Capsule reviews for April 10

Beast

It’s hardly a knockout from a script perspective, but at least this formulaic Australian underdog saga knows its way around a mixed-martial arts octagon. That lends credibility and intensity to the fight sequences that the brawny film otherwise lacks. It follows a commercial fisherman and ex-champion (Daniel MacPherson) lured into a comeback fight for various personal and financial reasons. But he must repair his relationship with an ex-trainer (Russell Crowe) prior to a high-stakes showdown against a brash brawler (Bren Foster) with his legacy on the line. In adhering to a predictable Rocky-style template, the film offers little character development or emotional depth outside the ring. (Rated R, 113 minutes).

Exit 8

Claustrophobics might shiver while watching this unsettling Japanese psychological thriller that generates some effective tension from its video-game premise but is less effective as a satire of tech-driven detachment and parental anxiety. After finding out his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, an asthmatic subway passenger (Kazunari Ninomiya) becomes trapped in a maze of sterile underground subway tunnels, realizing he must solve a puzzle of sorts to escape. During his existential odyssey, he realizes he’s not alone. The film is genuinely creepy in the first half but struggles to sustain its narrative momentum. Despite some visual flourishes, its frustrating ambiguity renders the premise more compelling than the payoff. (Rated PG-13, 95 minutes).

Hamlet

Admirable more for its ambition than its execution, this haunting adaptation again showcases the versatility of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. However, the contemporary reimagining from director Aneil Karia (Surge) too often feels gimmicky rather than emotionally resonant. In this version, Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) is a grieving London man caught in a web of deceit and murder within his own family, triggering a vengeful reckoning. Ahmed (The History of Sound) fully commits to the deeply contemplative title role, giving it a brooding intensity, although the film’s rich cultural texture — and the resulting changes to the source material — never fully meshes with the Bard’s theatrical language as intended. (Rated R, 114 minutes).

Heads or Tails

An ambitious mishmash of nostalgic references and stylish visual flourishes, this throwback western finds its own amusing niche that both indulges and tweaks genre tropes. Mixing real-life history with meta fantasy, it’s set in the early 1900s in Italy, where Rosa (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) flees an abusive marriage for a flashy cowboy (Alessandro Borghi) after he wins a competition against the legendary Buffalo Bill (John C. Reilly) during his traveling rodeo show’s overseas tour. However, the whirlwind affair makes them a target for bounty hunters and vengeful gamblers. The film is too uneven to gain much emotional traction, although its scrappy energy keeps it in the saddle. (Not rated, 113 minutes).

The Travel Companion

What starts as a quirky comedy about struggling artists in New York evolves into a peculiar yet incisive drama probing petty jealousies, creativity versus commerce, and the perils of the gig economy. It follows fledgling documentarian Simon (Tristan Turner) whose roommate and best friend, Bruce (Anthony Oberbeck), works for an airline, enabling Simon to fly free on standby. But when Bruce meets Beatrice (Naomi Asa), it threatens their friendship, and perhaps more importantly, Simon’s travel privileges. By design, the resulting awkward scheming leads to as much cringing as laughter in a film that’s light on plot but nevertheless generates emotional investment in its blue-collar characters. (Not rated, 91 minutes).