Capsule reviews for June 9

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

Haunting and evocative without sacrificing genre thrills, this contemporary reimagining of the Frankenstein legend is grounded in authentic adolescent angst, socioeconomic oppression, and systemic racism. Vicaria (Laya Deleon Hayes) is a precocious teenager devastated with the cycle of drugs and violence plaguing her urban neighborhood. Her longshot solution involves trying to reincarnate her deceased brother, who was killed by police. When a drug dealer (Denzel Whitaker) and his henchmen become suspicious, Vicaria’s experiment backfires in dangerous ways. Examining familiar themes within a fresh context, this subversive horror satire marks a sharp debut for filmmaker Bomani Story, who layers some effective chills with relevant social commentary. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Blue Jean

It takes place 35 years ago, but this evocative and emotionally powerful British drama resonates with contemporary urgency. In 1988, a London gym teacher (Rosy McEwen) is a divorced lesbian who must hide her sexual preference to avoid being stigmatized in the wake of Thatcher-era legislation. However, when a new student (Lucy Halliday) is bullied and ostracized, Jean is forced to make a decision that could expose her own secret to make a stand for someone else, The committed performances emphasize subtleties and moral complexities among the marginalized. Meanwhile, the quietly perceptive screenplay by rookie director Georgia Oakley finds compassion and optimism amid the oppressive circumstances. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

Flamin’ Hot

Saluting blue-collar ingenuity and work ethic through a proud Latino lens, this crowd-pleasing biopic marks a promising directorial debut for actress Eva Longoria even though its inspirational aims are offset by embellishments and cliches. It’s based on the largely debunked rags-to-riches story of Richard Montanez (Jesse Garcia) a former janitor struggling to make ends meet at Frito-Lay who created the now iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos flavor that connected the struggling brand to the Latino market and turned Richard into a marketing executive. Aside from the, ahem, corny storytelling, the film oversimplifies its underlying issues involving minority upward mobility in the corporate world. Curiously, it lacks spice. (Rated PG-13, 99 minutes).

Mending the Line

Although it salutes our veterans with heartfelt compassion, this melodramatic tearjerker about guilt, grief, PTSD, and fly fishing is more contrived than cathartic. It’s set in rural Montana, where a discharged Marine (Sinqua Walls) is sent to rehab his physical and psychological wounds at a V.A. hospital. After meeting a troubled librarian (Perry Mattfield) and being introduced to a wise yet broken Vietnam vet (Brian Cox), he finds an eccentric mentor and a calming new hobby. There’s a poignant message about the unspoken bond between military members and finding healing in unexpected places. However, amid its picturesque rivers and streams, the film overflows with heavy-handed sentimentality. (Rated R, 122 minutes).

97 Minutes

Mercifully, this low-budget thriller is a bit shorter than its title suggests as it fails to yield any meaningful suspense either in the air or on the ground. After a transatlantic airliner is hijacked by Russian terrorists, it’s up to an Interpol agent (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) on board and a national security chief (Alec Baldwin) to navigate the threat and bring the plane down safely before it runs out of fuel. And once they learn the real target, the stakes are heightened. The film takes itself way too seriously, even through a series of outrageously contrived final-act twists, while lacking basic character depth or moral complexity. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

Persian Lessons

Despite its heartfelt intentions and some powerfully introspective moments, this Holocaust drama from director Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) feels too contrived to achieve a deeper emotional impact. It’s set in occupied France, where a prisoner (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) is spared execution after claiming that he’s Persian rather than Jewish. However, he’s tested when being forced to teach the Farsi language to a guard (Lars Eidinger), despite not knowing a word. Apparently inspired by true events, the film salutes courage and heroism with sincerity, and its attempt to humanize characters on both sides is admirable. But it relies too heavily on cliches and stereotypes. (Not rated, 127 minutes).

Scarlet

Some inventive visual flourishes and narrative twists elevate this otherwise uneven coming-of-age saga from Italian director Pietro Marcello (Martin Eden). The early 20th-century story takes place in France during the 20 years between the wars, chronicling the upbringing of Juliette (Juliette Jouan), who was raised by a single father in Normandy, is given a prophecy by a witch, and later falls for a pilot (Louis Garrel) who falls out of the sky and into her arms. The film struggles to remain emotionally grounded amid its surreal detours into fantasy, yet there’s also a sweetness and innocence to its perspective on such a pivotal time in history. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

The Secret Kingdom

Combining spare parts from children’s fantasy adventure movies from the 1980s, this Australian production has a certain throwback charm but is unlikely to inspire much of a sense of wonder or discovery among contemporary youngsters. It follows preteen siblings Peter (Sam Everingham) and Verity (Alyla Browne) who escape their family’s financial struggles to a magical world beneath their bedroom. Suddenly they’re confronted by anthropomorphic creatures good and evil and find their bravery tested during a perilous adventure to save the day — while still in their pajamas. The abundant visual effects are eye-catching, but the screenplay by director Matt Drummond feels rudimentary even for the target demographic. (Rated PG, 98 minutes).

Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis

Given the eccentric and free-spirited nature of its subjects, this documentary feels too dry and a little, well, square. But its insightful interviews and amusing anecdotes should provide a nostalgic kick for aficionados of rock history. Hipgnosis was a duo of British creatives who created some of the most iconic and idiosyncratic album covers from the 1970s, from Pink Floyd to Led Zeppelin to Paul McCartney. Given his vast resume in music videos, director Anton Corbijn (A Most Wanted Man) both sparks and satisfies curiosity as he explores the pair’s legacy and influence on the genre despite never picking up an instrument or singing a note. (Not rated, 101 minutes).