Community focused and locally produced screenings in May
Experimental films at Hamel Music Hall (May 10); LAB^4 Laundry Films at ALL (May 13); 48hr Film Project (May 17) and C-FAM at Marcus Point (June 1).
Scroll down for Now Showing in Madison, May 7–May 11, 2026
Weekly posts feature some short notes on various cinematic topics, followed by the Now Showing in Madison guide to commercial theaters and alternative venues.
As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve missed two Monday (self-imposed) publication deadlines. Multiple ongoing projects and schedule changes have led me to value my time off on Sundays, and I’ve taken advantage of opportunities to rest rather than consider the weekend as “workdays” for side projects. But I want to make sure that the Now Showing listings appear early in the week, so I’m going to make a change in the publication schedule.
These weekly free posts, which will include the Now Showing listings, will appear on Tuesdays starting next week, May 12.
Support your local artists, musicians, and filmmakers!
A piano recital by Deirdre Brenner and Sibila Konstantinova (pictured above) on Sunday, May 10, 12:30pm in the Collins Recital Hall within the Hamel Music Center on campus will also include film and video work by Blake Barit, Charlie Borowicz, Philip Denvir, TJ Hill, Claudia Krogmeier, Tina Rose Rea Meister and Blue Rachapradit.
The concert combines the original 2-piano version of the celebrated seven movement work, The Planets, by composer Gustav Holst (composed prior to the better known orchestral version), with a world-premiere 2-piano arrangement by Dobrinka Tabakova of “Tectonic” from her Earth Suite, composed originally in 2018.
“Each movement of the program will be presented alongside an original video exploring the ideas which inspired these compositions,” explains the promotional material for the program. The recital is free and open to the public, and it will also stream live on YouTube (I’m not sure how the film and video work will be handled for the livestream).
At Arts + Literature Laboratory, LAB^4 project artist India Johnson will curate a program of laundry-themed films on Wednesday, May 13 at 6:00pm. The free program will include Clotheslines by Roberta Cantow, I always do my collars first by Conni Castille and Allison Bohl, and The Washing Society by Lizzie Olesker and Lynne Sachs. You can find more program details at the Arts + Literature Laboratory website.
While this isn’t a screening of local films by local filmmakers, the event emerges from an ongoing local project, the LAB^4 community curation project at Arts + Literature Laboratory. The curator for this screening, India Johnson, is a research-based artist working across craft, artist publishing, and social practice. You can read an interesting essay on Clotheslines by Neyat Yohannes at the Criterion Collection website.
The Wisconsin 48 Hour Film Project has announced the date and location for its next screenings: Sunday, May 17, Marcus Palace Theaters. They will screen three unique programs at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, and 6:00pm. The broad theme for this round of films was “Movie Magic,” and filmmakers drew specific genres and were on the clock to produce the films on May 1.
I had the opportunity to be a judge for the last round of 48 Hour Films, and the whole process is a great deal of fun. Tickets for these screenings tend to sell out (you have the filmmaking teams, casts, and friends to compete with for seats). So, if you’re interested in going, I’d recommend purchasing tickets well in advance.
Looking ahead to June, the Children’s Film Academy of Madison (C-FAM) will hold a screening of their recent film projects, Wrestling and Small Time Rock Stars on Monday, June 1 at 6:30pm at Marcus Point Cinemas. I hope to find out more about these projects and this screening as the date approaches, and I’m sure we will find more updates at the C-FAM Instagram account (@cfam608_).
Now Playing In Madison: May 7–May 11, 2026
Please confirm showtimes with the venues (follow venue links where provided). The commercial theaters update their weekend listings on Wednesdays. Another valuable source that posts on Wednesdays with now playing lists is The Horizon Line Madison.
Comments here are not reviews of the films, they are usually a response to the trailer, a summary of the buzz I have heard, or just snark. They are not always particularly accurate, according to reader feedback. I add trailers to new films of interest that you might not know about (American indies, international features, etc.).
UW Cinematheque & WUD Film
Campus film screenings have ended for the Spring Semester.
UW Cinematheque will resume with “Bleak Week” from Wednesday, June 24 through Tuesday, June 30.
Commercial Theaters:
AMC Theatres
Flix Brewhouse
Marcus Theatres (Palace and Point)
AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: MAY 11 at AMC.
ANIMAL FARM at AMC, Point, Flix.
Hmm, Orwell adaptation distributed by faith-based distributor Angel. Interesting mix. Directed by everyone’s favorite motion-capture actor, Andy Serkis. Surprise: Opening week viewers are criticizing the film for changes from the original book.
BILLIE EILISH - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
Billie Eilish concert film. I have to admit, Billie Eilish is one of the few current female pop stars who I enjoy listening to during interviews. But I have mixed responses to most of the music, so I’ll pass on this one for now.
CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE at AMC.
CASA GRANDE at AMC.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS at AMC.
DEEP WATER at AMC, Point, Palace.
DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, THE at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
A sequel to a 2006 film you’ve probably heard about, even if you haven’t seen it.
DRAMA, THE at AMC, Point.
This does appear to be staying for another week, so I hope to catch up with it before “the twist” gets ruined for me.
ERUPCJA at AMC.
Fresh from its screening at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Not many screenings left for this one before it leaves Friday.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE at AMC.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES 35TH ANNIVERSARY at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
HOKUM at AMC, Point, Palace.
HOPPERS at AMC, Point.
IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION at Point, Palace.
This would make a very interesting double feature with the Billie Eilish concert documentary. This appears to be a right-down-the-middle documentary of the band best known for “Run For the Hills,” and Eddie.
KRISHNAVATARAM at AMC.
Indian Hindi-language mythological drama about Lord Krishna. Interestingly, AMC Fitchburg (according to its website listings) will be screening this film in Hindi with no English subtitles. (But the film is being released in multiple Indian-language dubs around the world this weekend.) This is the first part (“The Heart / Hridayam”) of a planned trilogy. Apparently an English-language version will be released in North America in a few weeks.
LABYRINTH at Point.
LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY at AMC.
MARAMA at AMC.
Horror film set in 1859 North Yorkshire, about a young Maori woman who arrives from New Zealand to serve as a governess for a wealthy man’s granddaughter. This appears to offer more than the current wave of typical horror films, but I’m a little skeptical.
MARCUS MYSTERY MOVIE at Point, Palace.
MICHAEL at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
Apparently people didn’t know how much they needed a Michael Jackson music-filled bio-pic that doesn’t go beyond the Bad tour in 1988. I guess that makes sense to someone my age, I seem to recall disliking almost everything in the Michael Jacksons ouvre after (and including) Scorsese’s Bad video. As of this writing, Michael is the fourth-highest grossing film of 2026.
MORTAL KOMBAT at Point, Palace.
MORTAL KOMBAT II at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
MOTHER MARY at AMC.
I think I’m going to run out of time to see this before it leaves after Thursday night. But it has received decidedly mixed to negative reviews. Still, I’m curious.
NEGLECTED at AMC.
Josh Duhamel and Dylan Sprouse star as a detective (Guess what? He’s retiring soon) and serial killer in this cat-and-mouse crime drama. This seems like it will go straight to video-on-demand after a nominal theatrical release.
PROJECT HAIL MARY at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
RZA’S ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE at AMC.
Last screening will be tonight. Saw this with Rob Thomas, and you can read his review at Not That Rob Thomas. I thought it had many interesting traits and details worthy of discussion, but I also admit that it is not particularly good.
SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! at Point.
Documentary about Amy Goodman, host of the progressive radio news program Democracy Now. Played at the Wisconsin Film Festival, and now returning for limited release. Read Rob Thomas’s review.
SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE, THE at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.
THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME THE MOVIE: TEARS OF THE AZURE SEA at AMC, Point.
WINTER HYMNS at Flix.
Return engagement for this Wisconsin’s Own film that played at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Directed by Nathan Deming, who was one of the filmmmakers leading the drive for a new state film office, Film Wisconsin.
Have you used the Now Showing in Madison listings at least once to find something interesting to see? Have you discovered a film that you didn’t realize was playing in town? Please consider supporting these efforts directly by clicking the “Buy Me a Popcorn” button and making a modest donation on those occasions when you find this resource valuable to your moviegoing in Madison.
Looking Ahead:
Local filmmaker Michael Doyle Olson has started what he hopes to be a comprehensive, collaborative public calendar of alternative film screenings in Madison. It is still a work in progress, but check it out at www.mdo.me/film.
Side Room Cinematheque
Consult Instagram @sideroomcinematic for screening details, second Thursday of the month, and last Monday of the month.
Cinesthesia at Madison Public Library Central Branch
MENACE II SOCIETY (Allen & Albert Hughes, 1993), Wednesday May 20, 6:30pm.