Capsule reviews for March 24

The Five Devils

Although its ambition sometimes exceeds its grasp, this stylish drama from French director Lea Mysius (Ava) is a fascinating and subversive blend of genre elements that remains emotionally grounded. It centers on Vicky (Sally Drame), a biracial 8-year-old with a superpower involving an acute sense of smell. She’s close with her swim-instructor mother (Adele Exarchopoulos), but their family is otherwise falling apart until an estranged aunt (Swala Emati) arrives, carrying dark supernatural secrets emphasizing the need to reconcile with their past. As the visual flourishes compensate for uneven narrative momentum, richly textured performances enable the film’s underlying themes of sexuality and cultural identity to resonate. (Not rated, 103 minutes).

Reggie

Almost a half-century after his retirement, Reggie Jackson remains as outspoken and respected as ever. The legacy of the legendary Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees slugger is dissected in this insightful documentary, which features candid interviews with Jackson and others along with abundant archival footage from his World Series triumphs. The result is a thorough career retrospective for “Mr. October” examining Jackson’s impact both on and off the field, but also a broader glimpse into racial tensions plaguing baseball during his 1970s heyday. The film is persuasive in its argument that Jackson was both revered — especially by fans and fellow players — and misunderstood. (Rated PG-13, 104 minutes).

School of Magical Animals

Indiscriminate children might be enchanted by this innocuous German adventure involving precocious kiddos and anthropomorphic creatures, although it’s likely to leave accompanying adults rolling their eyes. Ida (Emilia Maier) is struggling to fit in at her new school until the arrival of a new teacher (Nadja Uhl), who matches the students with pets from a fantasy realm, sending Ida on a life-changing odyssey. Based on Margit Auer’s series of children’s books, the film is a familiar story of teamwork and self-discovery in which any mild charms are overwhelmed by the thinly sketched characters and plot. From effects to dialogue, almost everything has been done better elsewhere. (Rated PG, 93 minutes).

Tori and Lokita

The latest effort from sibling filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Two Days, One Night) is another gritty and powerful examination of working-class struggles. This story follows teenager Lokita (Joely Mbundu) and younger Tori (Pablo Schils), a fellow African refugee who she treats as a younger brother. While awaiting forged paperwork, their inseparable bond is tested while working for an abusive smuggler (Alban Ukaj) who threatens to break them apart. Despite a lack of context into the youngsters’ backgrounds, their resilience and desperation resonate thanks to expressive performances and an optimism — perhaps misguided — that shines through their despair. The film spotlights a broken system without turning heavy-handed. (Not rated, 88 minutes).

The Tutor

As it grinds through its progressively far-fetched twists, this lurid thriller fails to generate much emotional investment in the unraveling of its central mystery. Ethan (Garrett Hedlund) specializes in mentoring affluent students when he’s assigned a mysterious high-paying gig that pairs him with troubled teenager Jackson (Noah Schnapp). Needing the lucrative payday to help start a family with his pregnant girlfriend (Victoria Justice), Ethan soon suspects he’s been lured by Jackson under false pretenses as dark secrets are exposed. With any broader satirical aspirations falling flat, the film struggles to sustain meaningful tension thanks to a contrived screenplay that could use some remedial guidance. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

The Worst Ones

Self-reflexive without turning preachy or heavy-handed, this provocative if somewhat muddled French docudrama explores with a critical eye the fine line between compassion and exploitation when viewing life through a lens. Specifically, it follows a filmmaker (Johan Heldenbergh) who insists on casting non-professional child actors with a rough past — or those described by the title for his gritty project about the perils of urban adolescence. But how sincere are his motives in the face of uncooperative subjects? The nontraditional route to dissecting the artistic process and scrutinizing creative intent might resonate with insiders. Meanwhile, the moral ambivalence is offset, perhaps ironically, by the expressive young cast. (Not rated, 99 minutes).