Capsule reviews for Jan. 13

The Drop

In stretching a thin premise to feature length, this ensemble relationship comedy from director Sarah Adina Smith (Birds of Paradise) finds the right balance between quirks and heart. It’s set at a tropical destination wedding where the celebration turns sour after a baker (Anna Konkle) fumbles while she’s holding the newlyweds’ baby. That mistake exposes insecurities in her relationship with her husband (Jermaine Fowler) while also spawning trust issues among her friends as the weekend drags on. Thanks to an amusing batch of characters, the heavily improvised film provides some big laughs while maintaining its satirical edge, even if it stumbles in the uneven final act. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

House Party

Capturing the same freewheeling spirit as its predecessor, this remake of the 1990 comedy lacks the same charm beneath its outrageous hijinks. It updates the premise for an age of social-media clout chasing, as two aspiring promoters (Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole) discover their latest house-cleaning gig is for a major celebrity who just happens to be on vacation. So they throw a wild bash to hustle up some quick cash, which naturally backfires. The feature debut of music-video director Calmatic has energy and attitude to spare, but despite some scattered laughs and a diverting parade of cameos, this party is more messy than memorable. (Rated R, 99 minutes).

Jethica

Balancing its vast rural landscapes with an intimate story of empowerment and revenge, this quirky low-budget thriller showcases some weighty themes beneath its surface simplicity. The largely improvised effort begins with a chance encounter between former classmates. Sensing trouble, Elena (Callie Hernandez) learns that Jessica (Ashley Denise Robinson) is trying to flee a stalker who has followed her from California to New Mexico, and she needs a place to hide out. They team up for a retaliation plot that faces unforeseen complications. As it incorporates supernatural elements, the tightly wound film sidesteps cliches while remaining grounded in its emotional trauma enough to spark suspense and surprise. (Not rated, 70 minutes).

Kitchen Brigade

Too much sugar and not enough spice spoils the recipe for this breezy French crowd-pleaser that feels more like an appetizer than an entrée. It centers on a sous-chef (Audrey Lamy) who quits her job and winds up cooking cafeteria food at a hostel for migrant teenagers. As her goal of opening a restaurant seems to slip away, she realizes she must turn the setback into an opportunity that could benefit both her career and the lives of the children. The road to redemption is charming enough, although the final act stumbles when tackling the European immigration crisis and yanking too aggressively at the heartstrings. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

The Offering

Giving a fresh cultural twist to familiar horror themes, this haunting low-budget thriller is a stylish and evocative addition to an overcrowded genre. After renouncing the Hasidic community where he grew up, Art (Nick Blood) returns with his pregnant wife (Emily Wiseman) to make amends with his father (Paul Kaye), a devout mortician. However, when preparing a corpse in their morgue, an amulet appears to unleash a demon that aims to possess the unborn child. Building genuine tension alongside the jump scares, rookie director Oliver Park mixes rituals and traditions, Jewish folklore, and spiritual symbolism, even if it relies too heavily on supernatural tropes. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

On Sacred Ground

Honorable intentions aside, this overwrought drama about clashes between the Lakota tribe and the American government over the planned Keystone oil pipeline route lacks the subtlety and nuance to make a deeper impact. Set against a volatile 2016 sociopolitical backdrop, it follows a disillusioned freelance journalist (William Mapother) — an impending father struggling with post-traumatic stress from his military days — sent to cover protests on a North Dakota reservation over concerns the pipeline project will cause significant health and environmental damage. Told from a trite perspective, the film might be more persuasive if it wasn’t so preachy. The cast includes Amy Smart, David Arquette, and Frances Fisher. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

The Price We Pay

Some throwback visual flourishes enhance the creepy atmosphere, but this tightly wound thriller about dishonor among thieves from Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train) feels like a short subject stretched to feature length. Over a single night, hot-tempered robbers Cody (Stephen Dorff) and Alex (Emile Hirsch) take a hostage (Gigi Zumbado) as their getaway driver. However, car trouble leaves them stranded at a remote farm belonging to a family hiding some dark secrets. The film ramps up the gratuitous gore along with a clever twist that blurs the line between good and evil, although the tension dwindles during the chaotic final showdown. (Rated R, 86 minutes).

Saint Omer

Beneath its procedural surface, there’s an urgency and universal relevance to this provocative French drama, which marks the narrative debut of documentary filmmaker Alice Diop. Pregnant novelist Rama (Kayije Kagame) is researching a new project by observing the trial of a student and Senegalese immigrant (Guslagie Malanda) accused of abandoning her infant daughter at the beach. As she shapes a story around the Greek myth of Medea, Rama begins to examine her own views on motherhood, racial and cultural bias, relationships, and more. Along the way, the richly textured film causes us to confront those same issues from an outside perspective, generating sympathy without heavy-handed preaching. (Rated PG-13, 122 minutes).

Skinamarink

Deeply unsettling if excessively slow-burning, this bone-chilling exercise in micro-budget horror marks a confident debut for resourceful Canadian filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball. Set in 1995, it’s a grainy and surreal mood piece about two children who become trapped inside their basement, uncertain of their parents’ whereabouts or how to escape a sinister presence. The nonlinear narrative approach tests your patience. However, the film effectively preys upon common fears and paranoia using camera angles and movements, darkness and shadows, and the knowledge that what we can’t see often is the most frightening. Even if Ball is just toying with us, it’s a clever and subversive ruse. (Not rated, 100 minutes).