Kam's Kapsules: Movies Opening Jan. 4

WIDE RELEASES

Eli (R for violence and disturbing images) Charlie Shotwell plays the title character in this horror flick about a sickly boy being quarantined for a rare disease who discovers that the secluded clinic is actually a haunted prison. With Kelly Reilly, Max Martini and Lili Taylor.

Escape Room (PG-13 for profanity, peril, terror, violence and suggestive material) Psychological thriller revolving around six strangers forced to survive by their wits after becoming ensnared in a deadly trap beyond their control. Co-starring Debra Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Niki Dodani and Jay Ellis.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

American Hangman (Unrated) Tale of vigilante justice about a judge (Donald Sutherland) who is kidnapped and put on trial live over the internet after botching a criminal case. With Vincent Kartheiser, Oliver Dennis and Paul Braunstein.

Being Rose (Unrated) Cybill Shepherd handles the title role in this romance drama as a widow and wheelchair user who falls in love with an elderly cowboy (James Brolin) while traveling solo across the Southwest. Cast features Pam Grier, Amy Davidson and Cindy Pickett.

Great Great Great (Unrated) Romance drama about a couple (Dan Beirne and Sarah Kolasky) whose blissful relationship starts to fall apart when they finally get engaged after being together for five years. Support cast includes Richard Clarkin, Lindsay Leese and Ian Fisher.

Mojin: The Worm Valley (Unrated) Action-oriented sequel based on Luo Xiao's best-selling series of novels finds a team of explorers embarking on a perilous expedition in search of an ancient emperor's tomb located on a faraway island infested with treacherous monsters. Co-starring Cai Heng, Gu Xuan and Cheng Taishen. (In Mandarin with subtitles) 

Rust Creek (R for profanity, violence and drug use) Harrowing tale of survival about an ambitious college senior (Hermione Corfield) who finds herself pursued by a gang of bloodthirsty outlaws through the Kentucky backwoods after taking a wrong turn on her way to a job interview. With Jay Paulson, Sean O'Bryan and Jeremy Glazer. 

State Like Sleep (Unrated) Suspense thriller revolving around a young widow (Katherine Waterston) who receives an unsettling phone call directing her return to Brussels to unravel the mystery of her husband's (Michiel Huisman) untimely death. Cast includes Michael Shannon, Luke Evans and Mary Kay Place.

The Vanishing (R for violence and profanity) Fact-based thriller set on a tiny Scottish isle where three lighthouse keepers (Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan and Connor Swindells) vanish without a trace after finding a treasure chest filled with gold aboard a shipwrecked rowboat. With Olafur Darri Olafsson, Gary Lewis and Emma King.