Capsule reviews for Oct. 13

Anatomy of a Fall

It might not break any new ground structurally, but this twisty French drama benefits from stellar performances and crackling dialogue in unspooling a murder mystery that probes deeper into the nature of relationships. After the mysterious death of a man in a rural mountain village, his wife, an acclaimed author (Sandra Huller), becomes the main suspect. During the ensuing police investigation and murder trial, the couple’s blind son emerges as a key witness. Although its ambiguity can be frustrating, the multilayered screenplay by director Justine Triet (Sibyl) sidesteps cliches and digs beneath the procedural surface by raising questions without easy answers. Huller (Toni Erdmann) is riveting. (Rated R, 152 minutes).

Dark Harvest

Stylish and atmospheric, this thriller with a throwback vibe is mildly unsettling but rarely terrifying. It’s set in 1963, in a small town cursed by killer scarecrow Sawtooth Jack, who is rumored to emerge from the cornfields every Halloween. The only hope is a ritual competition among local teenage boys to stop him before midnight. Among them is brash Richie (Casey Likes), whose conservative family is concealing a secret. Tweaking urban legends and paranoia, the film from director David Slade (30 Days of Night) indulges in some of the same genre tropes it seeks to subvert. Meanwhile, any emotional investment dwindles prior to the third-act twists. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Divinity

More self-consciously strange than provocative, this science-fiction oddity feels muddled in its skewering of capitalism, conformity, corporate greed, and medical ethics. The loose plot centers on a tech mogul (Stephen Dorff) trying to bring an immortality serum developed by his father (Scott Bakula) to the masses. Then he’s abducted by two semi-twin brothers (Moises Arias and Jason Genao), whose fates are altered by a mysterious woman (Karrueche Tran) with cloudy motives. Give director Eddie Alcazar (Perfect) credit for his ambitious vision, and the deliberately paced film yields some striking black-and-white imagery. But in terms of narrative coherence, it rambles and only occasionally sparks to life. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Down Low

The two abrasive lead characters in this raunchy sex comedy are instantly attracted to one another, but moviegoers might not share their affection. With unapologetic style and attitude to spare, this audacious debut for director Rightor Doyle is both a coming-out story and a coming-of-age story. It follows a lonely married man (Zachary Quinto) who hires an uninhibited masseuse (Lukas Gage) to explore his repressed homosexuality. The youngster’s mischievous suggestions for satisfying their primal urges turns into a night of murder and mayhem. Evolving into a hit-or-miss caper, the film is too detached from reality, struggling to generate heartfelt sympathy beneath its broad laughs. (Rated R, 90 minutes).

In the Fire

Despite the title, there’s not much heat in this combination of supernatural thriller elements with pseudo-intellectual debates about science and faith. This slow-burning horror saga from director Conor Allyn (No Man’s Land) is more tedious than suspenseful. Set in the late 1800s, it chronicles a New York doctor (Amber Heard) who travels to a remote Colombian plantation to care for a disturbed boy with mysterious abilities. In the process, she clashes over religious doctrine with a local priest (Eduardo Noriega) who believes the youngster is possessed. Any intrigue into the diagnosis is offset by melodramatic twists that become gradually more far-fetched and reliant on genre cliches. (Rated R, 87 minutes).

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story

You don’t have to be a Beatles completist to appreciate the insight in this documentary told from the perspective of May Pang, who had an 18-month affair with John Lennon starting in 1973. Pang was his 22-year-old assistant, and their romance came with the blessing of Yoko Ono — separated at the time — and wound up fueling a period of post-Beatles personal stability and creative rebirth for Lennon. The mix of anecdotes and archival material give the film some emotional depth rather than enabling a gossipy vanity project. For fans, it’s a compelling slice of celebrity history that should fill in some gaps. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

The Mission

Balancing curiosity with skepticism, this fascinating documentary uses the true-life tragedy of American missionary John Chau as a launchpad for exploring anthropology, religious zealotry, indoctrination, and colonialism. The avid outdoorsman became obsessed with spreading Christianity to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal occupied by a primitive tribe known for killing outsiders. So when Chau met his inevitable demise, was he a martyr or a brainwashed extremist? Directors Jesse Moss (The Overnighters) and Amanda McBaine use interviews with acquaintances, background research, and re-enactments from journal entries to decipher Chau’s motives and scrutinize the ethics of missionary work. The even-handed result is provocative and heartbreaking. (Rated PG-13, 103 minutes).

The Road Dance

Strong performances and striking visuals elevate this true-life Scottish melodrama above its narrative conventions. Set in the early 1900s in a deeply religious seaside village, it follows a sheltered young woman (Hermione Corfield) who has struggled to cope since her father’s death years earlier. After her boyfriend (Will Fletcher) goes off to war, she experiences a traumatic event back home, leading to a police investigation that could tear apart the community. Benefitting from its scenic backdrop and stylish period re-creation, the film is an empowerment story mixed with a procedural that becomes both uneven and predictable in stretches, yet retains an underlying emotional impact. (Not rated, 117 minutes).

Silver Dollar Road

Using one family’s struggle for justice to examine broader issues of systemic racism, gentrification, and land rights, this documentary is enlightening and galvanizing. Along the North Carolina coast, a family of farmers and fishermen has lived on prime waterfront real estate in a historically Black rural neighborhood for generations, working their land to get by. Then they’re pressured and harassed by deep-pocketed developers who entangle the family in a complex and expensive legal battle for control of their property. By infusing the story with historical context, director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) crafts a potent if uneven tribute to the power of resistance. (Rated PG, 100 minutes).