Capsule reviews for Aug. 6

John and the Hole

Certain to raise some eyebrows because of its moral ambiguity, this audacious domestic thriller is a harrowing examination of adolescent psychology, child welfare, and turbulent family dynamics. John (Charlie Shotwell) is a 13-year-old tennis prodigy who decides one day to drug his parents (Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Ehle) and older sister (Taissa Farmiga), then hold them hostage in an abandoned bunker in the woods so he can have the house to himself. His motives and his endgame remain unclear. The non-judgmental approach of rookie director Pascual Sisto can be distancing, although Shotwell (Eli) keeps this character study compelling despite the lack of a sympathetic protagonist. (Rated R, 104 minutes).

Materna

The stories of four women are told separately, yet they’re intertwined to cumulatively powerful effect in this anthology from rookie director David Gutnik. The quartet is connected by a violent altercation on the New York subway, and through a shared affliction afterward. Jean (Kate Lyn Sheil), Mona (Jade Eshete), Ruth (Lindsay Burdge), and Perizad (Assol Abdullina) couldn’t be different in terms of cultural background and political views. As we follow them home and meet their families in the spirit of celebrating diversity and challenging preconceptions from a female perspective. Episodic by nature and perhaps to a fault, the film’s final segment is its most intriguing. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

Naked Singularity

Just like its protagonist, this muddled thriller has an identity crisis, combining elements of a legal procedural, a forbidden romance, a crime saga, and even throwing in a science-fiction twist. Yet those parts never form a cohesive whole in this story of a brash and idealistic young public defender (John Boyega) who becomes frustrated with injustices both for himself and his clients. Needing a fresh start, he connects with an ex-con (Olivia Cooke) with connections to a lucrative yet risky drug heist. Rookie director Chase Palmer can’t decide whether the approach should be slick or gritty. Meanwhile, a strong cast can’t rescue the subpar material. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

She Ball

Beneath its streetwise swagger, director Nick Cannon’s urban basketball saga addresses gentrification, racial profiling and stereotypes, socioeconomic inequality, political corruption, and more. Yet while it scores points for ambition, the screenplay is too heavy-handed and wildly unfocused to have the intended impact. Cannon plays a former hooper struggling to keep a recreation center from defaulting to corporate interests or attracting gang involvement. Along the way, his relationship with a female streetball player (Melody Rae) causes drama among friends and family. Amid its various subplots, the film conveys an infectious energy, especially for hardwood aficionados, but the characters are thinly sketched and structurally it feels haphazard. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Swan Song

A deeply committed performance by legendary character actor Udo Kier in a rare starring role boosts this introspective comedy about aging and queer identity. Kier plays Pat, a former hairdresser now confined to a small-town Ohio nursing home. But when a former client (Linda Evans) drops dead, her will specifies that Pat style her final hairdo for the funeral. The assignment enables him to recapture his flamboyant spirit and meet some eccentrics along the way — including an ex-protégé (Jennifer Coolidge) who became a rival. The deliberately paced screenplay by director Todd Stephens (Gypsy 83) suffers from uneven narrative momentum, yet resonates with tenderness and heartfelt charm. (105 minutes).

Whirlybird

Recapping the career of famed Los Angeles helicopter reporter Bob Tur would be fascinating by itself, but this bittersweet documentary combines that retrospective from the skies with a grounded examination of his personal life. Tur began as a breaking news junkie whose rise to fame included aerial coverage of the city’s 1992 riots and the O.J. Simpson highway chase two years later. But his perfectionism led to abusive tendencies that tore apart his family and led to dramatic personal changes. Rookie director Matt Yoka mixes new interviews with extensive footage from Tur’s archive into a compelling look at an influential news figure and his conflicted legacy. (Not rated, 103 minutes).