Capsule reviews for Aug. 18

The Adults

Exploring the subtle nuances in sibling estrangement, this sharply observed drama embraces awkwardness and insecurity without providing an easy path to reconciliation or catharsis. Eric (Michael Cera) returns to his hometown for a weekend, both to prove his poker superiority and to visit his cynical older sister (Hannah Gross) and free-spirited younger sister (Sophia Lillis) who have shared the family’s childhood home since their mother’s death. They seem playful one minute and hostile the next, with Eric’s decision to extend his stay adding to the discomfort. Committed performances complement a screenplay by director Dustin Guy Defa (Person to Person) that skillfully modulates comedy and drama. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Birth/Rebirth

Reimagining the Frankenstein legend through a contemporary feminist lens, this ambitious if contrived thriller is an intriguing look at medical ethics and experimentation. It tells the intertwining stories of two troubled women — Rose (Marin Ireland) is a pathologist at a New York morgue and Celie (Judy Reyes) is a nurse and mother of a young girl who dies during a meningitis outbreak before her corpse goes missing. Their initial antagonism triggers into a reluctant partnership over fractured relationships and maternal instincts. Not for the squeamish, this unsettling debut from director Laura Moss builds suspense despite its twists becoming progressively far-fetched as the circumstances turn desperate. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Dead Shot

As it combines elements of a bleak and brooding character study with a more straightforward cat-and-mouse revenge saga, this British thriller struggles to raise the emotional stakes. In the 1970s, Michael (Colin Morgan) is a retired Irish paramilitary officer who escapes capture while his pregnant wife is killed by a British soldier (Aml Ameen) at a border checkpoint. Vengeance lures him to the streets of London, where he’s aided by a mysterious woman (Felicity Jones) but realizes he might still be a target. Despite some strong performances, the film yields only intermittent suspense as it explores morality and masculinity while funneling toward an inevitable final showdown. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

The Engineer

More tedious than provocative, this Middle East thriller from director Danny Abeckaser (Mob Town) ditches any meaningful sociopolitical complexity in favor of formulaic action. It’s set in the mid-1990s, when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are threatened by the explosion of a bus in Tel Aviv by a suicide bomber. Among the dead is the daughter of an American senator (Robert Davi), who contracts a mercenary (Angel Bonanni) to exact vengeance. However, a former Mossad agent (Emile Hirsch) is leading a separate covert manhunt for the elusive titular terrorist, which complicates each mission. The film never musters much suspense or intrigue despite a true-life backdrop that suggests both. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Madeleine Collins

Tension simmers beneath the surface of this stylish and sophisticated French thriller that spotlights a multilayered performance by Virginie Efira (Benedetta). She plays Judith, a woman living and thriving in simultaneous relationships — married to a conductor (Bruno Salomone) in Paris and working as a translator in Geneva, where she’s living with an unemployed man (Quim Gutierrez). She has children with both men in a clandestine arrangement that’s destined to crumble. The uneven screenplay co-written by director Antoine Barraud (Rouge) strikes a balance between absurd and provocative, with its winking self-awareness countered by a darker exploration of a midlife crisis. It’s rewarding for moviegoers who buy in. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

Puppy Love

Overflowing with quirks and cuteness, this breezy and innocuous romantic comedy is too predictable to have much bark or bite. It follows impulsive Nicole (Lucy Hale) and neurotic Max (Grant Gustin), whose first date at the dog park finds them hopelessly mismatched. Such wasn’t the case with their respective pooches, who wound up conceiving a litter of pups that brings their human parents back together for another chance at love. The actors are charming enough and the film generates some scattered laughs while trying to maximize the heartwarming potential of its canine co-stars. But even for the most ardent dog devotees, it’s ultimately contrived and forgettable. (Not rated, 104 minutes).