Friday’s openings: High-wire acts

It appears the dry spell is over. This week offers three high-profile and highly-anticipated mainstream releases, all of which have already been garnering positive notices from critics. It’s going to be a busy weekend – after all, Terrain and Neil Young are taking over downtown on the same night – but it might not be a bad idea to carve out two hours for a little cinematic entertainment.

Wednesday:

“The Walk” – Although Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between the Twin Towers was already detailed in the Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire,” this Joseph Gordon-Levitt-starring adaptation features state-of-the-art special effects courtesy of Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Forrest Gump”). The film opens in IMAX 3D only; early reviews suggest that’s the way to see it.

Friday:

“The Martian” – Based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, Ridley Scott’s latest foray into sci-fi stars Matt Damon as an astronaut who’s stranded on Mars after his crew mistakenly assumes he’s dead. Considering some recent announcements from NASA, maybe Mars isn’t such a bad place.

“Sicario” – Acclaimed French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (“Prisoners,” “Enemy”) takes on the intricacies of the U.S.-Mexico drug trade, focusing on an FBI agent (Emily Blunt) whose involvement with a top secret government task force turns violent.

At the Magic Lantern:

“Paul Taylor: Creative Domain” – This documentary explores the life and career of dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor, whose avant-garde interpretation of ballet made him an enfant terrible in 1950s art circles.

Below: The trailer for “Sicario.”