Capsule reviews for Sept. 9

About Fate

The chemistry between the two leads is pleasant enough, but this lackluster romantic comedy doesn’t work as either a broad farce or a sweet-natured love story. Margot (Emma Roberts) and Griffin (Thomas Mann) are each engaged to be married to other people, but it’s quickly apparent that those relationships won’t work out, that far-fetched circumstances will bring them together, and that sparks will subsequently fly. And it also takes place during the holidays to accentuate the feels. However, when a film devoid of subtlety or surprise also lacks much humor or heart, the actors can’t do much to make us care about their inevitable bond. (Rated R, 100 minutes).

Barbarian

Although it features some effective narrative gimmickry, this haunted-house thriller is driven by a shallow string of coincidences and eye-rolling character behavior that undermine any sustained tension. It starts with the double-booking of a rental house in a dilapidated Detroit neighborhood, where a musician (Bill Skarsgard) and a filmmaker (Georgina Campbell) uncover some sinister secrets. Their story intertwines with that of a disgraced Hollywood actor (Justin Long) with ulterior motives. Perhaps the illogical screenplay by Zach Cregger (“The Whitest Kids U’Know”) isn’t meant to be taken seriously, but the lack of thematic depth or meaningful social context render any genuine frights as standard-issue jump scares. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

The Class

The wit and wisdom of John Hughes is conspicuously absent from this contemporary update of The Breakfast Club, which pays tribute to the coming-of-age classic to the extent of casting Anthony Michael Hall as the uptight school administrator. However, this group of six ragtag rebels assigned to a Saturday drama class with their teacher (Debbie Gibson) — providing a venue for healing and self-discovery — struggles to break free from stereotypes. Some of the young actors shine, although the screenplay by director Nicholas Celozzi saddles its characters with uninspired contrivances that diminish the intended emotional impact. The original holds up well enough to appeal to multiple generations. (Not rated, 114 minutes).

Flight/Risk

Your in-flight viewing options won’t include this compelling and appropriately infuriating documentary about capitalistic greed, corporate corruption, and government indifference in the face of tragedy. Specifically, it recalls the aftermath of crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX airliners less than six months apart in 2018 and 2019. Speaking with victims’ families, investigative journalists, and whistleblowers, the film zeroes in on the efforts of Boeing leaders to pass the buck despite overwhelming evidence of production deficiencies and regulatory shortcuts driven by profit above all else. There’s not much new insight for those familiar with the story, especially in a broader context, but it’s carefully researched and assembled. (Rated PG, 98 minutes).

Hockeyland

You don’t need to be a hockey fan to appreciate this crowd-pleasing documentary that effectively employs a familiar formula showing the transformative power of youth sports on the social fabric of small-town America. In this case, the setting is the Iron Range of northern Minnesota, where high school hockey heats up the chilly winters. Director Tommy Haines (Saving Brinton) spotlights an appealing group of senior players, determined coaches, and supportive families at powerhouse Hermantown and rival Eveleth-Gilbert, in its final season. As the season inevitably marches toward the playoffs, the film provides a compelling perspective on adolescence while showcasing how sports link generations and communities. (Not rated, 108 minutes).

Hold Me Tight

Downbeat but not depressing, this French drama about fractured families and mental health is an incisive character study layered with an intriguing mystery. It begins with Clarisse (Vicky Krieps) apparently leaving her husband (Arieh Worthalter) and two preteen children in the middle of the night. This has damaging effects on all involved, especially when she later tries to reconnect. But as it flashes forward and back, the richly textured screenplay hints that perhaps that not everything is as it seems. Was there a tragedy involved? Is Clarisse not to blame for the family’s deterioration? The nonlinear structure can become frustrating, yet Krieps (Phantom Thread) is magnetic. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

House of Darkness

Within some familiar horror trappings, this sluggish character-driven thriller subverts genre expectations in ways that are more stylish than substantive. After hooking up at a bar, a businessman (Justin Long) and his seductive date (Kate Bosworth) head to her family’s rural estate, where his expectations for a quick hook-up evolve into a maze of flirtations, hallucinations, verbal teasing, and surprise guests. Evidently inspired by Dracula, the screenplay by director Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man) indulges in misdirection while exploring sexual politics and gamesmanship, although the result yields significantly more talk than action, along with a rather inconsequential payoff. It might fit better on stage. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Medieval

It puts up quite a fight — in terms of some dazzling swordplay and bloody battle sequences — but this ambitious historical epic struggles to generate emotional depth beneath the violent surface. It’s a biopic about Jan Zizka (Ben Foster), a legendary 15th century Czech warlord and royal leader whose rise to power came during a time of political corruption and social upheaval both in his Bohemian homeland and throughout the Roman Empire. Although the conflicts are staged with visceral intensity, the film offers a formulaic and revisionist historical perspective that rarely rings true. It squanders an English-speaking ensemble cast including Michael Caine, Matthew Goode, and Sophie Lowe. (Rated R, 126 minutes).

True Things

A powerhouse performance by Ruth Wilson (“The Affair”) galvanizes this compelling character-driven saga about female desire and sexual liberation. Wilson plays Kate, a lonely and unmotivated woman in her thirties who hates her blue-collar job and sees an impulsive romance with an ex-con (Tom Burke) as an exciting diversion. But her insecurities soon fuel an obsession with the stranger whose erratic behavior triggers Kate’s downward spiral. Wilson finds just enough understated sympathy to avoid pity, and while the screenplay lacks narrative momentum in spots, the surface familiarity is enlivened by an underlying socioeconomic tension. The characters feel authentic even if Kate’s passivity seems somewhat passe. (Not rated, 102 minutes).