Capsule reviews for June 19

Babyteeth

A committed performance by Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) gives bite to this Australian coming-of-age drama about a teenage cancer patient whose health issues are exacerbated by dysfunction in her suburban family life. Specifically, she’s dating a rebellious drifter (Toby Wallace) against the wishes of her pill-popping mother (Essie Davis) and her philandering psychiatrist father (Ben Mendelsohn). The feature debut of director Shannon Murphy feels too calculated in some of its narrative gimmicks and quirks, which tend to diminish the emotional impact. However, when it remains focused on the central relationship, the character-driven approach mostly sidesteps the maudlin sentimentality of many movies about terminal illness. (Not rated, 118 minutes).

Miss Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an annual celebration of the day in 1965 when slavery essentially ended in Texas. It provides the backdrop for this heartfelt melodrama driven by richly textured characters and cultural significance. It follows a blue-collar single mother (Nicole Beharie) and former winner of the titular pageant who’s now preparing her teenage daughter (Alexis Chikaeze) to follow in those footsteps — mostly against the youngster’s wishes — while trying to shield her from the duo’s socioeconomic struggles that stem partially from mom’s regrettable choices. Rookie director Channing Godfrey Peoples provides a fresh and relevant perspective on parents living vicariously through their children, while the film resonates with authenticity. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

7500

Heightened sensitivity regarding air travel, even two decades after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, add suspense to this moderately taut thriller named after the air-traffic code for hijacking. It takes place almost entirely inside the cockpit of a commercial airliner bound for Paris from Berlin, which is overtaken by terrorists. After subduing an initial confrontation, the American co-pilot (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) must outwit the trio of rogue activists while trying to make an emergency landing, without opening the door behind him. Although it benefits from its claustrophobic setting and Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal, the film struggles to devise enough narrative twists and white-knuckle thrills to keep itself airborne. (Not rated, 92 minutes).