Capsule reviews for July 17

Horsegirls

Navigating tricky emotional territory with tenderness and compassion, this sharply observed coming-of-age drama explores acceptance and mother-daughter dynamics without bogging down in sentimentality. Margarita (Lillian Carrier) is an outspoken 22-year-old autistic woman whose mother (Gretchen Mol) faces a terminal diagnosis. With the impending loss of her safety net, Margarita is forced to prepare for independent adulthood, finding emotional refuge by joining a youth team for a hobby-horse competition. The crowd-pleasing screenplay by rookie director Lauren Meyering is formulaic yet wise in promoting strength over pity as Margarita seeks belonging. Plus, Carrier brings depth to a film that provides a fresh perspective while transcending its cliches. (Rated PG-13, 101 minutes).

The Kidnapping of Arabella

Struggling to shape its disparate parts into a cohesive whole, this offbeat Italian fantasy becomes overwhelmed by its eccentricities at the expense of narrative or emotional depth. It follows Holly (Benedetta Porcaroli), an unstable woman in need of some good fortune when she meets Arabella (Lucrezia Guglielmino), a precocious 8-year-old girl with an overbearing father (Chris Pine). Believing the child might be a younger version of herself sent from the past, Holly takes her on a mutually therapeutic road trip. Intriguing yet hollow, the film benefits from richly textured performances and an intriguing premise, although the tonal shifts and thin characters reduce its dramatic potency. (Not rated, 107 minutes).

They Fight

Beneath its conventional surface, this uneven true-life drama of resilience and redemption from director Sheldon Candis (Luv) is driven by a sympathetic performance from Andre Holland (Moonlight). He plays Walt, an ex-con and former D.C. boxing trainer seeking a fresh start. As he struggles to find a job, Walt rediscovers his purpose when a tough-love coach (Wendell Pierce) invites him to mentor three aspiring preteen fighters at a local community center. The ambition exceeds the narrative grasp of its messy script, but the film lands its most impactful punches outside the ring with a thoughtful look at second chances and masculinity in the Black community. (Not rated, 87 minutes).