Capsule reviews for Jan. 6

Alcarras

The melancholy mood is appropriate but not overwhelming in this sharply observed, low-budget drama from Spanish director Carla Simon (Summer 1993). It uses amateur actors to capture a naturalistic feel in chronicling a family whose quiet Catalonian peach farm dates back generations. But their livelihood — and the tradition that comes with harvesting their orchard together — becomes endangered on multiple fronts, most notably the intrusion of a company looking to evict them and use their land for solar panels. The film’s uneven narrative momentum is offset by its stylish visuals and subtle charms, which enable this poignant salute to a dwindling lifestyle to carry a universal resonance. (Not rated, 120 minutes).

Candy Land

As it builds toward its climactic bloodbath, this lurid thriller about truck-stop prostitutes becomes caught between a feminist revenge saga, an exploitation comedy, and a character-driven tale of redemption and spiritual awakening. As a naïve newcomer, troubled Remy (Olivia Luccardi) becomes a young protégé for the veteran “lot lizards” trying to score quick cash at a roadside lot. But when the corrupt sheriff (William Baldwin) begins investigating a series of murders, perhaps Remy isn’t as shy or innocent as she seems. Aside from its brutality, the screenplay by director John Swab (Ida Red) doesn’t provide enough character depth or thematic insight to generate sufficient emotional investment. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

The Old Way

Saddling some talented actors with predictable storytelling, this revenge Western seems content to rehash genre tropes rather than blazing a new narrative trail. It stars a subdued Nicolas Cage as Colton, a former gunslinger now settled down with his wife (Kerry Knuppe) and precocious young daughter (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). But when an outlaw (Noah LeGros) and his gang arrive to settle an old score, it forces Colton to confront his past and imperils his family. The formulaic plotting allows for some effectively intimate father-daughter moments involving Cage and Armstrong as we wait for the inevitable final showdown. But overall it’s a familiar tale of frontier justice. (Rated R, 93 minutes).