Capsule reviews for Oct. 9

The Beast

Samuel L. Jackson is a heroic commander-in-chief, but his resilient, gadget-filled presidential limousine is the true star of this otherwise flimsy thriller from director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger), which provides some loopy amusement before the narrative wheels eventually fall off. It takes place almost entirely inside of the titular vehicle, being driven by POTUS during an unexplained global terror attack. A badly wounded secret-service agent (Joel Kinnaman) languishes in the back seat while the president tries to steer them both through a barrage of explosions and enemy fire. The thin story is incoherent nonsense, of course, but Jackson’s conviction keeps it rolling far longer than it should. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Big Girls Don’t Cry

It doesn’t break new ground as a nostalgic tale of sexual awakening and adolescent angst, but this Kiwi coming-of-age drama is a quietly perceptive look at self-discovery and acceptance carrying a universal resonance. Set in a beachside town in 2006, it centers on Sid (Ani Palmer), a reserved teenager living with her emotionally distant father (Noah Taylor) who harbors a secret crush on an outgoing older girl (Beatrix Wolfe). Meanwhile, Sid channels her frustrations into an online chat room, which shuts off other relationships. Her confusion is portrayed with nuanced anguish by newcomer Palmer, as the film sensitively captures Sid’s vulnerability during its intentionally awkward pauses. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

California Schemin’

As it follows a familiar rise-and-fall trajectory, this true-life comedy about hip-hop fraudsters is a spirited crowd-pleaser that mostly hits the right notes. In the early 2000s, Scottish duo Silibil and Brains (Samuel Bottomley, Seamus McLean Ross) are aspiring rappers whose middling talents are initially dismissed because of their accents. So they adopt American personas and became embraced by an industry searching for the next Eminem. The directorial debut of actor James McAvoy (Split) is hardly revelatory in exposing corporate greed in the music business. Yet although the film develops more pity than sympathy for its enterprising con men, it also overflows with scrappy working-class charm. (Rated R, 107 minutes).

A Prayer for the Dying

Driven more by atmosphere than plot, this downbeat Western character study yields some haunting visuals while lacking the accompanying narrative intrigue to flesh out its themes of isolation, grief, and spirituality. It chronicles a sheriff (Johnny Flynn) in 1870s Wisconsin forced to quarantine his entire town after the local doctor (John C. Reilly) diagnoses an outbreak. However, his loyalty and leadership are tested amid pressure from his own family as he spirals into madness. Rookie director Sara Van Dusen’s assured craftsmanship — including an evocative autumnal color palette — aren’t matched by her deliberately paced screenplay, a tedious examination of morality that too often wallows in gloomy despair. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

Winter of the Crow

A magnetic performance by Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) galvanizes this sturdy Cold War historical thriller as it transforms from an academic fish-out-of-water saga into an immersive, slow-burning study of state oppression. It’s set during Warsaw’s 1981 military crackdown, when Joan (Manville) is a prickly visiting psychiatry professor delivering a lecture just as the Polish government declares martial law. Crossing paths with a student activist (Zofia Wichlacz), Joan is forced to take sides as she becomes entangled in a perilous sociopolitical conspiracy. Despite some strained narrative mechanics, the film’s bleak atmosphere and moral complexity tighten the suspense, leading to an ambiguous conclusion that resists an uncomplicated redemption. (Not rated, 112 minutes).