Capsule reviews for Nov. 8

Bird

A deeply felt performance from newcomer Nykiya Adams galvanizes this beguiling mix of gritty social drama and magical realism from British director Andrea Arnold (American Honey). It chronicles people living on the socioeconomic margins through the adventurous impulses of Bailey (Adams), a small-town preteen who lives in a rundown apartment building with her scheming and overwhelmed single father (Barry Keoghan). Bailey befriends an enigmatic stranger nicknamed Bird (Franz Rogowski) through their shared artistic sensibilities, igniting a quest to find her voice. This coming-of-age fable tenderly navigates tricky thematic territory with intriguing character dynamics and an evocative sense of melancholy that never feels too oppressive or hopeless. (Not rated, 119 minutes).

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point

Gently amusing and quietly poignant, this offbeat and slightly messy episode of ensemble yuletide nostalgia from director Tyler Taormina (Ham on Rye) effectively mixes quirky humor and heartfelt affection. It chronicles the titular gathering of a large family in what could be the last holiday celebration in their suburban ancestral home. The characters ring true as they navigate troubled relationships, an uncertain future, mouth-watering food, and of course, the usual festivities that come with such occasions. Although it lacks traditional narrative momentum — aside from the misadventures of some rambunctious teenagers — the screenplay feels formulaic in its setup but not its execution. It’s a small gift. (Rated PG-13, 106 minutes).

The Last Rifleman

Pierce Brosnan captures the everyday heroism of the title character in this crowd-pleasing British drama that waters down its true-life poignancy with embellishments and contrivances. Brosnan plays Artie, a widowed 92-year-old World War II veteran who escapes from his Belfast nursing home to attend an anniversary event at Normandy, the memories of which still haunt him. Various obstacles, including his own frail health, threaten his journey, forcing him to rely on the kindness of some strangers. Artie’s story is moving, although the film from director Terry Loane (Mickybo and Me) undermines it with a generic road-trip structure that too often loses sight of its destination. (Rated PG-13, 99 minutes).

Love Bomb

Go ahead and swipe left on this campy erotic thriller, which can’t decide whether to embrace or awkwardly disguise its amateurish tawdriness. It follows a young businessman (Josh Caras) lured into an affair with a sultry stranger (Jessie Andrews) through an app designed for one-night stands. When another man (Zane Holtz) shows up to form the third corner of the triangle, motives become cloudy and shifting loyalties fuel violent consequences. Given the shallow characters, uneven performances, and lead-footed humor, the film would have been wise to lean into its throwback soft-core cheesiness over the inconsequential twists or half-hearted takedown of toxic masculinity and corporate greed. (Not rated, 75 minutes).

Meanwhile on Earth

Many science-fiction movies focus on the astronaut in outer space, but this offbeat French drama centers on the sister he left behind. The result is a muddled meditation on grief, family, and self-discovery. Elsa (Megan Northam) is a graphic artist still grappling with her older brother’s disappearance during a mission. Then she starts hearing voices, including that of her lost sibling, which suggest a path to bringing him back. As Elsa embarks on a surreal odyssey, is she just hallucinating? The live-action debut of director Jeremy Clapin (I Lost My Body) is visually striking, yet congealing its intriguing ideas becomes convoluted and frustrating in its ambiguity. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Small Things Like These

A richly textured performance by Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) finds hope amid the heartbreak of this deliberately paced yet quietly powerful Irish drama about faith, compassion, and morality. Murphy plays Bill, a 1980s small-town coal merchant and father of five daughters who makes an unsettling discovery during a delivery to a local convent involving a young woman (Zara Devlin). The incident triggers haunting memories of his own childhood, and prompts the unassuming and emotionally muted Bill to confront the intimidating Mother Superior (Emily Watson). The modest film carries significant weight without turning heavy-handed or sentimental, exploring everyday courage in the face of true-life institutional injustice. (Rated PG-13, 98 minutes).

Starring Jerry as Himself

As quietly unassuming as its titular protagonist, this hybrid documentary unfolds in captivating fashion into a multilayered cautionary tale about phone scams, fractured families, health scares, wealth and identity, and the elusive American Dream. The film re-creates a series of true-life incidents involving Jerry, a 70-year-old Taiwanese immigrant who has proudly donated his modest wealth to his three sons and charismatic ex-wife. When Jerry is contacted by Chinese authorities to become a secret agent, he risks everything, except for his aspirations and memories. Rookie director Law Chen structures the story as a quirky thriller with surprising emotional depth, enabling the sympathetic Jerry to command the spotlight. (Not rated, 75 minutes).

Stockholm Bloodbath

Spectacle overwhelms substance in this blood-soaked war epic from director Mikael Hafstrom (Slingshot), which has style and attitude to spare but little underlying character or emotional depth to make us care. It takes us back to the 16th century, during a turf war with neighboring Denmark, when Swedish sisters Freya (Alba August) and Anne (Sophie Cookson) seek revenge against the tyrannical Danish king (Claes Bang), whose soldiers murdered their family. While eschewing pitfalls of stuffy period pieces, the film’s attempt to juggle dark comedy with amped-up action with sociopolitical drama leads to awkward tonal shifts, and its intended laughs and thrills become lost in the mix. (Rated R, 118 minutes).

Weekend in Taipei

Both fast and furious, this globetrotting thriller features some stylish and well-choreographed action sequences only marginally enlivening a derivative script with shallow characters and an incoherent plot. It centers on John (Luke Evans), a rogue Minnesota drug-enforcement agent who heads to Taiwan to take down a billionaire kingpin (Sung Kang) he first encountered years earlier. That also reunites John with an ex-flame (Gwei Lun-mei), who now happens to be the criminal’s wife. As his dual missions collide, his loyalties become torn. Beneath all the surface glitz and glamour, the uninspired screenplay by Luc Besson and director George Huang (Swimming with Sharks) is more ponderous than playful. (Rated R, 101 minutes).