OPENING
Alpha (NR) Alia Bhatt stars in this Indian action-thriller as an assassin seeking to take down her stepfather’s company selling mercenaries’ services. Also with Sharvari, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Hrithik Roshan. (Opens Friday)
I Know Who You Are (NR) The latest Chinese drama by Feng Xiaogang (Youth) stars Lei Jiayin as a cop who takes over his town’s police station on the day the People’s Republic of China is formed in 1949. Also with Hu Ge, Liang Jie, Yu Hewei, Jiang Wu, Liu Peiqi, and Sophie Zhang. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Lockbox (R) This wildly confused horror movie stars Carla Gugino as a caregiver who takes in her cousin (Lou Taylor Pucci), a PTSD-suffering Army veteran who frequently locks himself away in the house. That would be a fine start for another movie, but this one gets into a witchy neighbor (Katherine Isabelle), a demonic possession, and a group of priests who want to trap the demon inside a wheelchair-bound boy (Aedan Edwards) who’s already carrying several evil spirits inside him. Or at least that’s what I think — the filmmakers seem to be tossing every idea they have onto the screen, and the effect is boring rather than scary. Feel free to give this a miss. Also with Donald Sales, Darcey Johnson, Lee Tichon, and Jason William Day. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Maddie’s Secret (R) John Early writes, directs, and stars in this comedy as a food influencer who hides a terrible secret from her followers. Also with Kate Berlant, Danielle Polanco, Christine Medrano, Eric Rahill, Gordon Landenberger, Vanessa Bayer, and Kristen Johnston. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Maya Satya Bhram (NR) This Bengali-language thriller stars Soham Majumdar as a police inspector investigating disappearances around a mystic guru (Sanat Chattopadhyay). Also with Priyanka Sarkar, Paran Banerjee, Subhrajit Dutta, and Alexandra Taylor. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Nagabandham: The Secret Treasure (NR) This Telugu-language drama speculates on the rituals conducted in ancient temples devoted to Vishnu. Starring Virat Karma, Nabha Natesh, Murli Sharma, Mahesh Manjrekar, John Vijay, Ganesh Acharya, and Jagapathi Babu. (Opens Friday)
Rao Bahadur (NR) Satyadev stars in this Telugu-language epic as the scion of an aristocratic family whose doubts conjure an ancient demon. Also with Vikas Muppala, Deepa Thomas, Bala Parasar, Kunal Kaushik, and Anand. (Opens Friday)
Young Washington (PG-13) William Franklyn-Miller stars in this historical drama about George Washington’s early military career. Also with Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, Michael Benz, Jonno Davies, Joel David Smallbone, Montana Cypress, Kelsey Grammer, and Ben Kingsley. (Opens Friday)
NOW PLAYING
Backrooms (R) Based on an online legend, this horror film is both effective and unlike anything the multiplexes have served up. Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays an angry, alcoholic, recently divorced furniture store owner who discovers a passageway in his store leading to an infinite labyrinth of yellow-walled and -carpeted rooms with something murderous roaming the halls. 21-year-old director Kane Parsons made a series of short films about the online myth for YouTube, and in his first theatrical feature, he shows some serious talent for creepy atmosphere. He’s helped by stellar work by production designer Danny Vermette, who gives us furniture sinking into the floor or being absorbed into the walls. Cheers to the filmmakers for having more than just a clever gimmick, as the rooms reflect the main character’s warped psyche and the madness within. It’s one thing to make a good horror flick, and another to make a new kind of horror. Also with Renate Reinsve, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia, and Mark Duplass.
The Breadwinner (PG) Nate Bargatze’s skill as a stand-up comic is little in evidence in this unbearable and loud comedy about a Nashville car salesman who takes time off his job to raise his three daughters (Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Charlotte Ann Tucker, and Birdie Borria) after his wife (Mandy Moore) travels abroad to fund her startup company. The hijinks wouldn’t have passed muster in the 1980s when Hollywood first started making comedies like these, and the stacked cast fails to contribute anything of note. Also with Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Cherry, Martin Herlihy, Will Forte, Brett Cullen, Kate Berlant, and Colin Jost.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (PG-13) This sequel is quite enjoyable in the same way as the original, but it has one big irritating issue. Anne Hathaway reprises her role as Andy, a newly unemployed journalist who takes a job at Runway, which is now embroiled in a PR crisis. The sequel registers how fashion media has changed in the last 20 years, but gets distracted by a succession battle after the fashion magazine’s owner (Tibor Feldman) suddenly dies. It would have been better devoting more time to Andy trying to detoxify Runway’s workplace culture and bring Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) into line. The characters have been away long enough for us to be happy to see them, and the script is smart enough that you won’t hate yourself for reveling in its posh setting. Shame that it goes too easy on its characters. Also with Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, Tracie Thoms, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Simone Ashley, Helen J. Shen, Rachel Bloom, B.J. Novak, Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh, and Lady Gaga.
Disclosure Day (PG-13) This distinctly minor entry into Steven Spielberg’s canon finds the director in the mode of mystic crystal revelations. This thriller is about a cybersecurity expert (Josh O’Connor) and a TV weather forecaster (Emily Blunt) who have never met before but must team up to go public with video proof of extraterrestrial life on Earth. I can’t help thinking this would have been better if it had been made in the 1990s with Agent Mulder and Agent Scully. The lore about little green men is overly familiar, and the movie is better when the filmmakers remember that it’s about our heroes being chased by an NGO. Still, every time Spielberg tries to get into our feelings, he steps into the muck. Project Hail Mary did everything this movie does without so much strain. Also with Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Elizabeth Marvel, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tommy Martinez, Hettienne Park, Jeremy Shamos, and Colin Firth.
The Furious (R) The next great martial-arts flick is this pan-Asian movie filmed in Thailand. An Indonesian journalist (Joe Taslim) and a mute Chinese laborer (Xie Miao) team up to take down a child sex trafficking ring that’s backed by corrupt cops. Director Kenji Tanigaki and fight choreographer Kensuke Sonomura spoil us for choice with the martial-arts sequences here, with the laborer using a hammer to fend off a bunch of MMA fighters and security guards in an octagon, while our two heroes have their hands full facing a security guard (Brian Le) with a sledgehammer. Either of those would be a highlight of another movie, but they’re just a warm-up for the five-way climactic fight against the traffickers’ main guys. If you want something that moves at breakneck speed while breaking a lot of necks, here’s where to go. Also with Joey Iwanaga, Yang Enyou, Jija Yanin, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Manatsanun Phanierdwongsakul, Guo Junqing, Sahatchai Chumrum, and Yayan Ruhian.
Jackass: Best and Last (R) Not really the best, though it does seem like it’s Johnny Knoxville’s time to hang up the penis shock collar. He and his crew perform new stunts, though unseen footage of old stunts that MTV refused to air are the most impressive here. The early 2000s see Johnny shoot himself point-blank in the chest while wearing a Kevlar vest and some porn magazines for protection, as well as Brad Pitt taking part in staging his own kidnapping in public. It might have been nicer if the gang had gone out with Jackass Forever, but at least the guys are leaving us with their genitals (somehow) intact. Also with Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, “Danger Ehren” McGhehey, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach Holmes, Dave England, Preston Lacy, Zach Ray, Rachel Wolfson, and Paul Walter Hauser.
Leviticus (R) This gay Australian horror film works unexpectedly well as a romance. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen portray high-school boys in a particularly depressing industrial town who fall in love. The fundamentalist Christians around them conjure a murderous demon that shifts shape to impersonate either of them and is invisible to everyone else. First-time filmmaker Adrian Chiarella has some visual chops to go with his storytelling, as in the opening segment when thing stalks a lesbian (Tyallah Bullock) in the shower of a deserted public pool. The demon who drives wedges between gay couples and makes homosexuals hate themselves is a handy metaphor for gay conversion therapy and the guilt and internalized homophobia that it engenders. This movie’s greatness lies in its psychological insight and the main couple’s determination to be happy together. Also with Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Nicholas Hope, Shannon Berry, Julia Grace, Davida McKenzie, Hyu Motoki, and Mia Wasikowska.
Lucky Strike (R) Scott Eastwood stars in this war film as an American soldier trapped behind Nazi lines during World War II. Also with Colin Hanks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Henry Hughes, Taylor John Smith, Stephanie Rodriguez, Alfie Stewart, Jake Lowe, and Todor Kotzev.
Maa Inti Bangaram (NR) Also entitled Engal Thangam, this Tamil-language remake of the 1970 movie stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu as a woman trying to outrun her shameful past. Also with Gulshan Devaiah, Diganth Manchale, Gautami, Manjusha, Sreemukhi, and Srinivas Ganvireddy.
Masters of the Universe (PG-13) Deeply confused and not good. In this live-action adaptation of the 1980s TV cartoon series, Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man, the warrior guardian of an alien civilization who has been stuck in Oklahoma City for the last 20 years. The lead actor has a keen grasp on the ridiculous aspects of the character, but the same can’t be said for director Travis Knight, who seems unsure when to play the material straight and when to play it for camp humor. He also fails to conjure a single memorable visual from a fantasy world where futuristic vehicles and weapons exist alongside sorcerers and fantastical creatures. A high-level cast is left high and dry by this material. Also with Idris Elba, Jared Leto, Camila Mendes, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Jon Xue Zhang, Sam C. Wilson, Charlotte Riley, James Purefoy, James Wilkinson, Kojo Attah, Alison Brie, and an uncredited Dolph Lundgren. Voices by Christopher Ragland, Tom Wilton, Gary Martin, and Kristen Wiig.
Michael (PG-13) There is no movie here. In a bid to appease the Jackson family and their lawyers, director Antoine Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan have thrown out every bit of plot, character development, and atmosphere that would make this Michael Jackson biopic into a semblance of a story. The film takes place in 1966-88, with Juliano Valdi playing little Michael and Jaafar Jackson as the adult. Everything from Janet Jackson to the pedophilia allegations is studiously ignored, and we don’t even get any insight into Michael Jackson’s creative process or psychology to compensate for it. Both Valdi and Jaafar Jackson imitate Michael’s fluid dance moves, which is no mean feat, but the man himself comes off as a cipher, so what hope do the supporting characters have? This is a good deal less than a nostalgia act, and Fuqua and Logan have nothing to do except play the hits. Also with Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Kendrick Sampson, Laura Harrier, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Jessica Sula, Deon Cole, and Mike Myers.
Obsession (R) A scary new entry in the long tradition of stories about the dangers of gaining your heart’s desire. Michael Johnston stars in this horror film as a weak man who can’t tell his crush (Inde Navarrette) that he’s in love with her, so he finds a novelty toy that grants people’s desires and wishes for her love. Navarrette is only 5’0” and manages to be utterly terrifying as a level-headed woman who suddenly morphs into an ultra-clingy demon who’s willing to murder anyone who gets between her and her man. Writer-director Curry Barker comes from a comedy background conjures a number of memorable visuals here, and if the momentum flags somewhat in the film’s second half, he still comes up with a fiendish climax that sends you out of the theater with an indelible chill. Also with Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Justice, Anthony Casablanca, and Andy Richter.
Pressure (PG-13) Too late for Memorial Day comes this not terribly exciting British film about the D-Day invasion seen through the eyes of a Scottish meteorologist (Andrew Scott) who’s brought in to provide a weather forecast for the planned day of the operation only to announce that the conditions will be terrible and that the whole thing will be postponed. Based on David Haig’s stage play, this film squeezes very little juice out of the weatherman sticking to his forecast despite heavy pressure from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and other top brass in the American and British militaries. Despite the top-level talent in the cast, this exercise comes off as more dutiful than anything else. Also with Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Tamsin Topolski, Jojo Macari, Con O’Neill, and Damian Lewis.
Project Hail Mary (PG-13) Based on Andy Weir’s novel, this science-fiction movie is entertaining enough for the price of admission and maybe even an upcharge to a premium format. Ryan Gosling portrays an astronaut who travels to a star light-years away to find a solution to why our sun is dying. He meets an alien being whose world is facing the same problem with its sun. Gosling spends a great deal of time talking to himself, partly because his character is trying to keep from going insane from the solitude and partly because he has trouble communicating with the alien, but if any actor can make this assignment look easy, it’s Gosling. The filmmaking team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) drills down into the trial-and-error that goes into the characters’ scientific work and manages to find both humor and beauty in the vastness of space. The movie earns its uplift because of the way the two life forms are willing to collaborate to save their civilizations. Also with Sandra Hüller, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara, Orion Lee, and Lionel Boyce. Voices by James Ortiz and an uncredited Meryl Streep.
Scary Movie (R) It’s been 13 years since the last film in this spoof series, and this installment cycles so quickly through parodies of Get Out, The Substance, and M3GAN that it doesn’t have time to adopt a point of view on them or crack funny jokes about them. Then again, how does that make it different from the other Scary Movies? Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans all reprise their roles as they’re stalked by a new Ghostface who’s the same as the old Ghostface (Dave Sheridan). One of the film’s few good gags is that the original killer received a presidential pardon for his murders because he was a January 6 rioter. If the Wayans family let go of some creative control here, this series might breathe again. Also with Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, Damon Wayans Jr., Kim Wayans, Jon Abrahams, Sydney Park, Deon Cole, Cheri Oteri, Lochlyn Munro, Heidi Gardner, Chris Elliott, Anthony Anderson, Carmen Electra, Kenan Thompson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Teyana Taylor.
Supergirl (PG-13) A rare movie where the woman is the screw-up from a privileged family who has to straighten out her life to be worthy of her family’s legacy. Milly Alcock portrays the superheroine as an aimless alcoholic who frequently gives her enemies a chance to defeat her because she’s fighting while drunk or hungover. The Australian actress gets a nice crack at the character’s anger, pain, and self-pity, which even gives emotional weight to Krypto the dog after the bad guys poison her pet. However, the fight sequences are not only unmemorable in themselves, they’re poorly integrated into the story. Director Craig Gillespie has a hard time managing the tone, too. The movie starts with a great idea, but doesn’t advance it far enough. Also with David Corenswet, Eve Ridley, Mathias Schoenaerts, Diarmaid Murtagh, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa.
Toy Story 5 (PG) The latest installment in the series is all about Jessie the Cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack), which helps make it one of the best. With Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) getting a new tablet (voiced by Greta Lee) as a gift, the toys see a future of neglect, and their attempts to get rid of it end up calling Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) out of retirement and transporting both Jessie and Bullseye back to her old home, now occupied by a new girl and another set of toys. Conan O’Brien injects a ton of energy and poop jokes as an outdated device designed to potty-train toddlers, but the movie’s success hangs on Jessie discovering the impact she made on her previous owner and coming to terms with the fact that kids will always outgrow their toys. Additional voices by Tim Allen, Bonnie Hunt, Annie Potts, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Ernie Hudson, Matty Matheson, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Kristen Schaal, Tony Hale, Melissa Villaseñor, Alan Cumming, Keanu Reeves, and Bad Bunny.
Welcome to the Jungle (NR) The third in the Indian comedy film series stars Akshay Kumar as one of a group of Indians who become stuck in wild country. Also with Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Lara Dutta, Zakir Hussain, and Jackie Shroff.
Dallas Exclusives
40 Dates and 40 Nights (NR) Bailee Madison stars in this romantic comedy as a woman who accepts her aunt’s challenge to go on 40 dates in as many days to find love. Also with Annie Potts, Joel Courtney, Jai Rodriguez, Jeremy Culhane, Tony Robinette, Eric Nelsen, Sterling Knight, and Liz Mikel.
