Capsule reviews for June 23

The Bad Batch

Some striking visual flourishes can’t compensate for muddled storytelling in the English-language debut of Iranian filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night). The ultraviolent thriller follows a resilient young woman (Suki Waterhouse) as she navigates post-apocalyptic Texas, where she’s kidnapped by a community of cannibals, then escapes, only to realize through some oddball encounters (and amusing cameos) that savagery lurks around every corner. Waterhouse is appealing as the tough-minded heroine in a role that requires little dialogue — Amirpour instead relies on captivatingly stark imagery and a cool soundtrack. Yet despite its stylish originality, the overall impact is more tedious than suspenseful. (Rated R, 118 minutes).

In Pursuit of Silence

You might want to close your eyes during parts of this documentary, and that’s a good thing. As it mostly focuses its camera on mundane shots of rundown urban buildings and picturesque rural landscapes, it urges moviegoers to just listen to the natural sounds around you — without distractions from technology or incessant chatter. The point is that we don’t have enough silence in our lives, and while such a concept might seem obvious, the meditative approach of director Patrick Shen is persuasive. Although the pace is deliberate, those in the right mindset should appreciate a film that doesn’t need to speak to get its point across. (Not rated, 81 minutes).

Ripped

Besides its prominent on-screen presence, marijuana also likely played a significant role in the conception of this low-brow comedy, which follows stoner buddies Harris (Russell Peters) and Reeves (Faizon Love). After inhaling some magical weed as mischievous 1980s teenagers, the slackers travel through time to the present day, when their favorite pastime is legal (in some states). While they try to reunite with an old flame (Alex Meneses), they also learn about the wonders of cell phones and Starbucks. Most of the jokes are obvious, and the few scattered laughs are compromised by amateurish direction or stale punchlines. There’s not much of a high. (Not rated, 97 minutes).