Capsule reviews for Oct. 29

Anniversary

Despite a strong ensemble cast, this uneven satirical thriller never remains grounded enough to generate consistent suspense as a cautionary tale. Ellen (Diane Lane) is a respected political science professor celebrating an anniversary with her husband (Kyle Chandler) when their adult son (Dylan O’Brien) brings home one of Ellen’s former students, Liz (Phoebe Dynevor), as his date. That reignites a subtle rivalry between Ellen and Liz, the burgeoning leader of a corporate-sponsored radical movement that threatens democracy. As the close-knit family unravels, the film stumbles in juggling its various subplots, resorting to contrivances and forced outrage. The provocative subtext becomes watered down in the process. (Rated R, 111 minutes).

Dracula

There’s a lot going on in the latest freewheeling genre mishmash from iconoclastic Romanian director Radu Jude (Bad Luck Banging and Loony Porn), and only a fraction of it concerns the titular vampiric legend. Instead, he uses Dracula as a launchpad for a gleefully vulgar, Transylvania-set meta riff on a labor strike involving zombies, a science-fiction subplot about Vlad the Impaler, the use of generative AI, and the movie business itself. Less interested in traditional coherent storytelling than trying to provoke reactions, the film’s random rudimentary gags don’t always connect, but not for lack of audacity. There are big laughs for those on the same offbeat wavelength. (Not rated, 170 minutes).

Hallow Road

The chills are more in the journey than the destination in this taut and tightly wound thriller from director Babak Anvari (Under the Skin) about tragic actions, consequences, and parental responsibilities. It unfolds almost in real time after an ex-paramedic (Rosamund Pike) and her husband (Matthew Rhys) race to the rural scene of a late-night traffic accident apparently caused by their daughter. Along the way, their nightmarish journey becomes a surreal drive into a maze of guilt, grief, and damage control. Conceptually simple yet narratively ambitious, the twisty film relies on its two performances to maintain suspense as it rolls toward an ambiguous resolution. (Not rated, 80 minutes).

Messy

There’s a feisty audacity that keeps this appropriately titled indie romantic comedy churning, although the unsympathetic abrasiveness of its promiscuous protagonist offsets many of the laughs. It’s set during a New York summer when unfiltered Stella (Alexi Wasser) tries to merge her two passions — sex and writing — by landing a provisional gig as a magazine columnist. Can she break her obsession with short-term physical relationships? The resulting journey of self-discovery, which feels like a “Sex and the City” offshoot, is mildly amusing and occasionally relatable. However, Wasser’s uneven directorial debut is more shallow than sophisticated. The cast includes Thomas Middleditch, Adam Goldberg, and Jack Kilmer. (Not rated, 81 minutes).

Stitch Head

Too often emphasizing incoherent chaos at the expense of narrative depth, this coming-of-age animated comedy winds up diminishing its heartfelt charms. Stitch Head (voiced by Asa Butterfield) was the first creation by a mad scientist (Rob Brydon), and now has become the caretaker for his mutant siblings. They remain sequestered from the outside world until a greedy carnival promoter comes to a nearby town seeking a new attraction. With his future uncertain, Stitch Head must follow his heart. Youngsters might be drawn to the rambunctious creature antics, although the visuals are flat and the story is amusing yet unfocused, combining themes and ideas we’ve seen before. (Rated PG, 91 minutes).

Violent Ends

A solid cast and an evocative backwoods milieu can’t offset a plot in this Southern gothic crime drama that comes straight off the genre assembly line. Hailing from a family of notorious Arkansas drug traffickers, Lucas (Billy Magnussen) just wants to move away and start a family with his fiancée (Alexandra Shipp) rather than join the cutthroat business that dates back generations. However, he’s lured back in after a tragedy prompts him to enlist his loose-cannon brother (Nick Stahl) in an act of bloody revenge. Despite some intriguing character dynamics, the film downplays a more nuanced study of morality and masculinity in favor of cliched confrontations. (Rated R, 112 minutes).