Capsule reviews for Jan. 31

The Devil and the Daylong Brothers

While digging into its bag of quirks, gimmicks, and stylistic flourishes, this ultraviolent Deep South musical forgets to include compelling characters or a coherent story. It’s like delicious frosting on a moldy cake. Titular siblings Ish (Brendan Bradley), Enoch (Nican Robinson), and Abe (Jordon Bolden) commit acts of blasphemous brutality on back roads while seeking revenge on their father, who sold their souls to the devil before they were born. However, feisty Frankie (Rainey Qualley) detours their plans in unexpected ways. Peppered with twangy musical numbers and infused with gothic noir, the film flashes ambition and attitude without a narrative backbone to generate consistent intrigue. (Not rated, 111 minutes).

Like Father, Like Son

More familiar than fresh, this low-budget thriller about violent family legacies wallows in its savagery instead of providing deeper insight. As a child, Eli (Dylan Flashner) witnessed a murder committed by his abusive and unremorseful father (Dermot Mulroney), who remains locked up in prison. But as he tries to rebuild his life with a girlfriend (Ariel Winter) and son of his own, Eli struggles to escape the cycle. The screenplay by director Barry Jay (The Way Out) lacks subtlety and nuance in probing the turbulent headspace of its characters, peppering surface-level psychology regarding motives and impulses between its intense confrontations. The result is shallow and unconvincing. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Love Me

After the world ends as we know it, the desire for connection persists. Such deep existential quandaries fuel this ambitious science-fiction romance that struggles to sustain itself without resorting to heavy-handed sentimentality. Starting in the 26th century, when humans are extinct while antiquated gadgets remain, the two-hander follows a wayward buoy (Kristen Stewart) and a rogue satellite (Steven Yeun) who interact through stored memories and data, eventually discovering links to their shared past. Within its vivid if bleak dystopian landscape, the film ponders the endless possibilities for digital preservation and the role of technology in humankind’s eventual downfall. Those weighty topics become lost in the cosmos. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Not an Artist

Although its deeper philosophical musings remain muddled, this quirky character-driven comedy is uneven yet consistently amusing, thanks primarily to a top-notch ensemble cast. It’s set at a residency program run by an eccentric benefactor (RZA) who tests fledgling artists who have hit a creative rut. While contemplating her authenticity as a writer, Alice (Alexi Pappas) must deal with the arrival of her estranged father (Matt Walsh), a widower seeking validation of his own. More silly than substantial, the screenplay by co-directors Pappas and Jeremy Teicher (Olympic Dreams) finds its offbeat heart. RZA is a highlight alongside co-stars Haley Joel Osment, Rosalind Chao, and Cleopatra Coleman. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

Valiant One

Wearing its patriotic heart on its sleeve, this formulaic war thriller admirably salutes the courage and bravery of American combat troops, even if its heartfelt intentions are compromised by ham-fisted execution. It starts with the crash of an Army helicopter in North Korea, leaving some non-combat troops stranded behind enemy lines. With help unable to reach them, the survivors — led by a captain (Chase Stokes) and a tech specialist (Lana Condor) — must navigate perilous terrain to cross the border.  It’s based on true events but rarely seems convincing or thrilling. Rather than rooting for the characters to be rescued, you wind up rooting for the production. (Rated R, 87 minutes).