Friday saw the opening of action flick "John Wick" and horror film "Ouija," with the latter having moved ahead of the former at the opening box office.
"John Wick," starring Keanu Reeves in the title role, is about a retired assassin who is out for revenge against a Mafia member who happens to get into the wrong side of him — that is, break into his home, attack him, kill the puppy his late wife gave him as a present, and steal his '69 Mustang. The Mafia boss, knowing who John Wick is and what he is capable of doing, subsequently put a price on his head. The film also stars Michael Nyqvist, William Dafoe and Alfie Allen
The film garnered an estimated $5.5 million in gross sales as of Oct. 24, with a 6.9 out of 10 average rating from movie critic site Rotten Tomatoes, and 86 percent freshness in the site's tomatometer.
The website's critics say, "Stylish, thrilling, and giddily kinetic, John Wick serves as a satisfying return to action for Keanu Reeves — and what looks like it could be the first of a franchise."
Meanwhile, "Ouija," starring Olivia Cooke, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith and Bianca A. Santos, is about a girl who films herself using an ancient Ouija board, but mysteriously dies after. Her friends investigate what happened.
It is estimated that the film earned $8.3 million on opening day, with a 3.2 out of 10 average rating and 10 percent freshness in Rotten Tomatoes' tomatometer.
Meanwhile, moviegoers can look forward to more treats this coming Halloween weekend. Opening on Friday, Oct. 31, are:
Before I Go to Sleep. This mystery thriller stars Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Anne-Marie Duff, and is about a woman who has amnesia, and wakes up each morning unable to remember anything. She tries to unravel her past as snippets of memories come back to her, only to find that things are not what they seem.
Nighcrawler. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton, this crime thriller is about a desperate man who finds work as a crime journalist in Los Angeles, covering accidents and bloody murders who, as Coming Soon puts it, "becomes the star in his own story."
The hit horror film "Saw" 10th Anniversary will also be shown in theaters on Friday.
