Capsule reviews for Jan. 26

American Star

Within a familiar genre framework, this slow-burning thriller delivers a richly textured character study driven by an understated portrayal from Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) to help offset its wandering narrative. McShane plays a grizzled hitman sent to the tropical island of Fuerteventura for his final assignment. However, his target isn’t home, prompting him to explore the surroundings while he waits to finish the job. As he meets a bartender (Nora Arnezeder) and becomes fascinated by an old shipwreck, his perspectives evolve on his life and work. More about atmosphere than plot, the evocative film contrasts its scenic backdrop with a low-key study of mortality and regret. (Rated R, 107 minutes).

Bad Hombres

Despite a potentially provocative backdrop, this ultraviolent thriller from director John Stalberg (Muzzle) ditches nuance in favor of a formulaic, testosterone-fueled saga of deception, murder, and dishonor among thieves. It follows a day laborer (Diego Tinoco) just across the border who’s hired by a loose cannon (Luke Hemsworth) for a job in the New Mexico desert, only to become entangled in a botched drug deal. Forced to fight for survival, he’s uncertain who to trust. Amid the ensuing maze of betrayal and revenge among unscrupulous scoundrels, the plot twists are as barren as the setting. The cast includes Thomas Jane, Tyrese Gibson, and Nick Cassavetes. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Hargrove

While this documentary will attract new fans to jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, it also serves as a touching tribute following his 2018 death from kidney disease at age 49. Rookie director Eliane Henri, who discloses her longtime friendship with Hargrove up front, provides an in-depth look at his Texas upbringing, his unique fashion sense, his work ethic, his artistic inspiration, his career achievements, and of course, his genre-bending musical gifts. But alongside interviews with Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, and Erykah Badu, the film doesn’t merely gloss over its subject’s struggles with addiction, finances, and relationships. The result is a compelling portrait serenaded by Hargrove’s horn. (Not rated, 107 minutes).

The Peasants

The enchanting animated visuals outshine the flat dramatic approach of this ambitious if uneven Polish period piece from directors Hugh and D.K. Welchman (Loving Vincent), based on Wladyslaw Reymont’s Nobel-winning novel. Jagna (Kamila Urzedowska) is an alluring young woman in a small 19th century village who attracts the attention of local men, mostly for the wrong reasons. Her resolve is tested when she becomes embroiled in an affair that places her between a wealthy landowner (Miroslaw Baka) and his married son (Robert Gulaczyk). The meticulous paintings that illustrate every frame also help to enliven an otherwise tedious and melodramatic script about class and patriarchal customs. (Rated R, 114 minutes).

The Seeding

Even if its ambiguity is frustrating, tension simmers throughout this low-budget psychological horror saga that effectively leverages common fears of isolation and helplessness. It centers on Wyndham (Scott Haze), a hiker who becomes lost in a canyon during an eclipse, and eventually is trapped in a shack along with a mysterious woman (Kate Lyn Sheil) by a sadistic gang of violent inbred teenagers. As ulterior motives are revealed, Wyndham’s defiance turns to desperation as he hopes to reconnect with the outside world. The screenplay by British director Barney Clay uses the off-grid locale to its unsettling advantage, while Haze and Sheil create some intriguing emotional dynamics. (Not rated, 100 minutes).

Sometimes I Think About Dying

There’s a manufactured sweetness to this deadpan office comedy from director Rachel Lambert (In the Radiant City), a mildly amusing melancholy saga balancing quirky absurdities with sad realities. It chronicles Fran (Daisy Ridley), an awkward and painfully insecure introvert who initially ignores then eventually indulges the attention from a coworker (Dave Merheje) in an adjacent cubicle. Their cautious relationship leads to unexpected consequences beyond Fran merely emerging from her misanthropic, daydreaming shell. It’s a modest examination of human connection, with Ridley’s deeply felt performance communicating through body language and facial expressions more than dialogue. But the offbeat story around Fran isn’t as compelling or consequential. (Rated PG-13, 91 minutes).

Totem

Exploring familiar themes through a fresh lens with rich cultural specificity, this gritty drama from Mexican director Lila Aviles (The Chambermaid) builds a cumulative emotional power through its chaos. It’s told primarily from the perspective of Sol (Naima Senties), a mischievous young girl whose working-class family is preparing a birthday party for her artist father (Mateo Garcia Elizondo), who is stricken with cancer and extremely frail. As she interacts with relatives before the gathering, Sol begins to realize the somber mood that hovers over the occasion. With unheralded actors and largely improvised dialogue, the film resonates with authenticity while examining childhood innocence and fragile family dynamics. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

The Underdoggs

Like its characters, this broad football comedy has a big heart beneath its vulgar edges. However, this semiautobiographical vehicle for rapper Snoop Dogg from director Charles Stone III (Uncle Drew) is a derivative and thoroughly predictable Bad News Bears redemption knockoff. He plays a brash, narcissistic ex-superstar living in luxury before being sentenced to community service, which forces him to return to the working-class roots he abandoned. He winds up coaching a ragtag peewee team that provides a heavy dose of humility — plus a chance to reconnect with an old flame (Tika Sumpter). Despite some scattered laughs, the film fumbles short of the goal line. (Rated R, 96 minutes).