Best New Movie Bets: May 9 | 'Neighbors' & 'God's Pocket'

"Neighbors" starring Zac Efron

Seth Rogen’s latest appears to be a cross between “Animal House” and “Old School”. Already garnering good reviews after its debut at SXSW, expectations are high. The plot centers around a family man (Rogen) who has to fend off a neighboring fraternity and one frat boy in particular (Zac Efron), for peace and quiet.

The trailer was hilarious and hopefully the best moments weren’t given away there. This is Zac Efron’s second and last movie bid for the year, the first being the disastrous misfire; “That Awkward Moment”.

He’s been earning strong notice from critics for his performance in “Neighbors”, signaling a possible change in course for his career. Dave Franco, who gave a memorable turn in “21 Jump Street” plays one of the fraternity brothers and the stage is set for him to do a lot of scene stealing here as well.

The positive anticipation could be “Neighbors” undoing, if it fails to deliver. All indications point to it being mightily up to the task of not disappointing. Click here to Read Eclectic Pop's Full Review

"God’s Pocket" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman

“Mad Men” star John Slattery makes his theatrical directing debut in this somber drama. The cast he assembled is dazzling; the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, and John Turturro to name a few. Hoffman plays Mickey, the stepfather of the disturbed Leon (Caleb Landry Jones), who ends up dead under mysterious circumstances.

When Mickey’s wife (Christina Hendricks) begs him for answers, knowing more than he’s letting on, he attempts to tread truth’s waters. Opening up at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, critical reviews were harsh. However, the silver lining for expectations is (as always) Hoffman, whose incredible gift for translating internal turmoil to the screen was unparalleled.

Similar to his character in “Before the Devil Knows Your Dead”, it seems his role in “God’s Pocket” centers on a man being slowly crushed by circumstances that veer out of control. Seemingly a quiet character study, it’s worth a chance.

Are you interested in seeing either of these movies? Eclectic Pop wants to hear from you! You can share your thoughts by tweeting @EclecticPop or leaving a comment below.