Noah (2014)

Giant stone creatures help build the ark in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, and they’re not even the boldest choice in it. Aronofsky treats the story as a muddy, serious survival epic, and when the rain finally comes, the flood is huge and genuinely awe-inspiring. Russell Crowe plays Noah as a man who is certain he understands what the Creator asks of him, and the back half becomes about that certainty and what it costs the people he loves. That turn is the movie’s biggest swing, and it split audiences hard, with a C CinemaScore. Jennifer Connelly gets the most powerful scene as Naameh, and Emma Watson is strong as Ila. Ray Winstone’s Tubal-cain growls like a guest star from a much louder action movie. At 138 minutes, the stretch inside the ark drags. It made $359.2 million worldwide on a reported $125 to $160M. A 6.1 because it’s sincere, visually stunning and willing to take risks, and not all of them land. $127 says you spot two pigeons walking together this week and glance around for the line behind them.

What works: The flood is a stunning piece of filmmaking, and Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly bring real conviction to a family under enormous pressure.

What doesn’t: The stone giants and Tubal-cain’s action-movie villainy feel out of place, and the long stretch aboard the ark loses momentum.

Who it’s for: Viewers open to a bold, unconventional retelling of a familiar story, whether they come for the faith, the spectacle or the drama.