An Irish surprise and an Oscar hopeful or two highlight our movie picks of the week. Note that movie theaters in several Bay Area counties have re-opened.

Here’s the rundown of your new movie options.

“Pixie”: An appealing team of relative newcomers — Olivia Cooke, Ben Hardy and Daryl McCormack — upstage acting vets Alec Baldwin (and his shaky Irish accent) and Colm Meaney in this goofy lovechild of the classic “In Bruges.” The father-son filmmaking pair of Barnaby and Preston Thompson (dad directs, junior writes) can’t rival the wicked wit of Martin McDonagh’s 2008 bloody hitman comedy, but they come up with an energetic homage, one that dials back on the violence — to a point (this is still not for very young viewers). The film story follows a bag of narcotics, rival drug-smuggling priests and bumbling dealers — and our three protagonists, each of whom has motivations and schemes of their own. Some gorgeous Irish scenery along with stunning (sometimes violent) plot twists and snappy one-liners (and some gorgeous scenery) make “Pixie” a quirky winner, ideal for the weekend while knocking back a Guinness. Details: 3 stars out of 4; available on various streaming platforms.

“The Mauritanian”: In this admirable but perfunctory adaptation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s best-selling memoir, we witness the torture that Slahi endured at Guantanamo Bay during his 14-year captivity there — all of it authorized by our government. Told in a very traditional manner, director Kevin Macdonald unspools a compelling true story that needed to have more fire in its belly. Golden Globe winner Jodie Foster is solid as defense attorney Nancy Hollander, who learns of the horrors her client experienced. Benedict Cumberbatch is also notable as Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch, who represents the government and is eager to avenge a friend’s 9/11 death. The real star, though, is Tahar Rahim as Slahi, who never wavers in making his character an authentic person, not a mere symbol. Details: 2½ stars; in select theaters and available on various platforms.

“The World to Come”: Mona Fastvold’s solemn romance tells the tragic tale of two 19th-century frontier women (Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby) who fall in love in the shadows of their blah marriages. To enjoy, you need to surrender to Fastvold’s gradual pacing and the poetic rhythm of the screenplay from Jim Shepard and Ron Hansen. Fastvold fastidiously pays attention to pioneer life, giving the film a realness that many period pieces lack. As the lovers, Waterston and Kirby give it their all, and their passion on screen is electrifying. Christopher Abbott and Casey Affleck co-star. Details: 3 stars; available to stream on numerous platforms.

“Chaos Walking”: After getting hauled in and out of the studio repair shop, this muddled sci-fi bore arrives and it’s still a lemon. Based on a YA series, Doug Liman’s film is annoying mainly due to its central conceit — in the year 2257 men’s innermost thoughts are always visible due to an affliction called “The Noise.” What results is conversation mayhem. Liman also wedges in two needless disturbing animal violence. Tom Holland stars as do-gooder Todd who befriends a spacewoman Viola (Daisy Ridley) who has crash-landed on the rain-forest-like planet where Todd lives. It’s a planet from which all women have disappeared. The bulk of “Chaos” has Viola and Todd running away from a bellowing Neanderthal-like macho man (Mads Mikkelsen in a fur getup). There’s something worth exploring here, but the story is stuck in the gestating process. Details: 1 star; available in theaters and multiple streaming platforms.

“Night of the Kings”: Oscar nominations get unveiled Monday and in the International Feature category, I’m rooting for this Ivory Coast entry from filmmaker Philippe Lacote to make the cut. It’s a transcendent love song to the magnificence of storytelling — how words can create a legend and also soothe, heal and, in some cases, save lives. That message becomes clear as a new inmate (Bakary Kone) arrives at Ivory Coast’s notorious La Maca prison and is assigned the role of “Roman” — a storyteller who must satisfy his audience, or else. Lacote’s film is imaginatively structured, intricately detailed and powered by creativity. Details: 4 stars; available to stream as part of the “For Your Consideration” film series at the Smith Rafael Film Center.

“Sun Children”: Here’s another film on the shortlist of the international features Oscar category. Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s latest is another chapter in his plaintive chronicles about the plight of the mostly young and unhoused people from his homeland. Again, he shows us a world viewed through their eyes, and what results is unforgettably sad. Majidi uses the worn-down device from children’s literature — the hunt for buried treasure — and brings more depth to the plot as a group of industrious boys are hired (more like exploited) to extract the goods from the bowels of a school. Majidi has a knack for finding young actors and giving them meaty roles to play. In this case, it’s Roohollah Zamani, playing the Oliver Twist-like leader who finds somewhat of a home at the school. Details: 3½ stars; available to stream as part of the Smith Rafael Film Center’s “For Your Consideration” series.

“Boogie”: Alameda native Taylor Takahashi makes a promising feature debut as Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a cocky Queens high school basketball player feeling the pressure from his feuding Chinese American parents (Pamelyn Chee and Perry Yung) to land a sports scholarship. Writer/director Eddie Huang’s flawed feature does have have flashes to recommend it, particularly in depicting matters of the heart between Boogie and a no-nonsense Black classmate (Taylour Paige). Too bad a big showdown with a basketball rival (played by the late rapper Bashar “Pop Smoke” Jackson) doesn’t engage us nearly as much. Details: 2½ stars; in select theaters.

“The Father”: This one’s a tough sell. The 80-year-old Anthony (Anthony Hopkins, in one of his best performances) finds himself growing more confused about the daily goings on in his apartment. His caring daughter (Olivia Colman) drops by, but who are some of those other people who come in and out? Christopher Hampton directs Florian Zeller adaptation of his own acclaimed play “La Pere” and the result is one of the best films of the year. Hopkins’ performance is understated grace and Zeller’s deep affinity with the material is evident in every scene. And editor Yorgos Lamprinos’ agile work masterfully melds scenes seamlessly and transports us into a different reality as it follows Anthony’s portrayal of dementia. And what an ending. Details: 3½ stars; playing in select theaters; coming to Video on Demand March 26.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.