Capsule reviews for Oct. 17

The Astronaut

Picking up where most space movies end — after the return to Earth — this intimate science-fiction thriller relies too heavily on jump scares and narrative misdirection rather than organic suspense. Sam (Kate Mara) begins experiencing strange and unusual occurrences while under NASA care following her mission. As she drifts in and out of reality, are her hallucinations simply PTSD, or has something followed her home from the cosmos? Despite Mara’s committed performance, the film never sufficiently gets inside of Sam’s head or diagnoses her trauma as it unravels a mystery with potentially widespread ramifications. The bold twist at the end seems to come from another planet. (Rated PG-13, 91 minutes).

Everything to Me

A heartfelt coming-of-age story about teenage ambition and self-discovery set in early 2000s Silicon Valley, this gentle drama struggles to balance its nostalgic flourishes with muddled messages about tech responsibility and following your own path. It follows a precocious Claudia (Abigail Donaghy), who from a young age has been obsessed with attending Stanford and following in the footsteps of Apple guru Steve Jobs. However, personal turmoil involving her parents (Rich Sommer and Judy Greer) and favorite teacher (Utkarsh Ambudkar) send her into a spiral. The screenplay by rookie director Kayci Lacob incisively taps into angst-ridden adolescence without the broader depth or insight to distinguish itself. (Not rated, 90 minutes).

It Was Just an Accident

The power lies in the subtlety of this latest gut-wrenching drama from Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi (The White Balloon), another audacious takedown of political oppression in his homeland. It’s set over a single day, chronicling a series of events that spiral out of control in the lives of a warehouse worker (Vahid Mobasseri) and the family man (Ebrahim Azizi) who he targets for an act of revenge following a traffic accident. Deceptively simple in its setup, Panahi’s intricately constructed screenplay gradually builds from a low-key character study to an intense, gritty thriller with high stakes. It simultaneously confronts its moral complexities with sincerity and conviction. (Rated PG-13, 102 minutes).

Koln 75

It’s not destined for anywhere near the same cultural impact as the true story it depicts, although this breezy period drama benefits from strong portrayals and an appropriately scrappy earnestness. It chronicles the chaotic story behind the 1975 German concert by eccentric American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett (John Magaro) — a recording of which later became a best-selling live album — as seen through the eyes of the show’s teenage promoter, Vera Brandes (Mala Emde). Although told from the perspective of the less compelling of the two main characters, the screenplay by director Ido Fluk (The Ticket) finds its rhythm amid the whirlwind that helps disguise its flaws. (Not rated, 112 minutes).

The Mastermind

Perhaps mainstream and conventional by the standards of indie director Kelly Reichardt (First Cow), this low-key heist thriller is both a compelling character study and a quietly perceptive morality tale. It’s set in 1970 Massachusetts, where James (Josh O’Connor) spearheads the daylight theft of four museum paintings, ostensibly to provide for his wife (Alana Haim) and two rambunctious boys — maybe also as a subtle act of rebellion against his father (Bill Camp). However, the aftermath comes with unintended consequences. Complemented by evocative period visuals, a brassy jazz score, and a richly textured portrayal by O’Connor (Challengers), Reichardt’s deliberately paced screenplay is quirky but thoughtfully understated. (Rated R, 110 minutes).

Stiller and Meara: Nothing Is Lost

Even if his approach seems a bit self-indulgent, director Ben Stiller demonstrates a commendable level of candor and objectivity in this bittersweet documentary paying tribute to his late parents. As his family cleans out the New York apartment that Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara shared for decades while performing both together and apart, the film combines archival footage — which was plentiful in this household — and personal recollections that salutes the duo’s talent and longevity. Along with insight into their loving if challenging relationship, the film also astutely explores the burden of being raised in a show-business family and following in the footsteps of famous parents. (Not rated, 98 minutes).