Capsule reviews for July 1

Black Magic for White Boys

Beneath the surface eccentricities, this sharply observed ensemble comedy from director Onur Tukel (The Misogynists) features a potent subtext about gentrification and socioeconomic disparities in contemporary New York. That’s where paths cross between three misogynistic schemers — a struggling magician (Ronald Guttman) who has developed spells to legitimately make people vanish, an unemployed trust-fund slacker (Tukel) whose blind date led to an unwanted pregnancy, and a soulless real-estate hustler (Lou Jay Taylor) with no regard for cultural preservation. Such characters generally lack sympathy, although Tukel’s uneven script is peppered with amusing misanthropic observations and clever one-liners. The result uses absurdist whimsy to overcome its sitcom trappings. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

Family Romance, LLC

Even the rare misfires from legendary director Werner Herzog are fascinating in their own way, and this micro-budget trifle is no exception. It’s set in Tokyo, where a 12-year-old girl (Mahoki Tamimoto) meets and bonds with a middle-aged man (Yuichi Ishii) she presumes to be his long-lost father. But he’s actually an impersonator hired by her lottery-winning mother to brighten the youngster’s outlook. More muddled than provocative, Herzog’s deliberately paced screenplay distances itself from the moral complexities, instead preferring to examine the artificial nature of contemporary relationships through a fictional story with factual roots. It’s stylish and intermittently amusing, tediously padded with quirky cultural asides. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Force of Nature

The equivalent of three cheesy action flicks for the price of one, this waterlogged crime thriller from director Michael Polish (90 Minutes in Heaven) never generates its intended suspense. As a hurricane bears down on Puerto Rico, a police officer (Emile Hirsch) is assigned to evacuate an apartment building, where the holdouts including a grizzled ex-cop (Mel Gibson) and his daughter (Kate Bosworth). As the building floods, they all get tangled up in a botched heist involving a gang of killers, a Nazi art collector, and the hungry carnivore hiding behind Door No. 3. Gibson’s scenery chewing brings some mild over-the-top amusement that quickly washes away. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Four Kids and It

A predictable mix of slapstick and sentiment, this adaptation of the venerable British children’s book by Jacqueline Wilson won’t have much appeal outside of its target demographic. Trying to start a blended family, David (Matthew Goode) and Alice (Paula Patton) each bring their two reluctant children on vacation in Cornwall. The precocious youngsters rebel until they discover a beach-dwelling, rodent-like creature (voiced by Michael Caine) with the power to grant wishes. As they try to outsmart a quirky landowner (Russell Brand), their unspoken wish is that of family harmony. The film manages some wholesome charm, yet forces the cuteness as it covers familiar thematic territory. (Rated PG, 110 minutes).

Relic

Instead of revealing too much, this Australian haunted-house thriller earns its chills by keeping viewers guessing. When her elderly mother suffering from dementia vanishes, Kay (Emily Mortimer) travels with her daughter (Bella Heathcote) to their rural family estate to investigate. Edna (Robyn Niven) eventually turns up, but something is clearly amiss, with clues pointing to a potential supernatural presence inside the house. The stylish debut of director Natalie James maintains an unsettling tension amid the sinister elements. Although the characters lack common sense during some key moments, the film finds a deeper emotional resonance through an elegiac examination of family dynamics that subverts genre expectations. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Seadrift

A powerful contemporary resonance simmers beneath the surface of this straightforward documentary, which recalls the buildup and aftermath surrounding a 40-year-old fatal shooting that shook up the titular fishing village along the Texas Gulf Coast. Specifically, director Tim Tsai traces the assimilation of refugees from war-torn Vietnam into the town during the early 1970s, and how their arrival sparked a dispute with local crab fishermen over rights and regulations. Things culminated in violence, leading to national media coverage, cries of injustice, and the KKK barging in to amplify the racial division. By not taking sides, the film promotes a worthwhile message of acceptance and reconciliation. (Not rated, 69 minutes).

Skyman

Daniel Myrick, co-director of the classic faux-documentary thriller The Blair Witch Project, returns to that format for this story of a conspiracy theorist in which the buildup outweighs the payoff. It follows Carl (Michael Selle), an eccentric California handyman who’s convinced he was the victim of a childhood alien abduction. Thirty years later, he’s still seeking closure and vindication for his claims, so he builds a desert compound filled with gadgets in anticipation of another UFO visit. It’s mildly unsettling, although if Carl was a real person, he wouldn’t be intriguing enough to warrant a documentary treatment. We’re more likely to mock him than sympathize. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

Suzi Q

American female rock pioneer Suzi Quatro gets a long-deserved turn in the spotlight with this straightforward documentary about her life and career. Regarded as the first female bass player to front her own rock band during the 1960s and 1970s, the diminutive Quatro paved the way for Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, and others. Yet while charting several hits internationally, she’s probably best known in the United States for her role on the sitcom “Happy Days.” Australian director Liam Firmager clearly is a fan, but mostly avoids hagiography in a film that could benefit from tighter editing. Still, for rock history buffs, it finds an appealing rhythm. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

Viena and the Fantomes

The wealth and glamour of the rock lifestyle can be an illusion, as illustrated by this 1980s coming-of-age drama about a fan who learns the hard way. Viena (Dakota Fanning) becomes a roadie for her favorite band, the Fantomes, and is drawn to their rebellious behavior and nomadic lifestyle. Then her loyalty is tested by romantic entanglements that could tear the group apart. Fanning’s deeply felt portrayal provides an emotional anchor, although the rest of these characters are mostly unappealing and untalented. Plus, the screenplay by director Gerardo Naranjo (Miss Bala) doesn’t explore gender politics or the music business of the era with any meaningful depth. (Rated R, 96 minutes).