Capsule reviews for Feb. 28

The Accidental Getaway Driver

As it probes morality and redemption through characters who need to flee in more ways than one, this deliberately paced crime drama struggles to build tension and develop sympathy amid its escalating stakes. Apparently inspired by a true story, it follows an elderly Vietnamese taxi driver (Hiep Tran Nghia) who reluctantly answers a late-night call, only to be taken hostage by three escaped convicts whose agendas aren’t exactly clear, other than the desire to remain hidden until a more coherent plan emerges. The stylish feature debut of veteran music-video director Sing Lee manages some poignant character-driven moments, yet deeper sympathy remains elusive along this meandering road. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

Adult Best Friends

Strong chemistry between the titular BFFs propels this otherwise uneven comedy about codependency and arrested development that strains to balance silliness with sincerity. It follows Katie (Katie Corwin), whose devotion to boyfriend John (Mason Gooding) has prompted passive-aggressive jealousy from the misanthropic Delaney (Delaney Buffett), her best friend since childhood. Could a girls’ beach weekend help ease tension over the engagement? Instead, it leads to more bickering and chaos and airing of dirty laundry. The directorial debut of Buffett, daughter of Jimmy, produces some scattered big laughs, even if its probe of the way life events shift dynamics among friends and support systems feels predictable. (Not rated, 83 minutes).

Cold Wallet

The setup outweighs the payoff in this tightly wound thriller that struggles to maintain suspense or sympathy among its morally dubious schemers cheating the system. Against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crash, Billy (Raul Castillo) and Dom (Tony Cavalero) lose everything in a major cryptocurrency scam. When a hacker (Melonie Diaz) sees an opening to gain revenge on the tech-startup perpetrator (Josh Brener), Billy and Dom are desperate enough to take the risk. Everyone can root for the idea of a corrupt capitalist getting his comeuppance. However, the film lacks chills and surprises in trying to escalate the emotional stakes to match the financial ones. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

The Golden Voice

A pair of deeply felt performances offset some heavy-handed contrivances in this intimate character-driven drama about fractured families and healing through art. It’s set in Philadelphia, where K.J. (Dharon Jones) is a suicidal young musician whose encounter with homeless Vietnam veteran Barry (Nick Nolte) gives him a new path to pursue his dreams. As both men share their stories of personal tragedy and spiritual crisis, their friendship becomes mutually cathartic. As Nolte and Jones develop an appealing odd-couple chemistry, the thoughtful two-hander screenplay by director Brandon Eric Kamin (The Nomads) avoids cheap sentimentality while finding genuine poignancy in its message of acceptance and humanity. (Not rated, 86 minutes).

My Dead Friend Zoe

Committed and sympathetic performances bring depth and poignancy to this deeply personal if uneven dark comedy that doubles as an earnest tribute to our troops, their sacrifices, and their legacies. For Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), PTSD lingers through the ghost of Zoe (Natalie Morales), who keeps her closed off from the world — despite the best efforts of a counselor (Morgan Freeman) — while unable to process her grief. However, a chance to reconnect with her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) opens an unexpected window to healing. Offering a fresh perspective on familiar themes, the workmanlike film takes ambitious and heartfelt emotional swings that aren’t subtle yet still resonate. (Rated R, 101 minutes).

Uppercut

Providing a slight twist on the use of boxing as a metaphor for a hardscrabble life, this character-driven drama is too disjointed and unconvincing to land any of its emotional punches. It follows Toni (Luise Grossmann), a female ex-pugilist who’s now a manager struggling to define her place in the sport. Flashbacks detail her start in the ring under a grizzled trainer (Ving Rhames), and their connection as underdog outsiders finding strength in their partnership. With more talk than action, director Torsten Ruether’s remake of his own 2021 German film lacks the visual polish and narrative dexterity to provide any meaningful depth or thematic complexity. (Rated R, 103 minutes).