Capsule reviews for Oct. 23

Bone Tomahawk

Whatever narrative flaws might threaten to derail it, this ultraviolent horror-Western hybrid compensates with attitude, visual style and sheer originality. It takes place in a fictional Old West village where a couple of locals are abducted by cannibalistic cave-dwelling troglodytes, prompting a search party led by a sheriff (Kurt Russell) that gets more than it bargained for in its effort at handing out frontier justice. The script by rookie director Craig Zahler has more nuances than the average low-budget fanboy genre fare, and it steadily develops suspense with the help of a strong ensemble cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins. (Not rated, 132 minutes).

I Smile Back

Sarah Silverman completely transforms herself in a complex performance that deserves a better script than the one provided in this drama about dealing with mental illness. She plays Laney, a troubled suburban mother whose life with Bruce (Josh Charles) and their two kids appears stable on the surface, but that’s before we see her manic mood swings, for which she tries to cope with a combination of drugs, alcohol and self-loathing. The film certainly isn’t uplifting as it chronicles Laney’s struggles to gain control of her emotions, yet it tends to trivialize more than sympathize with her condition, despite Silverman’s audacious effort to shed her comedic persona. (Rated R, 85 minutes).

Jem and the Holograms

It might be based on a 1980s cartoon, but the tech-savvy target demographic is strictly contemporary for this ill-conceived female-empowerment fantasy about the title character (Aubrey Peeples), a shy California girl whose signing talent makes her a YouTube sensation, launching a rags-to-riches story in which she forms a highly successful pop group with her sisters. From there, it’s a predictable and pandering exercise – overseen with some slick and stylish touches by director Jon Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) – that doesn’t provide any meaningful insight into teen-idol fame or the music industry. The music is peppy enough, but the spoken dialogue feels like it was written with emoticons. (Rated PG, 118 minutes).