Capsule reviews for Sept. 19

Adulthood

Without enough laughs to work as a comedy or enough compelling twists to succeed as a thriller, this saga of family secrets and troubled legacies from actor-director Alex Winter fails to capitalize on its premise. After a stroke leaves their mother hospitalized, siblings Noah (Josh Gad) and Meg (Kaya Scodelario) reunite discuss next steps. However, a shocking discovery in her basement sends them into panic mode as they scheme to cover up a possible crime, while mom’s caretaker (Billie Lourd) seeks a payday. The cast brings depth to some unsympathetic characters, although the film becomes so far-fetched in the second half that the underlying suspense dwindles. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Another End

Lacking the same connection with moviegoers that its leads share on screen, this introspective Italian romance offers an emotionally distant look at grief, memory, and moving on. Sal (Gael Garcia Bernal) is still grieving the death of his wife (Berenice Bejo) when his concerned sister (Renate Reinsve) directs him to an experimental program in which the deceased woman’s consciousness is revived inside a different body. But with the newfound joy inevitably comes more sadness. Too calculated in its emotional impact and too elliptical in confronting its broader themes, the film — despite its strong cast — labors in turning its plot mechanics into a more compelling story. (Not rated, 119 minutes).

Doin’ It

Promoting sex positivity in the social-media age is a worthwhile endeavor, but this painfully strained comedy is unable to balance its raunchy attitude with its more heartfelt lessons about education and culture. It follows Maya (Lilly Singh), a fledgling software developer who begins substitute teaching high school sex education. Yet her own love life has been constrained by her conservative Indian upbringing, so when she changes the lesson plan to graphically discuss sensibility over abstinence, she connects with her ragtag students and runs afoul of overcautious administrators. Singh generates some scattered laughs, although the film relies on contrivances and caricatures with minimal grounding in reality. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

London Calling

The action and comedy both feel strained in this lighthearted crime saga from director Allan Ungar (Bandit) that’s amusing in spurts but doesn’t add up to much in the end. Tommy (Josh Duhamel) is a London hitman forced to relocate to Los Angeles following a killing gone wrong. There, he’s assigned to mentor the son (Jeremy Ray Taylor) of his new boss (Rick Hoffman). Facing a new assignment with the youngster in tow, Tommy must find common ground while eluding a vengeful gangster (Aiden Gillen). He drives a nice vintage car, but the film suffers from stock characters and uninspired hijinks within its convoluted plot. (Rated R, 114 minutes).

Peacock

A sharply observed script and a nicely modulated performance by Albrecht Schuch (All Quiet on the Western Front) give bite to this bittersweet Austrian social satire from rookie director Bernhard Wenger. Schuch plays Matthias, who can be hired on an app to fill roles ranging from a fake boyfriend to a family member with a knack for impressing anyone. However, impersonating others creates a detachment from playing himself, causing Matthias to gradually lose touch with reality. As we both admire and pity him, the film brings conviction to its premise while also embracing the absurdity, offering a winning balance of dark laughs and sobering subtext. (Not rated, 102 minutes).

Plainclothes

Powerfully understated performances elevate this impactful drama about sexual repression, which works better as an intimate character study than a broader tale of morality. It’s set in 1997, when Lucas (Tom Blyth) is an undercover cop pursuing gay men cruising for sex in an upstate New York shopping mall. However, an attraction to one of his closeted targets (Russell Tovey) leads to attraction and obsession, prompting Lucas to reconcile with his own identity and traumatic past while threatening his job and family life. Blyth and rookie director Carmen Emmi chronicle that anguished downward spiral with heartfelt compassion, enhanced by a gritty throwback visual aesthetic. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

Predators

While its agenda sometimes hampers its objectivity, this documentary is a captivating recap of the rise and fall of the investigative mid-2000s true-crime show “To Catch a Predator,” as well as a provocative reassessment of its controversial legacy and impact two decades later. The program, of course, worked in conjunction with local police departments to catch suspected pedophiles on camera. But did such methods compromise legal boundaries, such as due process, and exploit true-life cases for lurid entertainment? Such ethical questions are explored in-depth without clear-cut answers in a film more likely to spark debate than resolve it — inviting us to turn the lens on ourselves. (Not rated, 96 minutes).

The Summer Book

Glenn Close anchors this deliberately paced yet quietly poignant story of grief and healing from director Charlie McDowell (The One I Love) with a portrayal layered with wisdom and grace. She plays a feisty grandmother living on a private island off the coast of Finland, where her widowed son (Anders Danielsen Lie) brings her precocious preteen daughter (Emily Matthews) to spend the summer and learn some valuable lessons about life and death. Using the windswept scenery to its advantage, this adaptation of Tove Jansson’s novel moves to its own rhythm as a film more attuned to minor details than major revelations. It’s slight but powerful. (Not rated, 94 minutes).

Swiped

Whitney Wolfe has more courage and inventiveness than this biopic from director Rachel Lee Goldenberg (Valley Girl) that turns her entrepreneurial success story into a shallow and safe saga of #MeToo empowerment. Whitney (Lily James) impresses some young tech bros, leading to the wildly popular millennial dating app Tinder. Rather than celebrating, however, she is victimized by a misogynistic hierarchy and ostracized. Given a second chance, Whitney finds an eccentric investor (Dan Stevens) who supports her vision for the more female-friendly Bumble. James is excellent, but the film doesn’t offer much fresh insight into Whitney’s rise-and-fall-and-rise again arc or the toxic workplace culture she ultimately conquers. (Rated R, 110 minutes).

Xeno

Putting a fresh spin on familiar coming-of-age themes, this throwback drama ultimately finds its edgy intentions contradicting its earnest execution. It follows socially awkward teenager Renee (Lulu Wilson) who forms an unlikely trust and friendship with an alien whose ship crash-landed in the nearby desert. Their interactions provide a respite from her volatile home life with her sullen mother (Wrenn Schmidt) and mom’s alcoholic boyfriend (Paul Schneider). But the temperamental extraterrestrial becomes endangered when Renee uncovers a secret. While it admirably brings a darker fantasy perspective, the screenplay by director Matt Oates lacks the emotional depth for a third-act payoff that doesn’t resonate as intended. (Rated PG-13, 103 minutes).