3 movies open May 20 at Seattle-area theaters; here’s what to see

★★½ (out of four) “Men” (R, 100 minutes): While bogged down by vague metaphors, director Alex Garland’s latest work oozes a certain menace that’s successful enough to make a man feel like he’s experiencing some part of what women feel when surrounded by men. Full review here. Multiple theaters. — Scott Greenstone, Seattle Times features staff writer

★★½ “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (PG, 125 minutes): The new “Downton Abbey” film proclaims that it’s “A New Era,” but in actuality, it’s a real throwback. It’s not just that “Downton Abbey: A New Era” is a shiny replication of a world that’s nearly a century old, but it’s also a reminder of the world that we lived in when we loved “Downton Abbey,” those heady days of the 2010s when we gulped down seasons of the wildly popular, award-winning historical TV drama created by Julian Fellowes. Watching it feels like double escapism: to early 20th-century England, as well as to a pre-pandemic time. Full review here. Multiple theaters. — Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

★★★ “Emergency” (R, 105 minutes): Although the smart comedy-drama satire “Emergency” initially wants us to believe it’s about a pair of young Black men out for a night of partying before the spring break of their senior year at college, the film is far more concerned with giving viewers a window into what it can be like to be a young person of color in the United States. And while no one movie truly could give us that full picture, this is a mighty impressive swing at it. Full review here. Crest Cinema Center. — Mark Meszoros, The News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio)

This story has been updated. “Emergency” is playing at Crest Cinema Center in Shoreline, not Grand Illusion Cinema.