Capsule reviews for June 27

Hot Milk

So understated and emotionally muted that it rarely sparks to life, this stylish and evocative psychological drama about fragile generational dynamics is rescued somewhat by its deeply felt performances. It’s set in a sun-drenched Spanish beach town where Sofia (Emma Mackey) has taken her bitter and overbearing mother (Fiona Shaw) to consult a doctor about a mysterious affliction that affects her mobility and strains their relationship. Rather than cathartic, the trip turns into a journey of self-discovery when Sofia befriends a troubled woman (Vicky Krieps). The elliptical film wallows in Sofia’s angst and anguish, and doesn’t break free from its emotional ambiguity until it’s too late. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Ice Road: Vengeance

Add another entry to the overstuffed category of sequels nobody asked for with this generic Liam Neeson vehicle in which an outrageous concept doesn’t yield many genuine thrills. Neeson returns to play Mike, a grieving big rig driver who travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes. But when a crowded bus headed toward Mount Everest is attacked by kidnappers, it’s up to Mike and his guide (Fan Bingbing) to rescue their fellow passengers and some nearby villagers. With limited connections to its predecessor, the screenplay by returning director Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher) is simply another formulaic scenario for Neeson to exact vigilante justice. (Not rated, 112 minutes).

In Vitro

Even when its broader thematic ambitions are muddled, this taut Australian thriller provides an intriguing puzzle involving genetics, technology, and human obsession that’s worth piecing together. It’s set in the near-future, when Layla (Talia Zucker) lives on a struggling cattle farm with her husband, Jack (Ashley Zukerman), with their young son away at boarding school. But when Layla starts uncovering dark secrets about Jack’s animal breeding experiments, it sends her own life into a downward spiral. Vividly depicting its bleak rural landscapes, the deliberately paced film overcomes its gimmicky elements with some clever science-fiction twists grounded in paranoid anxieties about power, deception, and family bonds. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Off the Grid

Resembling a feature-length game of hide-and-seek among adults with bad attitudes and high-grade weaponry, this absurd cat-and-mouse thriller from director Johnny Martin (Hangman) lacks any subtlety or nuance to escalate the stakes. A brilliant scientist (Josh Duhamel) seeks shelter in a makeshift cabin in the woods near a small town to prevent his groundbreaking research from being stolen for corrupt purposes by a greedy energy executive (Greg Kinnear) and his ruthless henchmen. Yet when they track him down, his resourcefulness becomes a survival instinct. The film takes itself much too seriously — aside from one egregiously campy portrayal — while undermining any moral complexity with assembly-line set pieces. (Rated R, 104 minutes).

Ponyboi

Awkwardly combining an earnest drama about identity and acceptance with a cliched crime thriller about a dead body and stolen money leaves this gritty urban saga feeling hollow. It’s set on Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, where Ponyboi (River Gallo) — still dealing with unresolved past trauma — is an intersex laundromat employee whose boss (Dylan O’Brien) is a pimp. Ponyboi later becomes entangled in a bad drug deal that leaves mobsters seeking revenge on both of them. The intentions might be heartfelt in wanting to depict life as an outsider on the margins, but Gallo’s screenplay is too formulaic to have much meaningful insight or impact. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

The Sound

For a movie aimed at thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies, this eye-rolling thriller emphasizes tedious exposition over nail-biting action. It centers on a group of elite mountain climbers, some with dubious back stories, who are given access to a dangerous peak on indigenous land that had been off-limits for decades following a tragedy. However, their expedition to the top is imperiled by a malevolent spirit with other ideas. Obviously well-versed in climbing technique and terminology, the stylish film builds tension through common fears and apprehensions about the sport. Yet the central story is woefully contrived before falling off a cliff in the final act. (Rated R, 104 minutes).