Capsule reviews for March 21

Ash

The uncertainty about how all of its jumbled elements fit together adds to the intrigue of this heady and visually striking science-fiction saga about the morality of space exploration. It centers on Riya (Eiza Gonzalez), who wakes up as the only survivor after astronauts crash-landed their ship on a distant planet. Trying to piece together the details of what happened, a colleague (Aaron Paul) re-emerges with disturbing clues suggesting they’re not alone. The stylish feature debut of musician-turned-filmmaker Flying Lotus can be frustrating with its nonlinear approach yet finds emotional depth through Gonzalez (Baby Driver) during an intense final act that cleverly subverts genre tropes. (Rated R, 95 minutes).

The Assessment

Although it turns heavy-handed in the final act, this stylish dystopian drama is propelled by a trio of excellent performances as it taps into universal apprehensions about parenting and sustainability. In a futuristic world with strict population controls, Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) require a weeklong visit from a government assessor (Alicia Vikander) before they’re permitted to have a child. But the ordeal turns into a psychological nightmare for the couple when their visitor threatens to tear them apart. Despite struggling to balance cynicism with empathy, this striking feature debut for music-video director Fleur Fortune builds cringeworthy discomfort without sacrificing humor or intrigue. (Rated R, 114 minutes).

Aum: The Cult at the End of the World

For those unfamiliar, this true-crime documentary offers a compelling surface-level recap of the rise and fall of the titular Japanese extremist group in the early 1990s, even if it misses an opportunity to provide a fresh perspective or contemporary context. Combining interviews with abundant archival footage, it revisits how former yoga teacher Shoko Asahara amassed legions of followers for his eccentric religious movement based on doomsday prophecy. Eventually, his dangerous thirst for power led to masterminding deadly attacks including a 1995 incident in the Tokyo subway system. While lacking deeper insight, the film builds tension as a relevant glimpse into bureaucratic incompetence and ideological zealotry. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

Being Maria
In depicting what made its subject stand out, this earnest biopic of talented yet troubled French actress Maria Schneider winds up conventional as it probes her life and career through a contemporary feminist lens. The film starts strong by re-creating the breakthrough role for Maria (Anamaria Vartolomei) as a teenager opposite Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) in the controversial — and for Maria, traumatic — erotic drama Last Tango in Paris. That experience triggered substance abuse, mental health, and trust issues that lingered through her career. Vartolomei (Happening) channels Maria’s anguish into sympathy. However, the film’s broader scrutiny of gender politics in old-school Hollywood doesn’t add anything new. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

Bob Trevino Likes It

An earnest crowd-pleaser that generates both laughs and tears, this compassionate saga of redemption, mistaken identity, and human connection is driven by winning characters who overcome the narrative cliches. The story follows Lily (Barbie Ferreira), a troubled Texas woman conducting an online search for her estranged father (French Stewart). Instead, she connects on social media with a lonely construction worker (John Leguizamo) who happens to share her dad’s name — and who also could use some encouragement and healing. The semiautobiographical screenplay by rookie director Tracie Laymon could be more dynamic in fleshing out its backstories, although the deeply felt portrayals hold our rooting interest. (Rated PG-13, 102 minutes).

Locked

A souped-up Bentley SUV with next-level antitheft protection is the most compelling and sympathetic character in this silly thriller from director David Yarovesky (Brightburn) that speeds along a road to nowhere. Edward (Bill Skarsgard) is a cash-strapped father who breaks into the vehicle parked conspicuously in a seedy lot. But he realizes he can’t escape, and becomes subject to the sadistic whims of the owner (Anthony Hopkins) who begins to torture Edward remotely as a form of capitalist vigilante justice. The gimmicky screenplay generates tension within its claustrophobic confines yet too often meanders, losing its roadmap when trying to steer toward a high-stakes final showdown. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Misericordia

It might not achieve Hitchcockian suspense or reach Coen-esque levels of absurdity, yet this twisty thriller from French director Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake) is both amusing and intriguing as a character-driven story of obsession and murder. It follows Jeremie (Felix Kysyl), a young baker who returns to his small hometown for a funeral, and to comfort the grieving widow (Catherine Frot). But when he extends his stay and begins visiting old acquaintances, her son (Jean-Baptiste Durand) suspects ulterior motives. The deliberately paced film sprinkles dark humor and sexual tension into a web of secrets that becomes perhaps too tangled yet effectively tightens its grip. (Not rated, 104 minutes).

O’Dessa

Visually thrilling yet narratively flat, this fever-dream dystopian rock opera has style and attitude to spare, even if the cumulative impact is rather head-scratching. In the near future, O’Dessa (Sadie Sink) is an orphaned farm girl whose surreal odyssey lands her in a neon-infused city where she finds love with Euri (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a rocker under the spell of a corrupt promoter (Regina Hall). Along the way, O’Dessa realizes music is the key to a brighter future. Drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, the screenplay by director Geremy Jasper (Patti Cake$) lacks sufficient depth, rendering the film as a technically proficient exercise in spectacle over substance. (Rated PG-13, 106 minutes).