The second annual National Cinema Day is this Sunday, Aug. 27. Not only is it a celebration of film, it’s a chance for people to save big on ticket prices. Tickets for all film formats across most major movie theater chains will cost only $4.

“You can’t even buy a bottle of water for $4,” Boston Globe film critic Odie Henderson said on Boston Public Radio on Thursday.

National Cinema Day is hosted by the Cinema Foundation, a nonprofit with the goal to promote and expand the cinema industry. This day comes in the midst of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes as writers and actors push for better wages and protections from artificial intelligence.

The strike hasn’t stopped moviegoers, however. Summer box office sales are reaching close to $4 billion, up nearly 17% from last year. Thanks mostly to the releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in July.

Henderson said this is the weekend for “Oppenheimer” fans to take advantage of discounted prices on IMAX 70mm showings. A ticket that usually rings up at $45 will be only $4 this weekend, he said. Perhaps it’s time for a “ Barbenheimer” double feature?

Here’s a list of Boston-area theaters participating in National Cinema Day.

And here’s Henderson’s latest reviews to help guide discounted movie choices:

“Red, White and Royal Blue”

Best described as a “gay romcom” where the son of the American president and the British prince fall in love. It stars Taylor Zakhar Perez, Thomas Flynn and Uma Thurman. Usually Henderson thinks romcoms — both gay and straight — are terrible because the love story is often overcomplicated by outside tensions.

But he said, “this is a movie where gay people are allowed to be stupid. And so it works out because I thought it was romantic.”

"Passages"

The film was rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association because of its discussion of gay sexual content, though Henderson thinks that rating was undeserved.

Henderson said many theaters won’t play NC-17 films and they can’t be promoted on television.

“It’s basically an economic block,” he said. The film's director, Ira Sachs, has protested the rating, saying it’s homophobic towards the film’s content. The film was ultimately released as unrated.

Henderson gave “Passages” a negative review because of its “doormat” characters and a tired storyline where a character keeps loving a “toxic” masculine character.

“But it's a fascinating film. The performances are very good,” Henderson said. “Most critics seem to be raving about it, but I would say see it if it is of interest.”

"Blue Beetle"

The superhero movie with a Latino lead that dethroned “Barbie” at the box office. A beetle-like scarab implants itself into a young man, giving him powers. “He's kind of like Iron Man if Iron Man was a beetle,” Henderson said.

“I enjoyed it for what it was,” he said. “It's fun … you have some good special effects.”

"Strays"

Perhaps best to stay away from this comedy starring Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell and Will Forte. Per Henderson, “'Strays' was bad.” But for only $4…