Capsule reviews for Sept. 25

Charlie Harper

Storytelling gimmicks detract from the intimacy of this introspective romantic drama, which doesn’t find many fresh angles to explore addiction, ambition, identity, and commitment. It deconstructs the relationship between former high-school classmates Charlie (Nick Robinson) and Harper (Emilia Clarke), as she finds success pursuing a career as a chef and he struggles with alcohol while lacking direction and purpose. They fall deeply for one another but gradually grow apart, wondering if they have a long-term future together, after all. Despite two committed portrayals conveying raw vulnerability, the nonlinear film seems to be recombining familiar characters and tropes without sufficient narrative focus or emotional depth. (Rated R, 101 minutes).

The Deputy

While conveying a laconic small-town vibe, this pulpy crime saga hints at a brooding character study before pivoting toward a derivative murder mystery. The title character is Toby (Duke Nicholson), who’s assigned to keep watch over a dead body while the local sheriff (William H. Macy) investigates. But when he becomes distracted and the corpse suddenly disappears, he’s reluctantly lured into a conspiracy of potential corruption and cover-ups involving human smugglers and cartels. The procedural elements of the story don’t generate much suspense or emotional investment in the outcome as the twists become progressively implausible. The cast includes Tiffany Haddish, Stephen Dorff, and Billie Lourd. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty

A deeply felt performance by Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) anchors this bittersweet Japanese crowd-pleaser from director Josef Kubota Wladyka (Catch the Fair One) that examines grief and relationships through an absurdist lens. Kikuchi plays the ebullient title character, whose husband and dance partner (Alejandro Edda) dies suddenly, causing her to withdraw into seclusion. Reluctantly returning to the dance floor, her attempts to seduce a new instructor (Alberto Guerra) reveal her instability. Joyous one minute and intensely sorrowful the next, the multilingual film veers into silliness yet resonates powerfully during its character-driven moments. Plus, it’s a delightful celebration of how music, dance, and artistic expression can unite cultures. (Rated R, 122 minutes).

The Incomer

Mixing elements of Scottish folklore and fish-out-of-water comedy with a sweet-natured tale of isolation, this quirky yet uneven fantasy saga is bolstered by offbeat charms and committed performances. On a remote island, two eccentric siblings (Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke) mingle with mythical creatures while warding off outsiders. So when a bumbling bureaucrat (Domhnall Gleeson) arrives to relocate them to the mainland, hostility and chaos ensue. Even if the gags start to feel forced or repetitive, rookie director Louis Paxton weaves the setting and its rituals into the film’s identity. But it lacks underlying narrative depth and a darker final-act transition doesn’t carry the intended emotional weight. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

The Love Hypothesis

Despite the considerable charms of Lili Reinhart (“Riverdale”), this romantic comedy adapted from the Ali Hazelwood novel rarely matches her energy. She plays a Stanford doctoral student who crafts a fake relationship for the sake of her friends, which leads to impulsively kissing an uptight science professor (Tom Bateman). That prompts a fabricated courtship of mutual benefit, but are the eventual sparks real? Fans of the source material might be more forgiving, but newcomers won’t share their affection as the transition from arrangement to genuine attachment feels gimmicky and predictable. Although there’s some effective comic relief, the chemistry on the page doesn’t translate to the screen. (Rated R, 110 minutes).

Never After Dark

After some atmospheric misdirection, this stylish and subversive haunted-house saga significantly ratchets up the intensity in the second half. It follows a psychic (Moeka Hoshi) hired by the new owners of an abandoned hotel to investigate alleged paranormal sightings. She’s comfortable around ghosts, yet she uncovers a sinister presence connected to past secrets about the property. Simultaneously dealing with some personal baggage, her stay turns into a nightmarish battle for survival. Freshening genre conventions while confining all the action to a single, creepy location, the screenplay by director Dave Boyle (Man from Reno) gains an emotional foothold as a chilling examination of memory and mortality. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

The Scout

It’s fitting that a film documenting the daily routine of a location scout incorporates some lovely locations. That’s one of the low-key pleasures of a lightly comedic saga in which Sofia (Mimi Davila) navigates the streets of New York, looking to photograph homes that would potentially satisfy her demanding clients. Along the way, she meets an eccentric group of property owners both curious about the opportunity and eager to chat about their own lives. Essentially a series of vignettes, the quietly perceptive screenplay by rookie director Paula Gonzalez-Nasser goes beyond the mundane nature of Sofia’s job with a subtle exploration of people and their spaces. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

The Stunt Driver

Even if it rarely revs up to full speed, this breezy biopic about an eccentric Canadian daredevil captures his freewheeling spirit. It tracks the career of Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel), a working-class 1970s thrill-seeker in the shadow of rival Evel Knievel (Ben Foster). Carter’s car jumps never got the same level of publicity, so he commissions a rocket-car inventor (Ed Helms) and hires a film team to chronicle his pursuit of Knievel’s world record. Unlike the surface-level screenplay by director Michael Dowse (Stuber), Carter always lived on the edge. While struggling to get inside his head, it’s an amusing tribute that finally grants him the spotlight. (Rated R, 99 minutes).