Capsule reviews for Aug. 7

Cop Car

This low-budget thriller might have made a riveting short film, but its thin concept feels padded and uneven at feature length. Still, there are some tense cat-and-mouse moments in this story of mischievous preteens Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Hays Wellford), whose idea to take abandoned cop car for a joyride backfires once a corrupt small-town sheriff (Kevin Bacon) decides he wants the vehicle back for a specific reason. Bacon has some unhinged fun with his twisted portrayal, although the rest of the characters lack sufficient depth and motivation. Along the way, the screenplay lets off the accelerator and runs into a few narrative dead ends. (Rated R, 86 minutes).

Dark Places

While Gone Girl was stylish and suspenseful, this latest big-screen adaptation of a Gillian Flynn novel is a muddled thriller that lacks the same energy and ambition. Charlize Theron admirably portrays an outcast still haunted by a murder spree that wiped out almost her entire family 25 years ago. Her brother, who was a teenager at the time, was convicted of the crime, but desperate circumstances cause her to revisit the tragedy in search of the truth. The structure of the screenplay by French director Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key) feels manipulative yet emotionally distant, and despite some powerful moments, the film squanders a talented ensemble cast. (Rated R, 113 minutes).

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

We’ve seen plenty of cinematic tales of lustful teenage boys, but rarely has the sexual awakening of an adolescent female been told with the frankness and sincerity of this debut from director Marielle Heller, who adapted Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel. It takes place in the early 1970s in San Francisco, where Minnie (Bel Powley) is a socially awkward aspiring artist who begins an affair with the boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgard) of her single mother (Kristen Wiig). Shrewdly using animation to illustrate Minnie’s sometimes dirty thoughts, the film is specific to its setting but features a character whose neuroses and self-esteem issues will resonate. Powley is terrific. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

The Gift

Versatile actor Joel Edgerton makes a sharp directorial debut with this low-key thriller that toys with traditional expectations in terms of revenge and redemption. It follows Simon (Jason Bateman), a corporate executive who has recently relocated with his wife (Rebecca Hall) to Los Angeles, where a chance encounter with one of Simon’s old classmates (Edgerton) takes some creepy turns, especially when the past nature of their relationship is revealed. Even if there are some generic elements, the mildly provocative screenplay features some clever twists and keeps the rooting interest for moviegoers appropriately uncertain. Solid acting and stylish direction complement the film’s unsettling throwback vibe. (Rated R, 108 minutes).

The Runner

Despite its true-life backdrop, there’s not much authenticity in this contrived drama about an idealistic Louisiana congressman (Nicolas Cage) with Senate aspirations who leaps into the national spotlight for his efforts to help victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill just as a sex scandal threatens his career. The screenplay by rookie director Austin Stark contains a fair amount of cynicism toward media sensationalism and the political system, yet by always focusing on the politicians instead of the working-class Gulf Coast residents whose livelihoods have been destroyed, the film indulges in that which it condemns. The cast includes Connie Nielsen, Sarah Paulson and Peter Fonda. (Rated R, 90 minutes).