HOME MOVIES/OPINION
“Causeway” (R, 1 hour, 32 minutes, Apple TV+) A quietly devastating portrait of a soldier (Jennifer Lawrence, superb in the role) struggling to adjust to her life back home in New Orleans after enduring a traumatic injury suffered in an IED attack in Afghanistan. With Stephen McKinley Henderson, Brian Tyree Henry; directed by Lila Neugebauer.
“In Her Hands” (PG-13, 1 hour, 32 minutes, Netflix) Zarifa Ghafari, who at 26 became one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position, is the subject of this ambitious, unpredictable documentary as she fights for survival against the backdrop of her country’s ever-increasing unraveling. Directed by Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen and executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. “Resistance: 1942” aka “Burning at Both Ends” (not rated, 1 hour, 50 minutes, On Demand) A self-praising war drama set in the darkest days of World War II in France, which is under Nazi control, as a man with a radio broadcasts a message of hope. With Cary Elwes, Jason Patric, Judd Hirsch; written and directed by Matthew Hill and Landon Johnson. “Mickey: The Story of a Mouse”
(not rated, 1 hour, 29 minutes, Disney+) This charming documentary describes how Mickey Mouse became an overnight sensation when he starred in one of the first synch-sound animated shorts, “Steamboat Willie” in 1928, then follows the character through decades of evolution into different versions of himself that reflect his creator’s remarkable career and societal shifts in the nation he came to represent. Directed by Jeff Malmberg
“Facing Monsters” (not rated, 1 hour, 30 minutes, On Demand) A harrowing documentary that digs deep into the psyche of fearless, obsessed Australian surfer Kerby Brown, who specializes in slab waves, which are short, heavy, immense and unforgiving. With Cortney Brown, Glenn Brown, Kit Rayner, Chris Shanahan; directed by Bentley Dean.
“Shadows” (not rated, 1 hour, 42 minutes, On Demand) A well-structured genre-mixing Italian thriller in which a pair of teenage sisters live in an abandoned hotel after the apparent end of the world with over-protective Mother, where they are sheltered from the ominous Shadows that live in the daylight and infest the world beyond the river. But are the Shadows their biggest problem? With Mia Threapleton (daughter of Kate Winslet), Lola Petticrew, Saskia Reeves; directed by Carlo Lavagna.
“A Unicorn for Christmas” (not rated, 1 hour, 27 minutes, in theaters) A mediocre holiday fantasy in which a young girl, unhappy about having to move from a city to the country when her family takes over an old farm, brightens considerably when she finds a white pony and becomes convinced that the horse is a unicorn. With Sunny Mabrey, Catherine Dyer, Chuck Wicks, Ed Marinaro; directed by Stacia Crawford.
“Next Exit” (not rated, 1 hour, 46 minutes, in theaters) Most suicide stories aren’t as comical or as affecting as this one, in which a research scientist proves she can track people into the afterlife, encouraging two strangers to race to join the doctor’s contentious study and leave their troubled lives behind. With Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Tongayi Chirisa, Tim Griffin, Diva Zappa; written and directed by Mali Elfman.
“Soft & Quiet” (R, 1 hour, 31 minutes, On Demand) A stress-inducing drama about racism that revolves around kindergarten teacher Emily (Stefanie Estes) and a group of white supremacist women who visit a store to fetch refreshments for their inaugural meeting, where they encounter mixed-race sisters, which rapidly devolves into violence. With Olivia Luccardi, Dana Millican, Melissa Paulo, Jon Beavers; drected by Beth de Araujo.
“The Invaders” (TV-MA, 1 hour, 20 minutes, On Demand) This documentary reveals the impetus behind an often overlooked radicalized generation of civil rights activists made up of young college students, Vietnam vets, musicians, and intellectuals that emerged in Memphis in 1968, directly involved with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the hours leading up to his assassination. With Coby Smith, Charles Cabbage, John B. Smith, John Gary Williams; directed by Prichard Smith.
“The Willowbrook” (not rated, 1 hour, 25 minutes, On Demand) The sneaky side of social media is explored in this thriller in which a wellness influencer invites a recently overdosed follower to seek recovery at her small-town manor, which turns out not to be as serene as is perceived on the internet. With Chris Boudreaux, Jessica Bishop, Erin Day, Lawrence J. Hughes; written and directed by Zach Koepp.
“Plan A” (not rated, 1 hour, 49 minutes, On Demand) Based on an astonishingly dramatic true story but too neatly packaged to be impressive, this World War II drama concerns a group of holocaust survivors who vow to avenge the deaths of their people by poisoning the water supplies in German cities and killing six million Germans, one for every Jew slaughtered by the Nazis. With August Diehl, Sylvia Hoeks, Nikolai Kinski, Michael Aloni; written and directed by Doron and Yoav Paz.
“MVP” (not rated, 1 hour, 52 minutes, On Demand) Cliche-ridden and self-absorbed, this syrupy drama (executive produced by Sylvester Stallone) centers on the growing friendship between a struggling retired NFL player and a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD. Based on the true story of the formation of Merging Vets & Players, a nonprofit that empowers and connects combat veterans and former professional athletes. With Mo McRae, Dina Shihabi, Tom Arnold, Jay Glazer, and former professional athletes Randy Couture, Tony Gonzalez, Howie Long, Michael Strahan; the directorial debut of Nate Boyer, an Army Green Beret veteran, former NFL player and veterans affairs activist.