Capsule reviews for Feb. 7

Come to Daddy

As a riff on the delicate dynamics of father-son relationships, this gleefully twisted thriller has style and attitude to spare but offers a lackluster payoff for its clever premise. Norval (Elijah Wood) is an artist summoned by his estranged father to a remote lakeside cabin, which he figures is a chance at reconciliation. It doesn’t turn out that way, especially when dad’s true motives are revealed, and the timid Norval winds up in a fight for survival. After its big reveal, the film falls back on abundant gore and gross-out gags. If you subtract alcohol and add common sense, there’d barely be any story at all. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

The Lodge

Creepy and disturbing in a good way, the English-language debut of Austrian directors Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy) is another twisty thriller about maternal strife. A recently divorced businessman (Richard Armitage) wants to introduce his new fiancée, Grace (Riley Keough), to his disapproving children, so he organizes a holiday getaway at a lakeside cabin. Then sinister happenings force Grace and the youngsters to confront spiritual demons from her past. Despite leaving some unanswered questions, the film balances its jump scares and unsettling imagery with the psychological terror beneath the surface to chilling effect — and not just because of the harsh wintry setting. (Rated R, 109 minutes).

Waiting for Anya

The concept sounds more intriguing than the execution in this World War II melodrama adapted from a children’s novel by British author Michael Morpurgo (War Horse). It takes place in a French village, where a teenage shepherd (Noah Schnapp) is awaiting his father’s return from battle. He meets a concentration camp escapee (Frederick Schmidt) who’s been separated from his daughter. So he and his mother-in-law (Anjelica Huston) have been smuggling Jewish children from Germany to Spain, hoping to one day reunite with her. Despite the subject matter, the film never establishes much genuine tension. Instead, it’s a well-intentioned coming-of-age saga that’s more tedious than thrilling. (Not rated, 109 minutes).