Capsule reviews for March 27

Alpha

The bleakness and despair intensifies throughout this muddled psychological thriller from French director Julia Ducournau (Raw), which maximizes discomfort with a harrowing setup that doesn’t substantially escalate the suspense or the emotional stakes. Alpha (Melissa Boros) is a wayward teenager whose mysterious new tattoo that triggers a downward spiral for her family, including her panicked mother (Golshifteh Farahani) and addict uncle (Tahar Rahim). Boros is captivating while balancing anxiety and curiosity in the title role, but as Ducournau’s allegorical script veers between fantasy and reality in search of a deeper meaning about grief and guilt, its characters remain stuck in a state of ominous uncertainty. (Rated R, 128 minutes).

Forbidden Fruits

Casting a more effective spell as a suburban satire in the vein of Mean Girls than a horror-infused witchcraft thriller, this uneven coming-of-age saga isn’t as sweet nor as tasty as the titular foods. Apple (Lili Reinhart) oversees an upscale shopping-mall boutique by day and a cult-like coven of beauty queens after hours in the basement. But a power struggle ensues with the arrival of new employee Pumpkin (Lola Tung), along with acolytes Fig (Alexandra Shipp) and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) drifting toward healthier relationships. The well-acted film generates some laughs while cleverly tweaking commercialism and superficiality, although there’s not much substance beneath the acerbic surface. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

Holy Days

Beneath the surface silliness, an underlying secular sweetness drives this heartwarming period comedy that recombines familiar coming-of-age and feisty senior tropes into a fresh package. It’s set in 1970s New Zealand, where three aging nuns (Judy Davis, Jacki Weaver, Miriam Margolyes) learn of a secretive plan to sell their dilapidated convent for redevelopment. Along with a young boy (Elijah Tamati) searching for meaning amid family turmoil, the sisters undertake a wild road trip to reclaim their deed in order to fight back. Even if some of the quirky mayhem feels forced in the screenplay by rookie director Nat Boltt, the esteemed cast keeps it amusing. (Not rated, 101 minutes).

Kontinental 25

Darkly humorous and deeply provocative, this searing social satire from Romanian auteur Radu Jude (Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World) carries a timely thematic relevance beneath its no-frills narrative structure. It follows a court bailiff (Eszter Tompa) carrying out an eviction order for a squatter in a building earmarked for redevelopment. When the homeless man commits suicide, she’s not legally liable, but the resulting guilt triggers a spiral into moral and spiritual crisis. Jude uses the scenario to analyze gentrification, capitalism, cyberbullying, and lingering sociopolitical tension in the region through a subversive lens. Tompa’s committed portrayal anchors the film’s lengthy conversations. (Not rated, 109 minutes).

A Magnificent Life

Despite some gorgeous hand-drawn animation, this breezy biopic of esteemed French writer and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol from director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) only offers surface-level insight into his personal life and professional accomplishments. Told in flashback, the story recounts Pagnol’s early 20th century upbringing in Marseille, his early success as a playwright, and his emergence as perhaps the country’s most notable director and studio chief in the 1930s. The film pays tribute to dreams, memories, creativity, innovation, and certainly to Pagnol himself, although its choppy narrative rarely matches the visual charms. Pagnol’s life might have been magnificent, but this salute is considerably less so. (Rated PG-13, 90 minutes).

Our Hero, Balthazar

The subtext is muddled, but there’s urgency and audacity to spare in this darkly provocative comedy about the convergence of gun culture, toxic masculinity, and mental health in the social-media age. Balthazar (Jaeden Martell) is an affluent New York teenager whose performative scheme to impress an activist classmate (Pippa Knowles) ostensibly involves following an online tip to Texas to stop a troubled loner (Asa Butterfield) threatening to commit a school shooting. The uneasy chemistry between the two leads ratchets up the suspense without a clear rooting interest. Navigating a tonal tightrope, the directorial debut of producer Oscar Boyson (Good Time) lacks subtlety yet compensates with sincerity. (Rated R, 96 minutes).

Pretty Lethal

Refuting notions about demure and proper ballerinas, this thinly sketched thriller from director Vicky Jewson (Close) has a cool subversive concept yet its routine is otherwise familiar. It follows five elite young dancers traveling to a prestigious European competition when their bus breaks down in rural Hungary. The rescue turns into a nightmare when they take shelter at an inn operated by a former ballet prodigy (Uma Thurman) who’s also involved in organized crime. To survive the night, the resourceful youngsters find new uses for their pirouettes and arabesques. Although the second half showcases some innovative fight choreography, the story otherwise lacks enough dynamic moves. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

13 Days, 13 Nights

Even if embellishments and narrative cliches threaten to undermine the real-life intrigue, this political thriller from French director Martin Bourboulon (Eiffel) is layered with emotional urgency and topical relevance. It takes place following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, when the Taliban takes over Kabul and hundreds of refugees storm the French Embassy. The security chief (Roschdy Zem) and a humanitarian aid worker (Lyna Khoudri) are left to navigate the chaos and lead an escape plan to the city’s besieged airport. The script lacks subtlety and nuance, yet still generates consistent suspense as the heightened stakes resonate across cultural and geographic boundaries. (Not rated, 112 minutes).

You’re Dating a Narcissist

With its characters not defined beyond the parameters of the one-joke premise, this mildly amusing romantic comedy lacks depth beyond some scattered laughs. It follows Judy (Marisa Tomei), a psychologist whose cynicism toward men stems from a toxic past relationship. So when her daughter (Ciara Bravo) suddenly becomes engaged, Judy immediately becomes suspicious of the groom (Marco Pigossi) and schemes with her best friend (Sherry Cola) to halt the wedding. Will her perspective change before it’s too late? The mother-daughter dynamics provide the backbone of the film from rookie director Ann Marie Allison, which remains too detached from reality to make its third-act twists more impactful. (Not rated, 91 minutes).