Capsule reviews for March 20

Do Not Enter

The title should serve as a warning to anyone standing outside an auditorium playing this ridiculous supernatural thriller in which the dark and dreary visuals only partially conceal the threadbare production values. It follows a group of millennial trespassers who live-stream their adventures. But when their viewership dwindles, they embark on a riskier journey to find the rumored fortune stashed by notorious gangster Meyer Lansky in an abandoned underground hotel. However, their investigation yields some dark secrets and becomes a fight for survival. As the enthusiastic cast conveys a mix of curiosity and reckless naivete, the film settles for cheap frights and genre cliches. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Late Shift

It’s generally understood that nurses are overburdened and underappreciated, a thought effectively reinforced by this compassionate and captivating Swiss docudrama that practically serves as a call to action. It follows Floria (Leonie Benesch) as she spends a particularly hectic shift at a working-class hospital, tending to the needs of more than a dozen intensive care patients — some needy, others unruly — while navigating a staff shortage and trying not to let her frustrations show. Despite some heavy-handed emotional swings down the stretch, the film mostly sidesteps contrivances in favor of intimate and unvarnished authenticity, galvanized by an expressive portrayal by Benesch (September 5) conveying sincerity and conviction. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

Miroirs No. 3

A slight yet haunting tale of grief and parental instincts, this character-driven German chamber drama from director Christian Petzold (Undine) builds a steady sense of intrigue around its strained family dynamics. Laura (Paula Beer) is a piano student and survivor a rural one-car crash that kills her boyfriend (Philip Froissant). Betty (Barbara Auer), a lonely woman living nearby, agrees to care for Laura as she recuperates, although she seems to have some baggage that complicates their relationship, especially once Betty’s relatives pay a visit. Solid performances subtly render the bittersweet void in the lives of both women, bolstering an enigmatic script with too many narrative detours. (Not rated, 86 minutes).

Mr. Burton

A biopic that sidesteps Richard Burton’s most memorable performances, the awards, and the turbulent life off-screen, this bittersweet period drama instead is a compelling if oversimplified glimpse into his upbringing and formative years. As an unrefined 1940s Welsh teenager, Richard (Harry Lawtey) is taken under the wing of, and eventually adopted by, a teacher (Toby Jones) who sees his promise and helps him develop his iconic voice and commanding stage presence. More of a tribute to the mentor than the protégé, the film is given emotional weight by the richly textured performances, resulting in an insightful if uneven probe of artistic inspiration and the creative process. (Not rated, 124 minutes).

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Noteworthy more for its carnage than its cleverness, this follow-up to the ultraviolent 2019 horror saga lacks the freshness of its predecessor while falling into typical sequel trappings. We’re reintroduced to Grace (Samara Weaving) as the sole survivor of an otherwise deadly game among Satanists on her wedding night. This time, she’s joined by her estranged sister (Kathryn Newton) as targets of multiple elite families seeking to retain their wealth. Despite some stylish set pieces, the film tries to compensate for its familiarity by adding more characters, a more convoluted story, and generally more mayhem. But it’s really increasing the spectacle rather than the substance. (Rated R, 108 minutes).

Two Prosecutors

Although it’s set almost 90 years ago, this searing legal drama about working-class Soviet injustice from Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa (Donbass) carries a haunting contemporary resonance. It chronicles a young lawyer (Alexander Kuznetsov) who receives a letter from a prisoner (Aleksandr Filippenko) alleging unfair prosecution and systemic corruption. The ambitious Bolshevik counselor seeks restitution for his tortured client, but the Moscow attorney general (Anatoli Beliy) is hardly sympathetic to the cause. Bleak and austere, the deliberately paced film maintains a somber tone and stumbles down the stretch, but the sharp dialogue fuels a powerful glimpse into Stalin-era sociopolitical oppression that’s both intimate and broadly impactful. (Not rated, 117 minutes).

Wardriver

Squandering a capable cast in a formulaic high-tech cautionary tale, this noir-infused thriller steers its intriguing and topical premise toward a muddled and morally ambiguous payoff. As the familiar hacker with a heart of gold, Cole (Dane DeHaan) is lured into a payday by an ex-fighter (Mamoudou Athie) with a scheme to compromise the account of a rich woman (Sasha Calle). But when Cole learns she might be the unwilling mistress of an unscrupulous lawyer (Jeffrey Donovan), he risks compromising his own identity to make things right. Slick and stylish, the film lacks sufficient emotional depth or thematic insight to make its second-half twists more impactful. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

The Well

Depicting a near-future world where fresh water is a dwindling resource, the story runs dry in this bleak dystopian eco-drama from Canadian filmmaker Hubert Davis (Youngblood), in which the lumbering pace yields muted emotional stakes. It centers on a young woman (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) who becomes torn when her isolated family’s secret well cracks. She reluctantly follows a mysterious visitor (Idrissa Sanogo) into the outside world to find the tools for a repair, but she must protect herself while concealing the secret behind her mission. Amid the gloomy atmosphere, the screenplay hints at grander revelations or conflicts that never materialize, practically negating its glimmer of hope. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Yes

Designed to provoke discomfort without offering emotional release or catharsis, this over-the-top satire from Israeli director Nadav Lapid (Ahed’s Knee) is captivating yet challenging, and not for all cinematic tastes. It’s set in Israel in the days following Oct. 7, 2024, when a jazz musician (Ariel Bronz) and his dancer wife (Erfat Dor) essentially auction off their bodies and souls by accepting every offer they’re given. It’s a survival instinct as well as an act of defiance and self-loathing that leads to him composing a new patriotic anthem for his country. The film’s bleak cynicism is balanced by exhilarating audacity as Lapid’s vision is meticulously rendered. (Not rated, 149 minutes).