Capsule reviews for June 4

The Carnivores

There’s not a lot of, ahem, meat to this offbeat suburban horror fantasy, although its amusing quirks provide a breezy diversion. The story revolves around postal employee Brett (Lindsay Burdge) and her wife, Alice (Tallie Medel), whose ailing pooch goes missing. That coincides with Alice’s sleepwalking episodes and uncontrolled cravings, the combination of which sends both women into a downward spiral that threatens their relationship. Both performances keep the characters grounded while frustrated moviegoers are left to figure out what’s real and what’s imagined. The film struggles to explore its subtext with much depth, yet its subversive approach to genre elements leaves you hungry for more. (Not rated, 76 minutes).

Edge of the World

A committed performance by Jonathan Rhys Meyers drives this ambitious biopic of 18th century British explorer James Brooke, who later inspired The Man Who Would Be King. Brooke travels to Borneo seeking redemption following a series of personal setbacks. He becomes enamored with the island, falling in love with a local woman (Josie Ho) while initiating a power struggle with tribal leaders over their embrace of savagery and slavery. Uneven in condensing its true-life subject matter, the deliberately paced film is directed with visual flair by music-video veteran Michael Haussman. It settles into a compelling character study that also offers a broader examination of Victorian-era colonialism. (Not rated, 104 minutes).

Flashback

There might be a clever idea buried somewhere within this mind-bending thriller, if anyone cares enough to figure it out. Fred (Dylan O’Brien) is an artist who becomes haunted by events during his senior year in high school — triggered by a chance encounter with a former classmate (Emory Cohen) — including the disappearance of a girl (Maika Monroe) and the introduction of a hallucinatory drug. As Fred’s past and present blur together, the nonlinear screenplay by Canadian director Christopher MacBride is so busy trying to unscramble its narrative puzzle that it lacks any emotional entry point for moviegoers. Instead, it winds up gimmicky and pretentious. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Grace and Grit

Exemplifying neither of the qualities suggested by its title, this aggressively sentimental romance strings together enough eye-rolling cliches to prompt tears for the wrong reasons. This muddled adaptation of the heartfelt memoir by philosopher Ken Wilber winds up exploiting the true-life tragedy at its center. A whirlwind courtship leads to marriage between Ken (Stuart Townsend) and Treya (Mena Suvari), whose breast cancer diagnosis leads to a brave and resilient battle for both of them. Unfortunately, such courageous attributes are overwhelmed by uneven storytelling and direction in the translation from page to screen. Despite committed portrayals, the screenplay by rookie director Sebastian Siegel lacks emotional resonance. (Rated R, 111 minutes).

Gully

As aimless as its trio of wayward teenage protagonists, this gritty coming-of-age drama squanders a talented young cast under the weight of heavy-handed urban cliches. It tracks the brotherly bond between tough-talking Calvin (Jacob Latimore), loose cannon Nicky (Charlie Plummer), and loyal sidekick Jesse (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an emotionally fragile mute. They navigate the streets of Los Angeles scarred from upbringings defined by abuse, neglect, and extreme violence. Whether intended as a cautionary tale about parental responsibility or a portrait of generational urban decay, the well-meaning film is moderately provocative yet struggles to generate sympathy for its disenfranchised adolescents amid the relentless destruction and despair. (Rated R, 84 minutes).

Hero Mode

There are some narrative glitches in this dorky wish-fulfillment fantasy that’s also a heartfelt tribute to gamer culture past and present. But while this coming-of-age trifle is versed in the lingo, the formulaic storyline could use a cheat code. It follows a teenage coding prodigy (Chris Carpenter) who has dreamed of working at his late father’s fledgling videogame development company run by his single mother (Mira Sorvino). His chance comes with high stakes, as the firm desperately needs a breakthrough to stay afloat. That simplistic underdog scenario plays out in clunky fashion due to some increasingly far-fetched twists that compromise the occasional flashes of nerdy charm. (Rated PG, 88 minutes).

Super Frenchie

You don’t need to be an adrenaline junkie to appreciate this documentary about Matthias Giraud, a French daredevil whose specialty is ski base jumping, which involves skiing off the world’s highest peaks cliffs, then parachuting to the valley below. It sounds like an entry from the Warren Miller filmography, but rookie director Chase Ogden achieves a nice mix between the breathtaking sequences of Giraud in action with a more intimate glimpse into his family life, and his new perspective on risks and rewards following a life-threatening crash. The result is uneven, although the title subject’s infectious enthusiasm turns the film into a charming mad-scientist story. (Not rated, 77 minutes).

Under the Stadium Lights

Taking pages from a well-worn playbook, this hokey football drama lacks subtlety and surprise in depicting the 2009 championship season at Abilene High School in Texas. It’s told primarily from the perspective of the team chaplain (Milo Gibson), who counsels players dealing with a variety of personal and family troubles involving drugs, violence, and incarceration. The film showcases the common ability of high school football to unite a community, spark a sense of brotherhood and purpose for young athletes, and generate long-lasting memories. Yet those aren’t exactly fresh insights. Meanwhile, the heavy-handed script lacks the dexterity to juggle multiple subplots without fumbling the emotional impact. (Rated PG-13, 109 minutes).

Undine

Grounding a fairytale fantasy in gritty reality, this lightweight German romance manages an enchanting balance of weirdness and whimsy. Taking its cues from the eponymous myth of the water nymph, Undine (Paula Beer) is a Berlin historian who has just been dumped by her unfaithful boyfriend (Jacob Matschenz) when she meets an industrial diver (Franz Rogowski) on one of her urban-planning tours. As their whirlwind relationship deepens, the story swims in marine metaphors both contrived and charming. The structurally uneven screenplay by director Christian Petzold (Transit) is bolstered by strong performances from Beer and Rogowski, whose convincing chemistry adds a layer of emotional appeal. (Not rated, 89 minutes).