Capsule reviews for May 24

Brightburn

Puberty can do all sorts of things to a child, especially when it’s a demonic extraterrestrial with a superhero complex. This uneven thriller follows a Kansas farmer (David Denman) and his wife (Elizabeth Banks) who rescue a baby from a crashed spaceship in their backyard, and raise him as their own. The plan goes smoothly enough until he turns 12, when Brandon (Jackson Dunn) begins exhibiting erratic and increasingly sinister behavior — along with superhuman powers — to gain revenge on those who’ve slighted him. The low-key concept provides an intriguing groundwork, although the mildly unsettling film struggles to maintain consistent suspense amid its arbitrary twists and revelations. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Diamantino

Genres are mashed up with remarkable dexterity in this bizarre but consistently amusing satire that follows a charming but airheaded Portuguese soccer star (Carlotto Cotta) whose public humiliation begins with a missed penalty kick at the World Cup coinciding with his beloved father’s death. Then comes a surreal odyssey involving, among other things, refugee adoption, genetic experimentation, a yellow Lamborghini, lesbian undercover cops, evil twin sisters, and hallucinations about giant fluffy puppies. Somehow, the film skillfully mixes those disparate elements into a loopy social commentary about fame and the contemporary sociopolitical landscape in Europe. Bolstered by Cotta’s appealing performance, it’s cartoonish but also wildly original. (Not rated, 96 minutes).

Echo in the Canyon

Music history buffs will especially appreciate this enthralling glimpse into the emergence of the Los Angeles folk-rock scene in the 1960s — through artists including The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield — and specifically its ties to the Laurel Canyon counterculture movement at the time. Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan is our guide, interviewing such legends as David Crosby, Brian Wilson, Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, and the late Tom Petty. The film also shows clips from Dylan’s 2015 tribute concert featuring Beck, Fiona Apple, and others. It’s an uneven mix, but finds its rhythm primarily through the amusing anecdotes from a bygone era that’s worth remembering. (Not rated, 82 minutes).

Funny Story

Let’s call it an intermittently amusing story. This low-budget saga of fading celebrity and fractured families centers on a former TV star (Matthew Glave) who sees an opportunity to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Nic (Jana Winternitz), during a weekend in Big Sur. He even agrees to carpool with Nic’s friend Kim (Emily Bett Rickards), before finding out that they’re actually lesbians about to be married. Amid all of the ensuing chaos, the sharply acted film manages some broad laughs. However, its attempted transition into a heartfelt tale of inclusion and reconciliation falls flat because the strained screenplay keeps its characters too detached from reality. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Halston

Fashionistas will find plenty of amusement in this documentary from director Frederic Tcheng (Dior and I) about the eponymous American designer who became known as much for his lavish lifestyle as for his innovative women’s designs that became popular during the disco era. Along with the usual mix of interviews — including Liza Minnelli — and archival footage, the film offers a lightly fictionalized glimpse into the corporate dealings that led to Halston’s ouster from his own company and his eventual decline. Such a structure becomes unwieldy, especially for newcomers to the subject, yet the film cumulatively provides a fascinating glimpse into the man and the period. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

Meeting Gorbachev

Prolific documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) explores the legacy of the final Soviet leader, who’s now 87 and in poor health, through an extended conversation. There’s not much more to this project from a logistical perspective, although the rapport between the two men yields some fresh and fascinating insights as they reminisce about Gorbachev’s influential role in some of the most defining sociopolitical reforms of the late 20th century, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Although the result feels somehow incomplete, Herzog makes a persuasive argument that Gorbachev still doesn’t get enough credit for his achievements. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

The Poison Rose

A strong cast competes for the most exaggerated Texas twang while being unable to overcome the parade of noir clichés in this uninspired murder mystery. John Travolta stars as a beleaguered California private investigator dispatched to his football-crazed former hometown of Galveston, Texas, for a missing-persons case that forces him to confront his past. Among others, he encounters an old flame (Famke Janssen), a local gambling kingpin (Morgan Freeman), and a doctor (Brendan Fraser) who practically screams cover-up. Everyone involved has done better work elsewhere, and while the film stirs up some atmosphere, it never generates enough suspense to inspire emotional investment in the outcome. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

The Proposal

The details of the titular negotiation provide the key to this offbeat documentary about artistic appreciation. It follows the painstaking effort of director Jill Magid to revive the legacy of Mexican architect Luis Barragan, whose public archives were bought and sealed by a Swiss furniture company. So Magid corresponds with the collection’s reclusive caretaker before hatching a controversial plan. Although the deliberate pace can be frustrating, it raises provocative questions about the relationship between the artist, their art, and the public. You might not care for Magid’s manipulative tactics, but she quietly and persuasively draws you into her audacious ruse without forcing you to choose sides. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

The Tomorrow Man

Two committed performances lend a rich texture to this otherwise slight golden-years romance with a couple of eccentric twists. Ed (John Lithgow) is a retiree doomsday prepper whose paranoid, know-it-all ramblings have distanced him from friends and family. Ronnie (Blythe Danner) is a lonely and socially reticent widow who becomes enamored by Ed’s gruff small-town charm. Lithgow, in particular, adds depth and complexity to an intriguing character whose journey to redemption comes with the realization that he can’t prepare for tomorrow without living for today. The perceptive screenplay by rookie director Noble Jones follows a somewhat predictable arc, yet finds enough freshness amid the familiarity. (Rated PG-13, 94 minutes).