This week’s batch of new film releases feature two Oscar hopefuls and a knockout offering from Argentina. Here’s your rundown:

“Judas and the Black Messiah”: Writer/director Shaka King’s blistering film about real-life events should be essential viewing during Black History Month. It focuses on a two-bit car thief William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) who was recruited by the FBI to spy on Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), a charismatic, galvanizing force for change who was head of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. King, in his feature debut, serves up an ugly if little known chapter of American history, as well as a lesson how unrepetant racism and out-of-control authority make for a tragic combination. Kaluuya seems like the one to beat in the supporting actor Oscar race. He is mesmerizing. Stanfield likewise is terrific as a chameleon-like figure who gains Hampton’s confidence and later triggers a a tragedy that is beyond comprehension. As Hampton’s wife, Dominique Fishback has a brutally demanding role and she aces it. If you don’t have HBO Max yet, this film might convince you that you should. Details: 3½ stars out of 4; available Feb. 12 on HBO Max and select drive-in theaters.

“Minari”: Lee Isaac Chung’s quasi-autobiographical debut is an uplifting masterpiece, a fond look back at a Korean family hoping to claim a stake on the American dream on an Arkansas farm. It’s realistic, nostalgic and often hilarious as it captures and celebrates the immigrant experience. The scenes between the precocious, too-adorable-for-words son (Alan S. Kim) and plucky grandmother (scene stealer Youn Yuh-jung) bring such joy. This is a film to treasure. It’s also an example of what a dexterous an actor and “Walking Dead” favorite Steven Yeun — who plays the family patriarch — can be. Details: 4 stars; available Feb. 12-25 at screeningroom.a24films.com (several dates already sold out); available On Demand beginning Feb. 26.

“Saint Maud”: Stuck in release purgatory because of the pandemic, A24’s terrifying plunge into the fevered, crumbling mind of a hospice nurse strung out on frightening religious delusions finally arrives and boy does it ever deliver on its hype. Morfydd Clark is a revelation as Maud, the unstable “angel” hired by a dying celebrity dancer (Jennifer Ehle). Writer/director Rose Glass creates an ominous vibe that settles in at the start and grows ever darker and twisted as Maud descends into raving madness. What a debut. Details: 3½ stars, available Feb. 12 on Epix.

“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things”: Timed appropriately for Valentine’s Day is this “Groundhog Day” for the YA crowd. Novelist Lev Grossman adapted his short story for this and the result feels padded and predictable. But what makes the “infinite loop” romance click is its stars, Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen, absolutely charming as potential lovebirds charting out the tiny moments of everyday bliss that too often get overlooked. Director Ian Samuels stages it well, but the been-there, done-that sense overshadows his good deeds. Details: 2 stars; available Feb. 12 on Amazon Prime.

“Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words”: UC Berkeley alum Freida Lee Mock’s documentary is a satisfactory reminder of the eloquence of trailblazer RBG, but it’s not as good as the Oscar-nominated 2018 documentary “RBG.” Mock’s film employs archival film and audio footage of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice and her appearances at schools, receptions and in court, and is an air-tight testament to Ginsburg’s wit, intellect and reasoning. Still, letting RBG simply speak for herself is good enough. Details: 2½ stars; available Feb. 12 as part of the Virtual Cinema series at Smith Rafael Film Center, rafaelfilm.cafilm.org.

“4X4”: This find of the week hails from Argentina and is based on an actual event. A 20-something crook (Peter Lanzani) gets his comeuppance when he breaks into a fancy four-wheel-drive auto that’s been set like a trap by its tech-savvy owner. Co-writer and director Mariano Cohn sets the film almost entirely inside the car and explores how far we’ll go to protect what is ours. Lanzani’s performance demands a lot both physically and emotionally, and he delivers — never making his character a mere victim or likeable. Cohn’s point is that we are all victims — of ourselves. Details: 3½ stars; available on multiple platforms.

“Happy Cleaners”: The Korean-American owners of a small dry cleaners in New York fear the worst when a new landlord swoops in and smells some green as their grown-up children plan for their own futures away from the family biz. This feature debut from co-writers/co-directors Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee touches on familial obligations, stubbornness and challenging job environments, and while it hits a couple of bumps early on, it ultimately makes for a timely story about a family coping with changing cultural values. Details: 3 stars; available on various streaming platforms.

“The Mimic”: Screenwriter/director Thomas F. Mazziotti toys with audiences in this enjoyable trickster swirling around two neighbors (Thomas Sadoski and Jake Robinson) who try to one-up each other. Gina Gershon has a hilarious scene-stealing cameo while Sadoski and Robinson make an appealing odd couple in a chipper black comedy. It received a world premiere at Cinequest. Details: 2½ stars; available to stream on various platforms.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.