Capsule reviews for May 22

Giant

Success breeds unintended consequences behind the scenes in this crowd-pleasing British boxing biopic that fashions a surface-level tribute to an unheralded mentor outside the ring. Brendan Ingle (Pierce Brosnan) is a working-class trainer who devotes his life to helping boys become responsible adults through his gym. One of them is Yemeni immigrant Naseem Hamed (Amir El-Masry), whose arrogant swagger Brendan encourages as a way to combat racist taunts. But that same defiance causes a rift once Naseem becomes a world champion. Brosnan’s deeply felt performance adds compassion to a well-intentioned screenplay by director Rowan Athale (Strange but True) that otherwise struggles to land more emotional punches. (Not rated, 110 minutes).

Passenger

Arbitrary twists and visual gimmicks are behind the wheel of this road-trip thriller from Norwegian director Andre Ovredal (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), which fails to yield enough suspense to keep from veering off course. It rides along with Maddie (Lou Llobell) and her fiancée Ty (Jacob Scipio) who decide to try living on the open road in a van. But after stopping to render aid during a rainy-night accident, the couple begins experiencing paranoid visions of a sadistic traveler who finds his victims driving at night. Despite a handful of effective jump scares within its claustrophobic confines, the motors toward a narrative dead end. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Saccharine

While combining some creepy ingredients, this uneven body-horror thriller from director Natalie Erika James (Relic) is more of an appetizer than a full meal. Regardless, it’s not for squeamish stomachs as it chronicles a weight-loss journey with serious side effects. Hana (Midori Francis) is an Australian medical student with a problematic sweet tooth whose dieting desperation leads her to an experimental pill. Soon afterward, Hana begins hallucinating and sensing a ghostly presence — perhaps spawned by a cadaver from her class — with sinister food-related intentions. The audacious performance by Francis (Good Boys) is a standout, although any underlying commentary about body image or nutrition science feels muddled. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

The Salt Path

Despite its heartfelt intentions, the journey to catharsis in this adaptation of the controversial British memoir is paved with heavy-handed sentimentality. It tracks Moth (Jason Isaacs) and Raynor (Gillian Anderson), who lose their home following Moth’s diagnosis with a rare and debilitating neurological condition. As he deteriorates, the couple walks around the English coast, meeting strangers and gaining new perspective. Facing bureaucratic red tape and dwindling resources, they try to silently disguise their shame. Lovely visuals and fully committed performances add poignancy to a disputed true-life tale that offers a worthwhile plea for compassion toward the homeless. However, it needs to pick up the pace. (Not rated, 115 minutes).

Tuner

Aside from some third-act contrivances that feel off-key, the narrative feature debut of director Daniel Roher (Navalny) finds its rhythm in harmonizing an intense crime saga with a tender romantic drama. A young piano tuner (Leo Woodall) with a rare hearing impairment secretly leverages his unique skills as a safecracker for a criminal enterprise. While netting some quick cash, however, it threatens his relationships to his mentor (Dustin Hoffman) and an aspiring concert pianist (Havana Rose Liu). A richly textured portrayal by Woodall (“The White Lotus”) and some dynamic sound design elevate a screenplay that plays some familiar thematic notes yet is both sweet and suspenseful. (Rated R, 109 minutes).