online festival through Oct. 11.
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