Capsule reviews for June 3

Approaching the Unknown

Following on the heels of The Martian, this science-fiction saga is an inferior low-budget copycat about a solo astronaut becoming lost in space. Mark Strong (The Brothers Grimsby) plays the man sent to begin the process of colonizing Mars. But despite his optimism and resourcefulness, things start to go awry aboard his rocket, causing him to lose contact with his NASA friend (Luke Wilson) and lose faith in the mission. Rookie director Mark Rosenberg adds some stylish touches, and Strong gives a sturdy performance. However, while the concept yields some moderate claustrophobic tension, it doesn’t offer an outlet for the protagonist to provide an emotional hook. (Rated R, 90 minutes).

The Idol

Critics of reality television might need to grit their teeth while enjoying this inspirational coming-of-age drama based on the true story of Mohammed Assaf (Tawfeek Barhom), a Palestinian teenager whose daily struggles growing up in a war-torn land are tempered by his dreams of a singing career. Eventually, that leads him to sneak out of Palestine to Egypt to audition for “Arab Idol,” the region’s spinoff of “American Idol,” and the rest is history. The screenplay by director Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now) smartly keeps its focus behind the scenes on the sociopolitical subtext and on the characters, portrayed by an expressive cast of mostly fresh faces. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

Urge

Drugs can kill, but in this tawdry thriller, you just wish they’d get it over with a little quicker. It takes place on an island off the New England coast, where a handful of former college classmates are enjoying a weekend getaway at a posh resort. That’s where a nightclub owner (Pierce Brosnan) introduces them to a drug that provides quite a high, as long as you only take it once. But when the millennials give into temptation, it makes them unable to control their sexual and violent impulses. The ensuing far-fetched plot twists might be tolerable if the shallow and superficial characters weren’t repellant. (Rated R, 89 minutes).

The Wailing

Rarely has a portrait of evil resonated with such haunting heartbreak as in this atmospheric thriller from Korean director Hong-Jin Na (The Yellow Sea). It begins with the arrival of an outsider in a small town, and escalates after he mysteriously disappears, setting off a chain of deaths involving sickness and paranoia. A policeman (Do Won Kwak) scrambles to save his own family while fighting for the survival of the villagers. Although it meanders in the middle, Na’s subversive screenplay features some clever twists that consistently ratchet up the tension without succumbing to genre pitfalls. It scores bonus points for also being funny and socially relevant. (Not rated, 156 minutes).

The Witness

One of the most notorious murders in New York City history is revisited in this compelling documentary about the 1964 killing of Kitty Genovese through the eyes of her younger brother Bill, who remains obsessed about finding closure more than four decades later. The killer was caught, but many questions remained, especially with regard to alleged witnesses who never rendered aid during the attack. Bill and director James Solomon shed new life on the events of that night by tracking down those who might recall how the truth differed from media reports. The result is fascinating, although more for its investigative process than its revelations. (Not rated, 89 minutes).