Capsule reviews for Nov. 22

Armor

Despite some well-staged action sequences and a capable cast, this low-budget crime thriller struggles to generate consistent suspense with stock characters and stilted dialogue. James (Jason Patric) is an alcoholic ex-cop still coping with a past tragedy who now drives an armored truck alongside his son (Josh Wiggins). However, when a mysterious trunk is added to their usual haul, the vehicle becomes trapped on a bridge by a militia headed by a ruthless gang leader (Sylvester Stallone). Surrounded on all sides, the father-and-son team fights for survival. After a promising setup, the narrative momentum lags in the middle and the stakes never build as intended. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

The Black Sea

The broader message is hardly revelatory, but it’s the smaller, more intimate moments that give this sharply observed docudrama its heartfelt humor and offbeat charm. It follows Khalid (Derrick Harden), a Brooklyn barista stranded in a Bulgarian small town after an opportunity to make money backfires. As the only Black man anywhere in sight, he attracts attention from the curious and cautious locals, before eventually finding connections he never expected. It’s a loosely autobiographical story for Harden, who co-directed with Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack). His screen presence helps to compensate for the meandering nature of the story, which offers a compassionate perspective on race and immigration. (Rated R, 96 minutes).

Bread and Roses

Both inspiring and infuriating, this documentary captures the plight of Afghan women under the oppressive Taliban regime through the eyes of a few freedom fighters willing to risk everything to change their fate. Since Kabul fell back to the Taliban in 2021, women are not allowed to work or attend school, threating those willing to speak out with violence or imprisonment. But the film’s subjects find power in sisterhood and solidarity. Balancing outrage with compassion, director Sahra Mani (A Thousand Girls Like Me) digs beneath sociopolitical stalemates to spotlight the heroic efforts of these women while acknowledging their uphill battle, yielding a persuasive call to action. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

While celebrating the emotional power of photographs, this expansive documentary from director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) helps to preserve the vital legacy of its late subject. Launched by the discovery of 60,000 negatives of Cole’s work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017, the film proceeds to trace the life and career of the South African photographer known for his visual chronicles of racial oppression His most notable collection focused on Apartheid in his homeland, the result of which forced him into exile and personal disillusionment. The film builds a cumulative potency in sharing story that Cole himself was prevented from fully telling. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

Flow

From humorous to heartwarming to harrowing, this quietly powerful charmer is highlighted by richly detailed and visually striking animation. The dialogue-free story follows a cat abandoned in the woods, where it reluctantly forms a bond with other outcasts of various species. A stray boat provides only temporary shelter from persistent floods and massive sea creatures. It’s a cute and cuddly tale of peaceful coexistence in the wild, yet also a survival saga where danger lurks around every corner. Dabbling in dystopian fantasy, the film conveys a message of environmental conservation in the face of climate change, and the resilient feline protagonist takes care of the rest. (Rated PG, 84 minutes).

Never Look Away

The stunning imagery along the front lines takes a back seat to the conflict inside the head of famed videographer and journalist Margaret Moth in this revealing and intriguing documentary from rookie director Lucy Lawless. It chronicles the life and career of Moth, a charismatic yet enigmatic New Zealand native who became one of the world’s foremost war correspondents by documenting footage from Bosnia to the Middle East often at her own peril. But were her actions courageous or reckless? Lawless probes her troubled personal life and tumultuous relationships for clues as part of a thorough portrait of a media maverick whose work deserves a salute. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

Out of My Mind

Heartfelt intentions alone cannot save this earnest coming-of-age drama from melodramatic contrivances that compromise its message. Melody (Phoebe-Rae Taylor) has cerebral palsy, which has left her nonverbal and using a motorized wheelchair. However, she’s intelligent and has plenty to communicate through assistive technology, if only people will pay attention. Melody’s supportive mother (Rosemarie DeWitt) and father (Luke Kirby) reluctantly endorse moving her into a general sixth-grade class from special ed, which has benefits and drawbacks. The effort to inspire and change perspectives is admirable. However, within its formulaic underdog framework, the film doesn’t seem to tell her story quite the way the empowered Melody would want. (Rated PG, 107 minutes).

Porcelain War

Finding beauty amid devastation, this absorbing documentary offers a persuasive case for the value of artistic expression even during times of intense crisis and conflict. Specifically, it chronicles Slava, who makes porcelain figurines, and his partner and creative collaborator, Anya, who paints. With their Ukrainian homeland under siege from the ongoing Russian invasion, the couple joins the fight from Crimea to Kharkiv, while using their art as a form of resilience and defiance, not to mention a morale boost. Although the film sometimes struggles to balance its inherent tonal shifts, it’s an inspiring tribute to some deserving subjects while finding hope alongside the heartbreak. (Rated R, 87 minutes).

Whiteout

By stripping away context and exposition, this testosterone-driven survival thriller never provides sufficient incentive for emotional investment in who lives and who dies. It follows Henry (James McDougall), a nerdy tech expert at a corporate office raided by Russian terrorists. Henry is abducted and held hostage at a labor camp, where he meets some fellow captives with an escape plan. But fleeing captivity turns out to be the easy part when they are left alone in the snowy Siberian wilderness. Through its lean script and stereotypical characters, the film offers a half-hearted exploration of primal instincts during times of desperation, albeit with minimal subtlety or surprise. (Rated R, 91 minutes).