Action Picks

Paul Greengrass drops a humble peasant into 14th-century England ravaged by war and plague, then lets a commoners' uprising swell into a desperate fight for justice and survival against the King's might. Andrew Garfield and Jamie Bell lead the charge, and the sheer scale of a massed rebellion is made for the big screen. The stakes are exactly what the tagline promises: rise or die.

A rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers breaks loose in the desert, and a hardened Army sniper has to unleash hell to keep her young daughter alive. Adam Wingard keeps the premise lean and mean, with Adria Arjona carrying the fight and Dan Stevens in support. At 92 minutes this is pure forward drive toward its payoff.