Capsule reviews for Aug. 2

15 Minutes of War

Outside of those 15 minutes, there’s not much to separate this generic geopolitical thriller from the pack, which is a shame considering its true-life source material. It recounts the 1976 hijacking by Somalian rebels of a school bus carrying young French students along the border with Djibouti, then a French colony. During the ensuing hostage standoff, an American schoolteacher (Olga Kurylenko) stands up to the perpetrators, while a squad of snipers faces a moral dilemma after bureaucrats complicate their rescue mission. While director Fred Grivois employs some technical gimmicks to ratchet up the tension, the film struggles to manufacture intrigue between its bookend action sequences. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

Ladyworld

The concept of a contemporary all-female twist on Lord of the Flies sounds more interesting than it plays out in this misguided post-apocalyptic oddity. It shifts the action from a remote island to a house that transforms into a makeshift underground bunker following a mysterious catastrophe. Eight teenage girls are trapped inside, left to fend for themselves while dealing with limited provisions, insecurities and infighting, troubling personal secrets, bizarre behavior, and dwindling hopes of rescue. As their odyssey becomes more surreal, the screenplay by rookie director Amanda Kramer taps into adolescent angst yet never provides the slightest incentive for emotional investment in these wayward characters. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

Luce

An electrifying portrayal by Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Monsters and Men) in the title role galvanizes this incisive examination of racial and cultural stereotypes that’s equally compelling and provocative. Luce is an honor student at a suburban high school whose parents adopted him from Eritrea as a youngster. When a teacher (Octavia Spencer) becomes concerned by disturbing content in a paper, however, his impeccable reputation is questioned and his mother (Naomi Watts) isn’t sure who to believe. As the blame game unfolds, the truth gradually becomes less important than the sociopolitical subtext simmering beneath the surface. Despite some final-act contrivances, the tension builds and the themes resonate. (Rated R, 109 minutes).

The Operative

Three strong central performances can’t overcome a lack of consistent suspense in this espionage thriller that generates a handful of taut twists yet too often settles for genre conventions. It follows Rachel (Diane Kruger), who is recruited as an undercover Israeli intelligence agent for a mission to infiltrate a company with potential connection to nuclear weapons in Tehran. Of course, it doesn’t go as planned, with her handler (Martin Freeman) and her target (Cas Anvar) both becoming ensnared in a life-or-death struggle. The bilingual screenplay by director Yuval Adler (Bethlehem) knows its spy terminology, yet softens some of the moral and sociopolitical complexities in the material. (Not rated, 116 minutes).

Piranhas

It flashes potential on both sides of the camera, but this gritty Italian crime thriller is formulaic beneath its mildly unsettling surface. It’s set in Naples, essentially depicting a fictional version of the types of true-life adolescent street gangs that have become a part of the social fabric there. In the case of 15-year-old Nicola (Francesco Di Napoli) and his clean-cut delinquents, they are being groomed by mob bosses for a future in organized crime. However, their reckless string of robberies and drug deals feels more mundane than scandalous as it spirals toward an inevitably tragic outcome. Gomorrah covered similar territory with greater urgency and conviction. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

A Score to Settle

For the past several years, Nicolas Cage has practically cornered the market on these sorts of assembly-line revenge thrillers, including this predictably lackluster entry from director Shawn Ku (who showed more promise with the 2010 drama Beautiful Boy). Cage plays an ex-con whose incarceration stems from being framed for murder by his connections within a crime syndicate. As he tries to reconnect with his teenage son (Noah Le Gros), he seeks retribution for his past. The film manages some gritty visual flourishes and a couple of amusing — if hardly compelling — plot twists. But mostly, it’s another excuse for Cage to showcase his trademark loose-cannon energy. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

Tel Aviv on Fire

It might not do much to advance peace in the Middle East, but this witty and charming comedy brings a unique perspective to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Salam (Kais Nashif) is a production assistant on a Palestinian soap opera, set amid turmoil in 1967, who winds up being the head writer after a creative conflict. He’s forced to learn his job on the fly while trying to impress his girlfriend (Maisa Abd Elhadi), and incorporating ideas from financiers and Israeli soldiers, and others. The satire is somewhat mild, given the backdrop of real-life sociopolitical volatility, yet it sharply weaves together characters on both sides without turning heavy-handed. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

Them That Follow

More noteworthy for its evocative atmosphere than its conventional narrative, this deliberately paced glimpse into backwoods belief systems is only intermittently unsettling. In a rural Appalachian cult, a teenager (Alice Englert) is trying to hide her pregnancy — by someone other than her arranged fiancé, no less — from her father (Walton Goggins), a pastor whose oppressive methods involve snake handling, faith healing, and social isolation. Along the way, their way of life is threatened as more cracks in the system are exposed. Despite an intriguing premise, the film is weighed down by third-act melodramatic contrivances. The sharp cast includes Olivia Colman, Thomas Mann and Lewis Pullman. (Rated R, 98 minutes).