Capsule reviews for April 5

Billboard

Finding a soft spot in the hearts of viewers who wax nostalgic about the days when AM radio and print media ruled, this strained comedy nevertheless doesn’t have the laugh quotient to match those intentions. Casey (John Robinson) inherits a fledgling Pennsylvania radio station from his late father. Out of financial desperation, he and his ragtag staff launch a contest offering prize money for contestants competing for longevity squatting on a station-owned billboard, before running into issues with listener discontent, bureaucratic red tape, and economic realities. The film’s attempts to exaggerate the stakes wind up sacrificing character depth and decreasing the on-air rooting interest. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

The Haunting of Sharon Tate

Cheap exploitation has rarely felt as brazen and transparent as in this lurid low-budget thriller, which reappropriates a scandalous true-life tragedy as a threadbare collection of slasher and home-invasion clichés. The screenplay by director Daniel Farrands (The Amityville Murders) offers no new insight into the 1969 death of emotionally troubled Hollywood starlet Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff), who was pregnant when she was murdered by members of the Manson Family cult in her own home while her husband, filmmaker Roman Polanski, was away. Absent any genuine chills, the wildly unfocused film is more likely to elicit unintentional snickers than anything else, especially before the violence takes over. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Peterloo

Sprawling yet intimate, this powerful historical drama from director Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies) recounts the titular 1819 tragedy, when British troops massacred peaceful Manchester protesters who were advocating for suffrage and other democratic rights for the working class. Most of the film chronicles the lead-up to that climactic gathering of 80,000, following orators such as Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) who mobilized the movement, and the opposing efforts of aristocratic lawmakers. Such dialogue-heavy repetition might work better on stage, but Leigh’s gritty visual flourishes capture the period as his textured narrative approach builds focus and tension — not to mention a palpable resonance 200 years later. (Rated PG-13, 154 minutes).

The Public

Heavy-handed contrivances undermine the compassionate message in this ensemble drama from director Emilio Estevez. He also stars as a librarian in downtown Cincinnati whose facility is a safe haven for many in the city’s homeless population. But when a winter cold snap makes the streets unsafe, they use the library as a protest site against the city’s lack of shelter space. Good intentions abound, of course, with regard to the message about marginalized outsiders. Yet the delivery lacks persuasion in part because the story becomes so far-fetched in the final hour. The sharp cast includes Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union, and Jeffrey Wright. (Rated PG-13, 122 minutes).

Storm Boy

The heartfelt message and affecting performances should be enough to attract youngsters to this modest Australian drama based on the acclaimed Colin Thiele children’s book. It’s told in flashback, recalling a 1950s childhood memory of a businessman (Geoffrey Rush), when he was a precocious boy (Finn Little) living in a remote fishing shack with his single father (Jai Courtney). Still haunted by a past tragedy, he found catharsis as the caretaker for three abandoned baby pelicans. The resulting lessons of ecology and responsibility resonate beyond the setting. Plus, the stylish visuals and alternately silly and poignant boy-and-bird sequences help an otherwise predictable story take flight. (Rated PG, 99 minutes).