Capsule reviews for Sept. 12

At the Devil’s Door

Supernatural forces intervene in the world of residential real estate in this low-budget atmospheric thriller from director Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact) about a young realtor (Catalina Sandino Moreno) trying to sell a house with a troubled past. She meets a mysterious girl (Ava Acres) that turns out to be the runaway daughter of the couple selling the property, but her misguided attempts to help the family leads to the emergence of a force along the lines suggested by the title. At any rate, McCarthy lends some visual flair to the generic material, but the clumsy screenplay turns a potentially compelling premise into an incoherent mess. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

My Old Lady

A trio of strong performances can’t rescue this dark relationship comedy about a broke American (Kevin Kline) who comes to Paris to claim a lavish apartment he inherited from his estranged father, only to find that it comes with a clause that allows an old British woman (Maggie Smith) and her protective daughter (Kristin Scott Thomas) to live there. The Parisian scenery is nice, although director Israel Horovitz — who adapted his own stage play — generally fails to free the material from its stagebound roots. Still, Kline and Smith have some nice moments together, even if the transition from breezy comedy into more serious drama is clumsy. (Rated PG-13, 107 minutes).

The Skeleton Twins

Comedians Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig showcase their dramatic range without sacrificing their funny bones in this amusing and affecting look at family ties and the perils of depression. They play estranged siblings who reunite after a decade when each has reached a low point — he’s a suicidal gay man struggling with past demons, and she’s cheating on her husband (Luke Wilson) and dealing with fears about their future. The character-driven script mixes witty humor and tenderness in a way that never feels manipulative. It doesn’t trivialize the mental anguish that both of its characters feel, yet also doesn’t settle for a cheap resolution. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Stray Dogs

Both exhilarating and exhausting, this austere mood piece from Malaysian auteur Tsai Ming-liang (Goodbye, Dragon Inn) is a powerful examination of family bonds and socioeconomic strife that follows an alcoholic father (Lee Kang-sheng) who tries to earn a meager living while living in an abandoned building in Taipei with his two young sons, who subsist mostly on free food samples at the supermarket. It’s deliberately paced but rewards patience, with Tsai favoring long takes and often mundane details that might prove frustrating to moviegoers seeking a more traditional narrative approach. His latest of many collaborations with Lee is both challenging and puzzling, probably by design. (Not rated, 138 minutes).

Take Me to the River

The soulful music provides a smooth rhythm during the rough patches of this documentary from music producer Martin Shore about a project to bring multiple generations of musicians with Memphis ties together for a jam session in the studio. Along the way, we get to hear stories from legends like William Bell and Bobby Bland about how the segregated South shaped their early careers, and their mentorship of younger hip-hop artists such as Snoop Dogg and Yo Gotti seems heartfelt and genuine. Even if the filmmaking loses focus at times, the personalities on-screen are consistently engaging, and the experimental collaborations yield some toe-tapping tracks. (Rated PG, 95 minutes).