Capsule reviews for Nov. 13

Chick Fight

Not as tough or edgy as its title suggests, this broad comedy about female empowerment is hardly a knockout. It follows Anna (Malin Akerman), whose life is in a downward spiral when she learns of an underground all-female fight club founded by her late mother. She sees the opportunity to improve her financial and emotional well-being, if only an alcoholic ex-trainer (Alec Baldwin) can whip her into shape for a high-stakes bout against Anna’s tough-talking rival (Bella Thorne). The actors seem to enjoy playing in a traditionally male-dominated arena, but their enthusiasm doesn’t make the lame gags funnier, or make the predictable film a winner. (Rated, 97 minutes).

The Climb

While its self-indulgent eccentricities might push you away, the relatable and heartfelt dynamics of this “bromantic” comedy keep drawing you back in. This glimpse into the highs and lows of an adult male friendship spanning more than a decade marks an audacious if uneven debut for director Michael Angelo Covino, who wrote the script with real-life buddy Kyle Marvin. Although their characters are fictional, their authentic rapport resonates as they portray longtime pals who stick together despite bickering over women and each other’s faults. The episodic story effectively weaves dark humor into serious subject matter while favoring long takes, overlapping dialogue, and random musical interludes. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Dreamland

Committed performances steer this meandering crime saga — about an outlaw couple seeking redemption on the lam — through its predictable narrative detours. It takes place in Depression-era, drought-ridden Texas, where Allison (Margot Robbie) is a fugitive bank robber hiding out in a rural barn. She’s discovered by Eugene (Finn Cole), a wayward teenager who happens to be the stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy (Travis Fimmel). With a bounty on her head, Allison offers a higher reward, and greater risk, if Eugene will take her to Mexico. More atmospheric than edgy, the film examines familiar themes with more emotional depth and moral complexity than you might expect. (Rated R, 101 minutes).

Echo Boomers

When the economy tanks, who will save the poor millennials? That’s the extent of the moral complexity and financial insight in this derivative white-collar heist thriller, which is all attitude and no substance. Around 2010, Lance (Patrick Schwarzenegger) is a college graduate with heavy debt and no job prospects. He channels his frustrations into a Robin Hood-style scheme run by a hot-tempered criminal (Alex Pettyfer) whose crew brazenly robs mansions. Fine actors, including Michael Shannon as a complicit art collector, are stranded by this empty exercise in finger-pointing and anti-capitalist cynicism — inspired by true events — that stumbles badly when trying to legitimize its unscrupulous rogues. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Fatman

A deliciously devious premise and some inspired casting fails to deliver its intended gift of edgy mischief to accompany your holiday cheer. Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) is struggling due to the worldwide rise of spoiled brats like Billy (Chance Hurstfield), who receives a lump of coal for Christmas. So the youngster hires a hitman (Walton Goggins) to exact revenge at Santa’s compound in rural Alaska, where it’s cold but Santa packs heat. Despite some scattered big laughs, the screenplay by sibling directors Ian and Eshom Nelms (Small Town Crime) doesn’t commit to either embracing its inherent silliness or playing it straight. Such indecisiveness leaves moviegoers chilly. (Rated R, 99 minutes).

Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

Another deep-dive inside the eccentric and obsessive mind of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, this documentary tackles the timeless and mysterious world of meteorites. Herzog and Cambridge volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer travel to some of the most remote places on Earth — from the Australian Outback to Antarctica — to find craters allegedly created by meteors, and how their cosmic significance is found in art, religion, astronomy, and metaphysics. Herzog’s typically affable narration makes some dense material more accessible and fascinating that it probably should be, even if the film overall is more noteworthy for the beauty of its journey than its collection of loopy metaphysical theories and scientific discoveries. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

The Giant

More pretentious than provocative, this atmospheric exercise in psychological horror never gets under your skin. Charlotte (Odessa Young) is a Georgia teenager haunted by her mother’s death and jolted a string of murders affecting her small-town classmates during the summer after graduation. Then an old boyfriend (Ben Schnetzer) reappears as a sort of apparition, causing nightmares that leave Charlotte’s best friend (Madelyn Cline) justifiably fearing for her mental health. Unfortunately, viewers might not share that empathy, in part because the screenplay by rookie director David Raboy — expanded from his short film — remains emotionally distant. Despite some visual flourishes, the result is muddled and tedious. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

Make Up

As it subverts genre expectations, this slow-burning psychological thriller transitions into a deeply personal exploration of sexuality and self-discovery. In rural England, Ruth (Molly Windsor) moves in with her boyfriend (Joseph Quinn) in a mobile home park, only to suspect he’s cheating on her. Ruth finds comfort in her friendship with a new co-worker (Stefanie Martini), later developing an obsession that causes her to reconsider her own feelings. The character-driven screenplay by rookie director Claire Oakley meanders through a deliberately paced first act before rewarding patience with a haunting undercurrent and some well-earned twists. Windsor’s intricately modulated performance helps the film sidestep coming-of-age clichés. (Not rated, 86 minutes).

Recon

While it’s an earnest tribute to the camaraderie and courage of our troops, this low-budget World War II thriller lacks the emotional stakes to transcend its narrative cliches. It follows four American soldiers sent on a perilous reconnaissance mission in the Italian mountains, where their resolve is tested by rugged conditions and by persistent sniper fire from an unseen enemy. Along the way, they take an elderly traveler (Franco Nero) as a prisoner. Relying more on talk than action, the true-life screenplay by rookie director Robert Port offers an intimate examination of the physical and psychological toll of war while struggling to resonate more deeply. (Not rated, 95 minutes).