Screen Scene for week of Jan. 13: Scorsese’s passion project ‘Silence’ leads best bets

Best bets opening Friday

“Silence” – Martin Scorsese’s passion project – which took a decade to come to fruition – takes place in the 17th century as two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor (Liam Neeson) and spread Christianity.

“Patriot’s Day” – An account of the Boston marathon bombings and the resulting pursuit of the men responsible for it. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon and John Goodman.

Also new this week

“The Bye Bye Man” – Horror tale about three college friends who stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, a mysterious figure who is the cause of evil behind man’s most unspeakable acts, like eating a dozen Twinkies in one sitting.

“Live by Night” – Ben Affleck directs and stars in this tale set in the Prohibition-era world of organized crime.

“Monster Trucks” – A high school senior (Lucas Till) builds a monster truck that comes to life. Squarely aimed at the kiddie set.

“Sleepless” – Jamie Foxx stars as cop with connections to the criminal underworld who scours a nightclub in search of his kidnapped son.

Last chance

These first-run films are ending soon:

“A Monster Calls” – A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom’s terminal illness.

“Manchester by the Sea” – Casey Affleck is brilliant as a tortured man who returns home when his brother dies.

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Screen Scene for week of Jan. 13: Scorsese’s passion project ‘Silence’ leads best bets."