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“Filmmakers Unite (FU)” offers short, politically oriented films.

Alpha A slightly Disneyesque version of “The Revenant,” this satisfying Ice Age-era survival tale concerns an injured teenage boy who befriends an abandoned wolf. There are cutesy moments, but for the most part, the film is harrowing, suspenseful and gritty — and a perfect vehicle for 3D. With English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. — D. Lewis American Chaos This political documentary returns to the months leading up to the 2016 election and explains how supporters of Donald Trump felt they weren’t being seen or heard until the unconventional candidate came along. It’s well-paced and watchable, but it offers no new insights and plays like a rerun of a dated CNN segment. Rated R. 90 minutes. — D. Lewis Ant-Man and the Wasp A sequel better than its original in nearly every way, with Paul Rudd back as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp, San Francisco as a location. With newcomers Michelle Pfeiffer and Lawrence Fishburne. Silly and winning, the “Ant-Man” series occupies the fun corner of the Marvel Universe sandbox. Rated PG-13. 125 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson The Apparition In this mysterious and meditative drama, a grizzled French journalist gets embroiled in a church investigation over whether a nun-intraining has witnessed a spiritual image of the Virgin Mary. As a mystery, the film is ultimately a head-scratcher; as a meditation, though, it proves moving. Not rated. 144 minutes. In French with English subtitles. — D. Lewis Assassination Nation This dark teen comedy, a chaotic critique of social media, the Internet age and America’s political turmoil, is an assault on the auditory and

visual senses, but it lands some occasional punches. Rated R. 110 minutes.

— D. Lewis BlacKkKlansman This fact-based story, about the first black detective in Colorado Springs, who makes it his mission to infiltrate the Klan in the 1970s, is one of Spike Lee’s best, a mix of laughs and suspense that connects powerfully with the current moment. Rated R. 134 minutes. — M. LaSalle Blaze Director Ethan Hawke’s music biopic inspires more interest in little-known musician and actor Ben Dickey than in Blaze Foley, the late musician he plays. Dickey’s warm, slightly gritty vocals make more impact than Foley’s songs do. His natural, endearing screen presence helps hold interest in a nearly arc-less story. Rated R. 127 minutes. — C. Meyer Blindspotting One of the best films of the year so far, this story, about friends coping with an Oakland in transition, was written by its two stars, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada, the film is a seamless mix of extreme humor and tense drama, an inspired work or intuition and artistry. Rated R. 95 minutes. — M. LaSalle The Bookshop Emily Mortimer is a plucky bookshop owner in this English drama based on a 1978 novel by Penelope Fitzgerald. But the story alternates between charming and tedious, especially when the almost illogically evil book-hating town leaders are involved. Close your eyes, and it feels a lot like listening to a book-ontape. Rated PG. 112 minutes.

— P. Hartlaub The Cakemaker This Israeli-German coproduction is an impressive debut from director Ofir Raul Graizer. When a German baker’s male lover is killed, he travels to Jerusalem and gets a job with the lover’s wife, without telling her who he is. The story could have been melodramatic or sentimental, but in Graizer’s hands it is genuinely affecting. Not rated. 113 minutes. In German, Hebrew and English with English subtitles. — W. Addiego The Children Act Emma Thompson is in top form as a family court judge who is married to her work — for better or for worse. When she meets a young man at the center of a complex case, the judge’s carefully orchestrated life takes some interesting turns. Rated R. 105 minutes.

— D. Lewis Christopher Robin This live-action Winnie the Pooh adventure is charming, filled with wonderful performances and has a nuanced story that will have adults walking out of the theater thinking about their own inner-Pooh, and questioning why they’re working so hard. It’s also, if you’re a small child, as slow-moving as refrigerated honey. Marc Forster directs. Rated PG. 104 minutes. — P. Hartlaub

Crazy Rich Asians The first Hollywood movie with an all-Asian cast in a quarter century stands on its own, separate from the growing hype. Director John M. Chu guides the fun cast (led by the lovely and relatable Constance Wu) through some turbulent storytelling, then finishes strong with a satisfying emotional climax. There are bookto-movie problems, too much exposition and too many characters. But the film delivers a good time. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. — P. Hartlaub Don’t Leave Home This muddled mix of Catholicism, art and attempts at artsy horror doesn’t amount to much, although the performances are solid. There’s some creepiness in the tale of an Irish girl’s disappearance and an American artist’s fascination with the case, but it all ends up more silly than scary. Not rated. 86 minutes. — C. Jones Eighth Grade Bo Burnham’s film about the struggles of an unpopular eighth grade girl is one of the more thoughtful and valiant feature film directorial debuts in recent memory. Elsie Fisher is terrific in the lead role, adding compassion to a difficult part. Burnham takes viewers back to a place they would rather not go, and finds goodness, without sacrificing a bit of accuracy. Rated R. 93 minutes. — P. Hartlaub

The Equalizer 2 Denzel Washington is back as the retired government killing machine, now devoting his services on behalf of the powerless. The movie has Washington, a strong premise and some winning sequences, but it pales in comparison to the original, due to a lackluster script. Rated R. 121 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

Fahrenheit 11/9 Michael Moore resurfaces with a broadside at President Trump, and takes a few shots at Barack Obama and the Clintons as well. He finds some hope in student anti-gun activists and striking West Virginia teachers. The movie is aimed strictly at Moore’s followers. It feels long and mostly like a rehash of concerns he’s raised in many previous movies. Rated R. 130 minutes. — W. Addiego The House With a Clock in Its Walls This haunted mansion movie could use a game, a Quidditch, or a car chase, or a road trip somewhere — anywhere — other than the claustrophobic house where the majority of the action takes place. Technically a very solid movie, with strong performances by Jack Black and Cate Blanchett. But tonally it has problems. Rated PG. 105 minutes. — P. Hartlaub Incredibles 2 Despite Pixar’s high production values and good performances from a strong cast (Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Catherine Keener), this sequel to the 2004 animation stalls, due to a stretched-out story full of digressions. Samuel Jackson is wasted in a lackluster role. Rated PG. 118 minutes.

— M. LaSalle Inventing Tomorrow This inspiring documentary by Laura Nix follows the experiences of six teenagers from different nations as they prepare to enter the world’s largest science fair. All of the projects involve environmental issues specific to their countries. Not rated. 104 minutes.

— W. Addiego John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection French documentary centered around terrific 16mm footage of McEnroe in the 1984 and ’85 French Opens highlights his greatness not only as a tennis player but mercurial performance artist. An invaluable piece of sports history. Not rated. 95 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson Juliet, Naked Based on the Nick Hornby novel, this latest from director Jesse Peretz tells a charming and insightful story about a dissatisfied woman from England (Rose Byrne) who becomes the pen pal of a retired musician (Ethan Hawke), who happens to be the focus of her boyfriend’s

obsession. Winning, from start to finish. Rated R. 105 minutes.

— M. LaSalle Kin This genre-mashing tale — about a boy and his gun hotly pursued by thugs and aliens — is sci-fi, action, family drama and crime thriller. The implausible scenes pile up, and the moments meant to be touching will make you cringe. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. — D. Lewis Kusama: Infinity Fascinating documentary portrait of a fascinating avant-garde artist — Japan’s Yayoi Kusama, now 89 and that nation’s most successful living artist. The film depicts the difficult years she experienced from World War II-era Japan to the 1960s art scene in New York. Not rated. 80 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson The Land of Steady Habits In this comedydrama, a man in a wellto-do community reconsiders his decision to retire and leave his wife. Their grown son meanders, the man makes more bad choices, and the son of a family friend breezily struggles with drugs. Stars Ben Mendelsohn, Charlie Tahan, Connie Britton. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. Not rated. 98 minutes.

— M. Ordona Let the Corpses Tan A dreadful exercise in style that evokes the Italian Western and crime exploitation films of Sergio Leone, Fernando Di Leo and others. The movie involves a series of double- and triple-crosses between a gang of mostly lowlifes on a picturesque Mediterranean retreat in Corsica. For extreme action fans only. Not rated. 92 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson Life Itself This misfire of a drama is a multigenerational tale about the messiness of life, but the emotional impact gets lost in the messiness of its screenplay, a rambling exercise in self-consciousness. Rated R. 118 minutes. In English and in Spanish with English subtitles.

— D. Lewis The Little Stranger Adapted from Sarah Waters’ 2009 novel, this film will satisfy a very specific audience: “Downton Abbey” fans who thought the show would have been perfect if the house were only down at the heels and haunted. Although the acting in this period horror film is first-rate, the horror aspect tops out at spooky ambiguity. Rated R. 151 minutes.

— C. Meyer

Lizzie The Lizzie Borden case reimagined as a feminist parable of suppression with producer/ star Chloë Sevigny as the suspected axe murderer and Kristen Stewart as the maid who was a key witness in the case, and may have been Lizzie’s lover. Interesting film. Rated R. 105 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson Love, Gilda This documentary about the life of the beloved comedienne, who died in 1989, uses Gilda Radner’s own narration (from her books-on-tape autobiography) and her letters and diary passages to illuminate both her professional and internal life. Not rated. 88 minutes. — M. LaSalle Madeline’s Madeline This intense drama, about a young actor who channels her real (or imagined) life experiences into her work, will challenge any viewer with its odd framing of shots and jumpy editing cuts. But the storyline more or less holds up, and the acting is excellent. Not rated. 94 minutes. — D. Lewis Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again The sequel to the 2008 hit musical film. Cher shows up in the last

15 minutes of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” wearing a blond wig, and launches into the ABBA song “Fernando.” Andy Garcia joins in on backing vocals. I can’t decide if the movie is horrible or if I liked it and must conclude that both are true. It really was horrible, and I liked it, anyway. Rated PG-13. 114 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

McQueen This kinky catwalk of a documentary is a savagely beautiful tribute to the late, irreverent fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Even non-fashion fanatics can enjoy the dazzling catwalks and craftsmanship on display here. Rated R. 111

minutes.

— D. Lewis

The Miseducation of

Cameron Post This coming-of-age drama, about a young woman sent to gay-conversion therapy, is well-observed, but at times it struggles to find its dramatic pulse. Not rated. 91 minutes.

— D. Lewis

Mission: Impossible -Fallout The latest and best installment of the series — an astonishing mix of action and expert story construction — finds Ethan Hunt and his crew looking for plutonium balls that have fallen into the hands of terrorists. Buckle up. This one never stops. It’s what summer movies used to be, and should be. Rated PG-13. 147 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

The Nun A spinoff of “The Conjuring” series, this supernatural horror film involves three unlikely demon chasers who visit the convent of hell and battle the nastiest nun ever. It’s an impressively shot film, with the requisite special effects, but its scares are too predictable to put most people on the edge of their seats. (R. 96 minutes) –D. Lewis Rated R. 96 minutes.

— D. Lewis

Operation Finale This flawed historical drama recounts the extraction of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina in 1960 to stand trial in Jerusalem. Good performances from Oscar Isaac (as an Israeli agent) and Ben Kingsley (as Eichmann) can’t disguise the reality that this plays out too much like a conventional Hollywood movie. The odd choice of Chris Weitz (“American Pie,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”) as director is part of the problem. Rated PG-13. 122 minutes. — W. Addiego

Peppermint The new action film by Pierre Morel, the director of the 2008 classic “Taken,” makes the earlier revenge fantasy look like a Ken Burns documentary by comparison. The writing is erratic, but the result is still entertaining. Boosted by a stellar effort from Jennifer Garner, there’s a maternal edge that elevates the action. Rated R. 102 minutes. — P. Hartlaub

Pick of the Litter A hard-to-resist documentary about the training of five Labrador puppies to become guide dogs. The animals are adorable, and their relationship with their humans is touching. Directed by Bay Area filmmakers Ed Hardy Jr. and Dana Nachman. Not rated. 81 minutes.

— W. Addiego

RBG Even most people who are disposed to admire Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are unfamiliar with her background and personal story. This documentary sets the record straight, positing Ginsburg as the Thurgood Marshall of feminist jurisprudence. It’s an entertaining and uplifting documentary. Rated PG. 97 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

Searching In director Aneesh Chaganty’s high-concept thriller, about a South Bay high-school

girl who goes missing, every scene takes place on one kind of a screen or another — laptop, cell phone, TV newscast, private surveillance, teleconference app. The suggestive but self-limiting film captures the paradoxical fusion of intimacy and abstraction on the Internet but labors at plot and resolution. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. — S. Winn A Simple Favor Comedy director Paul Feig’s departure into domestic thrillers is gloriously trashy fun. This is not to say there is anything sloppy, or even campy, about this film. It is thoughtful, well-considered and, more often than not, funny, as it hits nearly every cliche in the “Hand That Rocks the Cradle” handbook. Feig and his note-perfect leads (Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively) subtly parody the predictable nature of the so-called twists in these films while avoiding their more overwrought qualities. Rated R. 117 minutes. — C. Meyer The Song of Sway Lake Ari Gold’s drama is saturated with a kind of melancholy nostalgia It’s a story of familial unhappiness passing down through generations, impressive before it begins to lose focus. Good performances from Rory Culkin and Mary Beth Peil as a young man and his grandmother who descend on their family’s lakeside house seeking a valuable 78 record that belonged to the man’s late father. Rated R. 100 minutes.

— W. Addiego Sorry to Bother You Written and directed by Boots Riley, this story about a successful telemarketer who becomes privy to the diabolical plans that big business and science have for the working classes is innovative and fresh, with lots of penetrating observations about modern life and modern anxiety. Not every scene works, but this movie is a welcome original. Rated R. 105 minutes.

— M. LaSalle Three Identical Strangers Three triplets, separated at birth and adopted by different families, were reunited, by a fluke, in 1980, when they were 19. It’s a great story — and then the story goes on, and they discover they were part of a scientific study that deliberately separated them and analyzed them like lab rats. This is a terrific documentary by Tim Wardle. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes. — M. LaSalle Unbroken: Path to Redemption This tepid drama continues the true story of the original, harrowing “Unbroken” and approaches a haunted aviator’s rocky journey to spiritual salvation as if it were a Hallmark movie of the week. It’s one of the sappiest “sequels” ever made. Rated PG-13. 98 minutes. — D. Lewis We the Animals Jeremiah Zagar’s adaptation of Justin Torres’ acclaimed novel, about three young rural brothers in the 1980s who have each other as their parents’ toxic relationship unravels, is beautifully filmed. It’s lyrical in a way that would make Terrence Malick proud. Rated R. 93 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson White Boy Rick This drama recounts the sad story of Rick Wershe Jr., a 14-year-old FBI informant during the Detroit crack epidemic of the 1980s who was abandoned by his handlers, became a dealer, and received a life sentence at age 17. Good work by newcomer Richie Merritt in the title role and Matthew McConaughey as his gun-dealing father, but the film has issues, particularly in presenting the boy as a victim. Rated R. 111 minutes.

— W. Addiego The Wife A fine, carefully modulated performance by Glenn Close is the highlight of this otherwise flawed drama, based on the novel by Meg Wolitzer, about a marriage that is intensely challenged when the husband (Jonathan Pryce), a renowned novelist, wins a Nobel Prize. Some subplots get in the way, and filmmaking is pretty heavyhanded. Rated R. 100 minutes. — W. Addiego Won’t You Be My Neighbor? This enlightening and extremely moving documentary recounts how Fred Rogers, in creating “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” provided an alternative to overbearing children’s TV with his gentle manner and abiding concern for the emotional lives of his young viewers. Rated PG-13. 94 minutes.

— W. Addiego