Capsule reviews for April 15

Chariot

More intriguing in its setup than its payoff, this atmospheric and darkly comic psychological thriller stumbles with a series of contrived twists down the stretch that renders it confusing for the wrong reasons. Harrison (Thomas Mann) is a troubled loner who moves into a creepy new apartment building where he meets a young woman (Rosa Salazar) with a strange past. Meanwhile, to decipher a recurring nightmare, he’s seeing a therapist (John Malkovich) with a clown wig and ulterior motives. The muddled screenplay by director Adam Sigal frames Harrison’s story as an existential odyssey of regret and redemption while teasing reveals that are more pretentious than provocative. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Father

While this powerful Serbian drama is specific to its setting, the multilayered depiction of fractured family bonds and socioeconomic disparities resonates beyond geographic boundaries. The title character is Nikola (Goran Bogdan), a middle-aged day laborer in Belgrade whose two children are taken to foster care after his wife stages a reckless political stunt. With the cash-strapped family separated by a heartless and uncompromising system, Nikola realizes he must risk everything for a longshot journey to possibly reunite with his kids. Confidently steered by director Srdan Golubovic (Circles) and bolstered by Bogdan’s sympathetic performance, the gritty film grows progressively bleaker yet maintains hope amid the heartbreak. (Not rated, 119 minutes).

Paris, 13th District

Immersed in the multicultural melting pot of its titular working-class setting, this sexually charged romantic drama from Jacques Audiard (A Prophet) benefits from committed performances and evocative black-and-white cinematography. It details the romantic travails of Camille (Makita Samba), a professor whose physical relationship with his roommate (Lucie Zhang) is doomed by his lack of commitment. That leads him to pursue other women, most notably a troubled college student (Noemie Merlant) who happens to resemble an online sex performer (Jehnny Beth). Once the film explores the emotional volatility beneath the erotic intimacy in these relationships, the film generates depth and complexity without turning trite or heavy-handed. (Rated R, 105 minutes).

The Tale of King Crab

While the genre influences are apparent, this evocative allegorical adventure showcases an oddball vision all its own — relaying the type of eccentric and exaggerated legend that’s passed down by town gossips. Divided into chapters, it follows Luciano (Gabriele Silli), a wayward drunk in a remote Italian village whose romantic pursuit of an affluent woman (Maria Alexandra Lungu) leads to him living in exile as a treasure hunter. But his chance at redemption is complicated by obstacles both real and imagined. While the elliptical approach yields uneven narrative momentum, the film remains visually striking and consistently captivating. It’s an ambitious tribute to the cultural allure of folklore. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

To Olivia

The ways in which parental grief fuels creative inspiration form the unstable emotional anchor for this true-life British period drama that struggles to balance whimsy with sentimentality. It’s set in 1961, when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl (Hugh Bonneville) and Hud actress Patricia Neal (Keeley Hawes) tragically lose their young daughter to a measles outbreak. The death triggers a personal and professional downward spiral that could either break their family apart or bring it closer together. The performances and period visuals are solid. Yet considering the backstory, the screenplay — adapted from a Neal biography — feels like a cliched examination of trauma and healing. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

Sidestepping horror tropes typically affiliated with online cautionary tales, this unsettling low-budget thriller takes a more intimate and visceral approach to examining the oddballs and outcasts who populate virtual social circles. Casey (Anna Cobb) is a teenage loner whose latest cry for viral attention involves taking a silly challenge meant to frighten participants into believing it’s true. As she regularly chronicles the results through videos on her channel, an isolated older man (Michael Rogers) becomes her biggest fan. The film’s lack of broader context can be frustrating, but Cobb’s understated debut performance helps raise the stakes along with the suspense as things turn creepy. (Not rated, 86 minutes).