Capsule reviews for Sept. 7

The Apparition Perhaps religious scholars are the target demographic for this contemplative, deliberately paced French drama that’s more effective in its setup than its payoff. It follows an investigative journalist (Vincent Lindon) hired by the Vatican to lead a canonical probe into an alleged sighting of a ghost of the Virgin Mary by a teenager (Galatea Bellugi) outside a small village. The screenplay by director Xavier Giannoli (Marguerite) delves into some deep questions about the Catholic faith and belief systems in general. Yet despite an intriguing performance by Lindon (The Measure of a Man), the film is only mildly provocative as it keeps an emotional distance. (Not rated, 144 minutes).   Cold Skin Ambition surpasses execution in the case of this cerebral, character-driven monster movie from French director Xavier Gens (Hitman). It takes place in 1914 on a remote, rocky Antarctic island where a young meteorologist (David Oakes) is stationed alongside a mentally unstable lighthouse keeper (Ray Stevenson), unaware that the island also is inhabited by an army of mutant amphibious predators, all but one of which is hostile. The deliberately paced film manages some intriguing character dynamics between men and beasts, yet the stylish visuals and creature designs hardly seem worth the trouble for a peculiarly tedious story that overall lacks excitement and emotional involvement. It’s cold, indeed. (Not rated, 108 minutes).   Hal Iconoclastic filmmaker Hal Ashby is saluted in this documentary that chronicles his career and his notoriously obsessive nature behind the scenes. After making some of the great edgy, character-driven films of the 1970s, such as Harold and Maude and Shampoo, Ashby faded into obscurity due to his unwillingness to conform to Hollywood studio dynamics. The film assembles interviews from many of his collaborators, from Jeff Bridges to Jane Fonda to Jon Voight, to pay tribute to a maverick craftsman, while his contemporaries gush about his legacy and influence. The result doesn’t probe as deeply as it could have, yet remains a fun ride for film buffs. (Not rated, 90 minutes).   Kusama: Infinity You don’t need to be a fan of eccentric Japanese sculptor and installation artist Yayoi Kusama to appreciate this documentary about her life and career. The film salutes her radical vision while also providing personal details such as Kusama’s upbringing in a dysfunctional family during World War II, her battles with mental illness, overcoming racism and sexism, and her continued devotion to her craft into her 80s. Rookie director Heather Lenz’s approach is straightforward considering her subject — and the abundance of documentaries about artists in general — yet it captures the essential elements of Kusama’s story in a way that should please both devotees and neophytes. (Not rated, 76 minutes).   Mara Combine some flimsy science and obscure Scandinavian folklore with a hefty dose of supernatural nonsense, and you’ve got this ridiculous low-budget mix of murder mystery and horror flick. Kate (Olga Kurylenko) is a forensic psychologist assigned to the case of a man brutally killed as he slept, supposedly by his wife. Yet as other victims emerge and Kate herself becomes an apparent target, she suspects something more sinister involving demonic possession and sleep paralysis. There are some intriguing concepts squandered within this mess, which relies on cheap frights, creepy imagery, shrieking music swells, and other genre clichés instead of generating meaningful or consistent suspense. (Rated R, 98 minutes).   The Nun Remember the sinister nun who conjured some frights in The Conjuring 2? Her malevolence comes full circle as the title character in this perfunctory spinoff — an origin story that might appeal to series completists. Set in the 1950s, the story chronicles a priest (Demian Bechir) and a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga) sent by the Vatican to investigate the suicide of a young nun in a remote Romanian castle, where they must deal with demons who have haunted the locals for generations. Irish director Corin Hardy (The Hallow) injects some visual flair into the lackluster material, which manages a handful of effective chills amid the genre clichés. (Rated R, 96 minutes).