Capsule reviews for July 2

The Boss Baby: Family Business

Lacking the zip and originality of the 2017 original, this animated sequel is more obnoxious than endearing as it tracks the continued adventures of the precocious toddlers in BabyCorp trying to save the world in diapers. The animation is just as vibrant, although this follow-up feels like a narrative retread. Even worse, it suffers from a common pitfall within animated franchises driven more by financial than creative means — maximizing the mayhem in each frame to pander to youngsters with short-attention spans. The result manages some scattered big laughs but not much genuine heart or charm. The voice cast includes Alec Baldwin, Amy Sedaris, and Jeff Goldblum. (Rated PG, 107 minutes).

First Date

Trying to coast on quirks and adrenaline, this crime comedy combines two sets of formulaic ideas into an all-nighter not worthy of staying awake. Mike (Tyson Brown) is a timid teenager who gets the courage to ask out his crush (Shelby Duclos), and even buys a beat-down 1965 Chrysler on the cheap for the occasion. But his night quickly goes awry when he learns of the car’s secret contents, and gets worse when Mike meets the ruthless criminals seeking what’s inside. Brown and Duclos provide an offbeat charm along with some much-needed emotional grounding, although they’re too often relegated to the background amid the forced mayhem. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

The God Committee

Despite some compelling performances, a potentially provocative exploration of medical ethics is compromised by melodramatic contrivances. In the conference room of a New York hospital, five specialists deliberate which of three candidates deserve a heart arriving for transplant. The ramifications of their decision, and the motives behind it, extend seven years in the future, when a heart surgeon (Kelsey Grammer) discovers his latest breakthrough has consequences. The muddled script by director Austin Stark (The Runner) tries to juggle a character study about a conflicted doctor with a behind-the-scenes expose about organ transplantation. However, while it generates some intermittent tension, the jumbled chronology hinders the emotional stakes. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Kid Candidate

Its findings are more reinforced than revelatory, although this breezy documentary provides a compelling look at slimy municipal politics through the eyes of a naïve newcomer. It follows Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year-old musician from Amarillo, Texas, who parlays a series of goofy viral videos into a serious city council run against the city’s establishment. While rallying younger voters, his underdog campaign exposes how gentrification and partisanship have eroded his hometown’s socioeconomic fabric. Amarillo is a microcosm, of course, and Pedigo is an endearing presence alongside some eccentric figures on all sides of the political spectrum. The film smartly avoids self-promotion in favor of a modest call-to-action. (Not rated, 67 minutes).

Long Story Short

One of the least inspired uses of time-loop plot mechanics in recent memory, this Australian romantic comedy is labored and predictable. Teddy (Rafe Spall) wakes up the morning after his wedding to Leanne (Zahra Newman) with a curse that causes his life to flash forward exactly one year every few minutes. As anniversaries tick by, his life falls apart as he desperately seeks a way to solve his dilemma. Any life-affirming charm is sapped away by the self-absorbed Teddy, played by Spall (Anonymous) with a constant stammer, perpetual bewilderment, and a variety of facial hair. But the central relationship is never convincing in the first place. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Lydia Lunch: The War Is Never Over

You don’t have to agree with the views — or like the music — of the outspoken feminist punk provocateur to appreciate the feisty spirit of this documentary from director Beth B (Two Small Bodies). For 40 years and counting, her nihilist outlook toward politics, religion, and relationships has galvanized the anger in her art and polarized outsiders. The film details her troubled upbringing, fiercely independent nature, underground film career, and influence on other bands particularly in the New York punk scene. While it lacks depth in terms of her personal life, this edgy portrait digs into her rage and rebellion with the same commitment as Lydia herself. (Not rated, 78 minutes).

The Phantom

The guilty verdict is just the beginning of this powerful documentary about the need for criminal justice reform. It revisits a case from the 1980s involving the robbery and murder of a convenience store clerk in Corpus Christi, Texas. Despite maintaining his innocence, suspect Carlos DeLuna — who had a checkered past — was convicted and later executed. Decades later, evidence surfaced backing DeLuna’s claim. The incident and its aftermath has an entire thriller’s worth of twists and turns, and as British director Patrick Forbes compiles fresh recollections from those involved at the time, the film makes persuasive arguments regarding racial bias and capital punishment. (Not rated, 82 minutes).

Summer of Soul

More than just a history lesson or a mere concert recap, this riveting documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival is both specific to its setting and universal in its appeal. Using a wealth of archival footage, rookie director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson — drummer for hip-hop group the Roots — immerses us in an event that drew hundreds of thousands of spectators only 100 miles from Woodstock for an equally transfixing yet comparatively unheralded celebration of Black culture and politics. We’re transported back to genre-spanning performances from Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, and many more, assembled with relevance and urgency 52 years later. (Rated PG-13, 117 minutes).

Zola

Finding a balance of quirky style and ferocious attitude, this empowering character-driven drama from director Janicza Bravo (Lemon) is more than simply a convergence of art and social media. It’s based on a series of 148 tweets from the real-life Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress needing some quick cash, who’s lured into a Florida road trip by a stripper (Riley Keough) and her loose-cannon “roommate” (Colman Domingo) under false pretenses. Like the title character, the multilayered screenplay sidesteps shallow cliches of denigration or exploitation that come with the territory. While it lacks depth, this oddball adventure is consistently amusing, and Paige (Boogie) is electric. (Rated R, 86 minutes).