Capsule reviews for June 16

The Blackening

Indulging in some of the same cliches and stereotypes it seeks to subvert, this thinly sketched slasher lampoon from director Tim Story (Ride Along) lacks the satirical edge or cultural relevance to stand out in a crowded genre. The premise involves seven Black friends who organize a reunion at a secluded cabin in the woods over Juneteenth weekend. But the party is interrupted by a serial killer who forces them to play a racist and sadistic game for their survival. Some scattered big laughs and committed performances are offset by labored gags and uninspired twists. The sharp cast includes Dewayne Perkins, Jermaine Fowler, and Antoinette Robertson. (Rated R, 96 minutes).

Munch

Audaciously stretching traditional biopic boundaries, this muddled portrait of enigmatic Norwegian painter Edvard Munch keeps its subject at a frustrating emotional distance. The nonlinear story is told in four overlapping chapters, featuring varied visual styles and four different actors playing Munch at different stages in his life, ranging in age from 21 to 80. It chronicles Munch’s rise to fame, including his iconic 1893 work “The Scream,” as well as his troubled personal life that fueled his inspiration and creative process. Episodic by nature, the latest effort from director Henrik Dahlsbakken features some stylish visual flourishes in service of a conventional script that lacks sufficient depth. (Not rated, 104 minutes).

Surrounded

As its characters fight for survival in the harsh frontier wilderness, this visually striking Western from director Anthony Mandler (Monster) mostly sidesteps genre tropes and contrivances. Set shortly after the Civil War, it begins as a moderately intriguing character study about Mo (Letitia Wright), a freedwoman disguising herself as a man while traveling alone to lay claim to a Colorado gold mine. When her stagecoach is ambushed, the resourceful Mo takes an outlaw (Jamie Bell) as her hostage but finds her battle has just begun. Wright shines as the deliberately paced film examines race and gender volatility, even if it struggles to raise the emotional stakes. (Rated R, 101 minutes).