Capsule reviews for Sept. 3

Cinderella

Aside from the vibrant visuals, the latest big-screen version of the oft-told fairy tale from director Kay Cannon (Blockers) strains to be hip and progressive as it checks all the boxes for feminism and inclusivity. In this contemporary reimagining, Cuban pop singer Camila Cabello demonstrates screen presence in the title role and has the vocal dexterity to handle the elaborate song-and-dance numbers. As usual, Cinderella’s ambitions are stifled by her overbearing stepmother (Idina Menzel), while her gender-fluid fairy godparent (Billy Porter) provides guidance. Despite some intermittent charm, the worthwhile empowerment message feels heavy-handed, as though the film wants to subvert the source material without embracing it. (Rated PG, 110 minutes).

The Gateway

A vigilante social worker sounds like an amusing twist to an assembly-line crime drama, although this gritty exercise becomes caught between a brooding character study and a formulaic revenge thriller. Parker (Shea Whigham) becomes obsessed with his latest case, involving a St. Louis girl (Taegen Burns) and her mother (Olivia Munn). When her abusive husband (Zach Avery) is released from prison, he tries to lure them into a drug-smuggling ring, with the troubled Parker as their only hope for safety. Whigham (“Boardwalk Empire”) offers a fascinating antihero portrayal, but the periphery characters aren’t nearly as well developed, and the film settles for a predictable payoff. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Hands Up

The intentions might be pure, but the heavy-handed execution undermines the message in this earnest low-budget thriller about pervasive violence on the streets of Chicago, and how perspectives have shifted given the contemporary climate of social unrest. It follows a teenager (Jermaine Johnson) who wants to break free from some difficult circumstances. But when his cousin is killed by a police officer for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s forced to question his future amid the cycle of gang violence, drug dealing, and fractured trust. The overwrought direction erodes the credibility of a film that oversimplifies some complex issues without bringing anything new to the conversation. (Not rated, 81 minutes).

Mogul Mowgli

Another deeply committed performance by Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) as a troubled musician drives this heartfelt character study about cultural heritage and artistic expression. He plays Zed, a rapper looking for his big break in the underground London club scene when his future is threatened by a debilitating illness. That forces him to return to his family in Pakistan, where he must reconcile with his ethnic and religious identity, along with his father. The screenplay by Ahmed and director Bassam Tariq becomes muddled as it drifts between fantasy and reality, but while it’s rough around the edges, the film still resonates across cultural boundaries. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Powder Keg

Spotlighting an obscure tragedy in the aftermath of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, this moderately suspenseful Danish thriller is uneven yet powerful. Set weeks later, it weaves together the stories of four men enduring personal turbulence before their fates collide at a synagogue on a wintry afternoon, including a police officer (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a film director (Lars Brygmann), a security guard (Adam Buschard), and a Muslim ex-con (Albert Arthur Amiryan). Even if the episodic structure diminishes the cumulative emotional impact, director Ole Christian Madsen (Flame and Citron) effectively infuses a familiar scenario with a character-driven perspective that’s both culturally specific and thematically universal. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

We Need to Do Something

Here’s a suggestion: Make it something other than watching this contrived horror exercise that takes place almost entirely within the confines of a rather lavish bathroom. That’s where an angst-ridden teenage lesbian (Sierra McCormick) takes shelter with her parents (Pat Healy and Vinessa Shaw) and younger brother during a tornado. When the storm damage blocks their only exit, the bickering family becomes trapped as critters and other external forces further complicate a potential rescue. Then it predictably transitions into a bloodbath. Healy’s unhinged performance is amusing, although the film struggles to sustain sufficient tension and escalate the emotional stakes to pay off its creepy concept. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

Wild Indian

Noteworthy more for its ambition than its execution, this stark character-driven thriller benefits from a powerfully understated portrayal by Michael Greyeyes (Woman Walks Ahead) in the title role. He plays Makwa, who perpetrated a violent tragedy as a teenager on a Wisconsin reservation in the 1980s with his best friend, Ted-O (Chaske Spencer). Years later, the two are dealing with residual guilt and grief in vastly different ways, with Makwa struggling to keep his demons in the past. The uneven screenplay by rookie director Lyle Mitchell Corbine too often downplays its cultural specificity in favor of familiar narrative beats. Yet it simmers with haunting tension. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Yakuza Princess

Not as exciting as it sounds, this grim yet stylish thriller squanders some intriguing concepts with formulaic execution — meaning the setup outweighs the payoff. Akemi (played by Masumi) lives in the expansive Japanese diaspora of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she learns she’s a partial heiress to the famed yakuza crime syndicate. As she becomes a target by rival gangsters, Akemi reluctantly partners with an eccentric stranger (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) with motives of his own. This deliberately paced adaptation of a graphic novel emphasizes brutal katana violence over character depth, while never taking full advantage of its unique backdrop. It’s more about spectacle than substance. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

Zone 414

Almost 40 years later, people are still making low-budget Blade Runner knockoffs that seem foolish by comparison. The latest example is this lumbering British science-fiction thriller that’s more pretentious than provocative. Set in a futuristic colony where humans and robots uneasily coexist, it chronicles a bounty hunter (Guy Pearce) hired by the colony’s brainchild (Travis Fimmel) to track down his missing teenage daughter. The assignment teams him with an android (Matilda Lutz) but comes with unexpected dangers. The concept must have sounded better on paper, but it’s not compelling on screen, as rookie director Andrew Baird crafts some stylish set pieces with no coherent link. (Rated R, 98 minutes).