Capsule reviews for Aug. 7

Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine

Rock fans who recall flipping through its pages won’t be surprised that the anarchic behind-the-scenes stories from the heyday of Creem magazine are just as outrageous as its content. This breezy documentary pays tribute to both of those aspects of the publication’s 20-year run during the 1970s and 1980s, from its birth amid the influential Detroit music scene to its emergence as an edgier alternative to Rolling Stone to its embrace of the punk-rock scene. The film also spotlights the eccentric personalities on the Creem team while enabling an impressive roster of interviewees to wax nostalgic about its legacy. The result is both amusing and insightful. (Not rated, 73 minutes).

How to Fake a War

Trying to balance a mistaken-identity farce with a media satire, this uneven British comedy misses the mark either way. The premise is somewhat inspired, as it follows a beleaguered PR executive (Katherine Parkinson) whose boorish rock-star client (Jay Pharoah) needs an image makeover. So she flies to the Georgian border with an enthusiastic intern (Lily Newmark), trying to exploit sociopolitical unrest to ensure that the singer’s upcoming charity peace concert will have the intended effect. The feature debut of German director Rudolph Herzog — son of Werner — never generates enough consistent laughs or pathos to explore any meaningful subtext, or to garner sympathy for its scheming protagonists. (Not rated, 84 minutes).

I Used to Go Here

You want to relive your college years, you say? This amusing and sharply observed comedy explains why that’s not such a great idea. It follows a fledgling big-city author (Gillian Jacobs) invited by a former professor (Jemaine Clement) to appear for a reading at her small-town alma mater. She enthusiastically accepts, before her nostalgic weekend becomes overwhelmed by awkwardness and self-pity, both from old acquaintances and current students who look to her for mentorship. The screenplay by director Kris Rey (Unexpected) occasionally lacks depth, yet its journey of self-discovery resonates with sardonic authenticity. Plus, despite some far-fetched contrivances, the strong ensemble cast keeps the material grounded. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Made in Italy

You can see why Liam Neeson was drawn to this heartfelt yet predictable drama of male bonding and reconciliation. He gets to star alongside his real-life son, Micheal Richardson, while shooting in the sun-drenched beauty of Tuscany. However, the directorial debut of actor James D’Arcy is fairly derivative with its story of an eccentric British painter (Neeson) forced to renovate a dilapidated Italian villa he co-owns with his estranged son, who needs to sell it for some quick cash. The project brings them closer together as they confront past tragedies. There are powerful moments along the way, even if the overall impact is slight and forgettable. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Out Stealing Horses

Beneath the bleakness, there’s a cathartic beauty in this incisive character study about guilt, regret, and mortality from Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland (Cold Pursuit). Set against the backdrop of Y2K paranoia, the story centers on a bitter old man (Stellan Skarsgard) living in a rustic cabin, where he’s haunted by memories of turmoil and tragedy from his past — including a particularly painful episode involving his father when he was a teenager (Jon Ranes). Then he meets a new neighbor (Bjorn Floberg) who might hold the key to closure. Moland’s deliberately paced script rewards patience as it ties together the abundant flashbacks in the second half. (Not rated, 123 minutes).

She Dies Tomorrow

The axiom “live each day like it’s your last” takes on new meaning for the characters in this unsettling examination of mortality and mental illness that benefits from Kate Lyn Sheil’s captivating performance. Sheil plays an alcoholic loner convinced, without medical or psychological evidence, that the titular prophecy will come true. As she tells a small group of friends of her impending personal doom, they begin to feel the same sensation — also without provocation. The deliberately abstruse screenplay by director Amy Seimetz (Sun Don’t Shine) muddles its creepy concept with some narrative misdirection, but the film’s haunting imagery helps to lend thought-provoking emotional urgency. (Rated R, 86 minutes).

Spinster

Viewers on the same acerbic wavelength will find some big laughs sprinkled amid the predictable plotting in this vehicle for comedian Chelsea Peretti (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”). She stars in this quirky Canadian romantic comedy as a Nova Scotia caterer with a cynical outlook on relationships and motherhood. But as she nears 40, she becomes anxious about her future prospects, and tries to soften her wisecracking bitterness. Although most of the periphery characters are generic, Peretti’s portrayal finds the right balance of obnoxious quirks and offbeat charm. There’s not a lot of substance, but at least it should provide a springboard to future roles for its star. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

The Tax Collector

With its derivative dialogue and familiar narrative themes, this lurid thriller from director David Ayer (Suicide Squad) provides a vivid but muddled glimpse into the brutality of Latinx gang rivalries in Los Angeles. The story centers on a character appropriately named Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), who enforces protection debts for a crime boss and eagerly retaliates against those who don’t pay. He eventually encounters a ruthless Mexican gangster (Jose Conejo Martin) whose revenge plot includes endangering Creeper’s partner (Bobby Soto) and family. Ayer’s screenplay resorts to clichés that overwhelm any attempts to differentiate these mean streets. The bullets do the talking without much to say. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

A Thousand Cuts

Eventually, as the subject of this eye-opening documentary, Filipino journalist Maria Ressa draws the same parallel connection viewers have long since realized — that her colleagues across the Pacific Ocean can sympathize with her plight. Ressa is the founder of a website frequently critical of Rodrigo Duterte’s authoritarian administration, which responds by waging a smear campaign on social media and through brazen rhetoric with threats for her safety and eventual imprisonment. As director Ramona Diaz (Motherland) chronicles Ressa’s uphill battle for press freedom during a contentious election year, the film’s broader resonance brings added urgency to its issues. Ressa’s tenacity deserves to be celebrated, not persecuted. (Not rated, 110 minutes).