Capsule reviews for Sept. 30

Argentina, 1985

While immersing us in its titular time and place, this captivating legal drama explores an influential true-life trial with rich detail and cultural specificity. It focuses on Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darin), the lead prosecutor in the infamous Juntas trial seeking to convict the country’s former dictatorship of war crimes against the Argentinian people. As he assembles his team and compiles evidence, the high-profile case begins to take its toll. Darin’s understated portrayal matches the workmanlike approach of director Santiago Mitre (The Summit), which enables the drama inherent in the story to generate suspense. The result provides historical insight into punishing corrupt political regimes that still resonates. (Rated R, 140 minutes).

Art and Krimes by Krimes

Exploring artistic inspiration and resourcefulness under difficult circumstances, this documentary about redemption and reintegration is earnest yet inspiring. It follows Jesse Krimes, an artist serving time in federal prison, where he creates a massive mural on a canvas of bed sheets that he must smuggle out upon his release. While his creation is hailed as a masterpiece by the art world, Jesse is more apprehensive about his chances for a fresh start. He makes a compelling and likeable subject, and even if the film glosses over his drug-related transgressions, his case provides an intriguing glimpse into the ways in which offenders can be misjudged by outsiders. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

Dead for a Dollar

A top-notch cast traverses familiar territory in this frontier western from veteran genre filmmaker Walter Hill (Wild Bill), which is a stylish yet hardly subversive tribute to classic oaters. It tracks a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) hired to find a woman (Rachel Brosnahan) who is rumored to have been abducted by a former buffalo soldier (Brandon Scott). The case takes him to Mexico, where he encounters an old adversary (Willem Dafoe) with a score to settle. Although the violent result provides some well-choreographed showdowns and an eclectic batch of characters, nostalgia alone isn’t enough to justify riding a narrative trail we’ve traveled so many times before.  (Rated R, 114 minutes).

God’s Creatures

Strong performances and intriguing character dynamics drive this contemplative morality play, providing emotional depth alongside the evocative visuals. It’s set in a perpetually gloomy Irish fishing village, where Aileen (Emily Watson) manages the local seafood processing factory. When her adult son (Paul Mescal) returns suddenly to work as an oyster fisherman, a violent incident exposes dark secrets that threaten to tear apart the social fabric of the community. While it struggles with narrative momentum early, the deliberately paced film eventually tightens its grip. As details are revealed essentially forcing Aileen to choose sides and perhaps tear apart her family, it becomes taut and provocative. (Rated R, 101 minutes).

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

Putting a fresh spin on genre tropes, this atmospheric thriller with a science-fiction twist layers a modest revenge saga with a compelling mystery and progressive gender politics. On the streets of New Orleans, a young woman (Jeon Jong-seo) uses her mind-control powers to escape from a mental hospital in a straitjacket. While eluding a persistent cop (Craig Robinson), she befriends a stripper (Kate Hudson) who provides a helpful partner but also exploits her supernatural abilities for personal gain. Although her screenplay doesn’t provide much context, director Ana Lily Amirpour (The Bad Batch) enhances the slight narrative with colorful visuals, pulsating music cues, and other technical flourishes. (Rated R, 106 minutes).

Nothing Compares

It’s certainly worth revisiting the rise and fall of Irish musician Sinead O’Connor given the current sociopolitical climate, even if this documentary is too eager to salute her as a trailblazing activist who was ahead of her time. Nevertheless, the persuasive film strikes a chord as it chronicles her troubled upbringing before focusing on how O’Connor’s sudden worldwide fame during the early 1990s clashed with her rebel image and especially her outspoken political views and audacious stunts targeting oppression and censorship — which eventually rendered her a pop-culture pariah. In her off-camera narration, O’Connor remains steadfast and unapologetic, and proves she deserves a fresh spotlight. (Not rated, 96 minutes).

Smile

The titular expression gives way to winces while watching this uneven horror exercise, in which some stylish visual flourishes and haunting imagery aren’t enough to stretch a gimmicky premise beyond surface shock tactics. After a patient’s grisly suicide, therapist Rose (Sosie Bacon) begins experiencing visions of grinning faces with evil intentions. As the hallucinations become vivid and her ex-boyfriend (Kyle Gallner) questions her sanity, Rose begins investigating secrets from her past. Bacon (Charlie Says), daughter of Kevin, infuses her role with depth and complexity. However, the screenplay by rookie director Parker Finn, expanded from his short film, explores the effects of trauma without generating much consistent suspense. (Rated R, 115 minutes).

Sirens

Even if their songs don’t appeal to you, it’s worth hearing the message from Slaves for Sirens, the first all-female thrash-metal band from Lebanon. This compelling documentary tracks the group’s attempts to make it big, except with more obstacles than most musicians face — especially given their homeland’s traditionally oppressive attitudes toward gender, sexuality, politics, and religion. However, as they use their fledgling star power as a vehicle for self-expression, an internal feud threatens to tear them apart. Finding its rhythm, the film’s endearing subjects and unique cultural perspective infuse the more standard rock-doc elements with a rooting interest that avoids cheap marketing or heavy-handed messaging. (Not rated, 79 minutes).

Vesper

More noteworthy for atmosphere than plot, this visually striking science-fiction drama provides a fresh twist on some familiar dystopian themes. Set in a near-future where seeds are the key to rejuvenating a human population wiped out by an ecological disaster, the story centers on a precocious teenager (Raffiella Chapman) forced to use her biohacking abilities when she meets a fellow survivor (Rosy McEwen) determined to fight for the future. The screenplay by directors Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper (Vanishing Waves) is deliberately paced yet rewards patience with a multilayered cautionary tale about our depleting natural resources that’s meticulously detailed and finds hope amid the desolation. (Not rated, 114 minutes).