Capsule reviews for Dec. 24

The Choral

Beneath its surface as an old-fashioned British crowd-pleaser, this twee period piece from director Nicholas Hytner (The History Boys) bogs down in underdeveloped characters and subplots to ultimately feel out of tune. It captures the anxiety of a working-class village during World War I, when most men have joined the military effort and the local choir — led by a conflicted director (Ralph Fiennes) — is forced to recruit women and teenagers for their latest ambitious performance, which could serve to raise spirits. Fiennes brings his usual understated dignity to a stylish but uneven film that, despite a commendable antiwar message, falls flat when the music isn’t playing. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

The Dutchman

A richly textured performance by Andre Holland (Moonlight) counterbalances the more heavy-handed elements in this contemplative thriller about guilt, regret, sexual politics, and racial identity. Holland plays Clay, an erudite New York businessman who is seduced on the subway by a mysterious woman (Kate Mara). She becomes both a temptation and a disruptive force as Clay drifts between reality and fantasy, threatening his relationships with his wife (Zazie Beetz) and his politician best friend (Aldis Hodge). The narrative debut of documentary filmmaker Andre Gaines (After Jackie) is stylish and thoughtful, even if some of its social commentary feels too muddled and ambiguous to resonate more broadly. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

No Other Choice

Adeptly balancing broad comedy with underlying humanity, this twisty adaptation of a Donald Westlake novel from Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden) is both absorbing and absurd. It follows a factory manager (Lee Byung-hun) who is downsized, forcing his family into hardship territory — even considering the sale of his prized family home. When he gets a tip that a new role might be perfect, he desperately realizes that he needs to get ahead of the competition by any means necessary. As the film turns darker and more violent, the satirical subtext about capitalist greed and socioeconomic inequality resonates, even if the emotional stakes remain somewhat muted. (Rated R, 139 minutes).

The Plague

As unsettling as it is captivating, this coming-of-age thriller explores the crippling effects of childhood bullying even before the cesspool of social media. It’s set in 2003 at a preteen water polo camp, where outsider Ben (Everett Blunck) struggles to fit into the toxic culture — where conformity equals popularity — outside the pool and away from the eyes of their oblivious coach (Joel Edgerton). When he becomes their latest ostracized target, Ben must decide whether to fight back or simply be comfortable in his own skin. As it ratchets up the character-driven tension, the film meanders in the final act yet examines adolescent angst with clear-eyed conviction. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Toxic

As it pushes boundaries in depicting adolescent obsession with body image and perceptions of beauty, this audacious Lithuanian drama also tests moviegoer tolerance, but in a way that’s more provocative than distasteful. Marija (Vesta Matulyte) and Kristina (Ieva Rupeikaite) are small-town teenagers who are both rivals and allies while seeking to secure their futures at a local modeling school where the pressure to conform at the expense of personal dignity and safety becomes overwhelming. Although bleak, the screenplay by rookie director Saule Bliuvaite generates hard-earned sympathy for its misguided youngsters discovering their voice and identity, reserving its harshest critiques for the unforgiving world they inhabit. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

We Bury the Dead

Combining some familiar genre elements into a fresh package, this haunting and evocative Australian thriller examines the psychological effects of mass tragedy — with plenty of blood and zombies. It’s set during the aftermath of a cataclysmic event that wipes out Tasmania. Ava (Daisy Ridley) volunteers for the “body retrieval unit” with ulterior motives, hoping to find her missing husband to get closure. Through encounters with a brash drifter (Brenton Thwaites) and a troubled military man (Mark Coles Smith), Ava discovers the survivors hold a secret. Ridley keeps the material emotionally grounded, while the screenplay by director Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours) provides some clever twists. (Rated R, 94 minutes).