Capsule reviews for April 12

Crypto

Don’t bother spending your hard-earned bitcoin on this lackluster thriller about a disgraced Wall Street compliance expert (Beau Knapp) demoted to a role at a bank branch in his hometown. The circumstances allow him to reconcile with his estranged father (Kurt Russell) and brother (Luke Hemsworth) at the family farm, to cozy up to a local store clerk (Alexis Bledel), and to uncover a criminal enterprise that jeopardizes all of them. There’s probably a decent cautionary tale to be made about the dark world of cryptocurrency, but this one is so haphazardly assembled and absurdly plotted that it cancels out any credibility on the subject. (Rated R, 105 minutes).

A Dark Place

A murder mystery that’s more about the investigator than the investigation, this low-key thriller never quite wraps its convoluted parts into a cohesive whole. Donny (Andrew Scott) is a mentally challenged trash collector who becomes obsessed with a child’s drowning death in his Pennsylvania town. He’s convinced foul play was involved, but when he starts sleuthing around for clues, Donny threatens his already tenuous relationships with friends and family. Hinting at a satire of red-state America and other social issues, the film’s intriguing ideas are undercut by structural problems during its gradual revelation of Donny’s motives and background, which limit the impact of the big twist. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Dogman

With bite to back up its bark, this taut character-driven thriller from Italian director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah) benefits from a dark sense of quirky humor and a surprisingly empathetic protagonist. Marcello (Marcello Fonte) operates a canine grooming business while acting as the timid sidekick to a ruthless drug dealer (Edoardo Pesce) to survive in a crime-ridden neighborhood. But when his loyalty is tested, so is Marcello’s fortitude when he’s forced to seek revenge for being wronged. There’s nothing especially deep or morally complex at work here, but the character dynamics are intriguing and the twists are compelling as the film spirals toward an inevitably violent conclusion. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

Girls of the Sun

Offering a fresh perspective toward ongoing military unrest in the Middle East, this provocative drama from French director Eva Husson (Bang Gang) recalls the true-life efforts of an all-female battalion of Kurdish rebels left with trying to defend their Iraqi hometown near the Turkish border from ruthless ISIS forces. As told from the perspective of an embedded journalist, the gritty film is uneven in some stretches and trite in others, yet gradually builds suspense and sympathy with an intimate character-driven approach that’s powerful without turning heavy-handed. A standout portrayal by Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) as the leader of the grassroots militia helps overcome some structural flaws. (Not rated, 115 minutes).

Her Smell

Even when it’s out of tune, the ferocity and fearlessness in this rock-star redemption story from director Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip) make it almost compulsively fascinating. The primary reason is the audacious performance by Elisabeth Moss as a washed-up punk rocker dealing with her declining fame and her various addictions, which have helped hinder her music career and turned personal life into a train wreck. Repairing relationships with her ex-husband (Dan Stevens), her bandmates, and others comes with a price. Perry and Moss aren’t afraid of making moviegoers uncomfortable, and while they overindulge their character’s unsympathetic behavior, at least their commitment is commendable. (Rated R, 134 minutes).

Little

Worthwhile messages about acceptance and bullying become lost amid the broad and formulaic execution of this comedy that plays, perhaps fittingly, like a reverse-engineered update of Big. It follows an egomaniacal tech mogul (Regina Hall) on the cusp of a major business deal when she’s magically transformed into her precocious but socially awkward 13-year-old self (Marsai Martin) and forced to relive the horrors of middle school through the body of a child with the mind of an adult. Meanwhile, her upbeat yet exasperated assistant (Issa Rae) is the only one who knows the secret. The charismatic performances bolster a screenplay that’s only sporadically amusing or poignant. (Rated PG-13, 108 minutes).

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

The dazzling visuals more than compensate for the uneven narrative momentum in this rumination about dreams, memories, and relationships from Chinese director Bi Gan (Kaili Blues). The elliptical plot isn’t easy to summarize, which works in its favor for adventurous moviegoers with the patience to handle the deliberate pace and fractured storytelling. Luo (Huang Jue) returns to his hometown province in search of a woman (Tang Wei) from his past, only to embark on a kaleidoscopic adventure blurring fantasy and reality. The real stunner comes in the final hour, when Gan unleashes a single tracking shot spanning almost an hour that’s both beautiful and deeply felt. (Not rated, 133 minutes).

Stockholm

True-life origins can’t disguise the derivative nature of this heist thriller, which doesn’t generate much of a rooting interest beneath its quirky surface. It’s loosely based on the robbery that gave birth to the term “Stockholm Syndrome,” chronicling a disguised crook (Ethan Hawke) who holds up a Swedish bank before trying to cozy up to one of his hostages (Noomi Rapace). The ensuing standoff leads to freedom for his criminal cohort (Mark Strong), but also frustration when his demands aren’t met. A trio of committed performances are mostly squandered as the film isn’t funny or suspenseful enough to compensate for a lack of depth and complexity. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Teen Spirit

The world hardly needs another movie about a singing competition, but at least the performance sequences in this British drama from actor-turned-director Max Minghella are staged with style and energy. The story follows small-town Violet (Elle Fanning), who dreams of pop-star fame and fortune. Hoping to participate in a television talent show, she finds an ally in a Russian former opera singer (Zlatko Buric) who sees mentorship as a path to his own redemption. Fanning’s great pipes bring an agreeable rhythm to a familiar story. However, like the bland music at its core, the movie turns into a hollow and formulaic compilation of underdog clichés. (Rated PG-13, 92 minutes).

Wild Nights With Emily

Who knows about its historical accuracy, but true or not, this rough-around-the-edges biopic adds some amusing spice to the legacy of notoriously reclusive 19th century poet Emily Dickinson. It’s a breezy and tender glimpse into a lesbian romance between Emily (Molly Shannon) and her sister-in-law (Susan Ziegler) during the height of her fame, filling in the details both from Emily’s perspective and that of one of her publishers (Amy Seimetz), who acts as the narrator. The gently comic film doesn’t try to disguise its intentions, unspooling its revisionist tale with heartfelt conviction. Primarily, though, Shannon’s portrayal adds depth and complexity and gives Emily a new voice. (Rated PG-13, 84 minutes).