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Beyond the Reach
A virtuous young guide fights for his life against the Mojave Desert and a sociopathic millionaire. Stars Jeremy Irvine and Michael Douglas. Directed by Jean- Baptiste Léonetti. Rated R. 95 minutes.
— M. Ordoña
Black Souls
This riveting morality tale about mob life in southern Italy has a gritty sense of place and interesting characters across the board. It gets off to a slow start, but builds to a stunning, satisfying climax. Not rated. 103 minutes. In Italian with English subtitles.
— D. Lewis
Cheatin’
The animation dazzles, but the narrative fizzles in this dialoguefree film about romance and jealously. Fans of indie master Bill Plympton will enjoy his interesting work; others might fantasize about more character development. Not rated. 76 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Cinderella
Kenneth Branagh retells the old story with most of the fairytale magic left intact, but with the addition of a backstory and realistic motives. Every old and familiar element is done beautifully. But the movie grinds down in plot details that fatten the narrative while deflating the spirit. Rated PG. 105 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Clouds of Sils Maria
Juliette Binoche stars as a European stage and screen star who is asked to perform in the play that made her famous 20 years earlier — but this time as the older woman. It’s an effective study of life’s transitions by Oliver Assayas, with Kristen Stewart in the supporting role of Binoche’s assistant. Rated R. 123 minutes. In English and French with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
Danny Collins
Al Pacino gets his best showcase in years, as an aging pop star who tries to change his life after receiving a letter from John Lennon — finally delivered after more than 40 years. Rated R. 106 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Desert Dancer
The fact- based story of a young Iranian who starts a dance troupe, even though dancing is forbidden under Islamic law, forms an entryway for an interesting and emotionally compelling examination of modern Iran, and the clash between the fundamentalist government and Iranian youth’s aspirations to freedom. Rated PG- 13. 103 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Effie Gray
Based on the true story of the troubled marriage between the title character and art critic John Ruskin, this affecting film is a dark deconstruction of marriage and sex ( or lack of it) during the Victorian era. Emma Thompson, who wrote the script, proves once again to be a talented wordsmith. Rated PG- 13. 108 minutes.
— T. Lee
Ex Machina
There are lots of sci- fi movies, but few like this one, with intelligent things to say about science itself — in this case, artificial intelligence. Domhnall Gleeson stars as an employee who gets to stay for a week at the home of his employer, an eccentric billionaire tech entrepreneur, played with charm and an edge of menace by Oscar Isaac. Rated R. 110 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Fifty Shades of Grey
The first hour of this relationship drama is terrific, and the second hour sags a bit, but there is no arguing with the performances of Jamie Dornan and especially Dakota Johnson, who is superb as a young woman experiencing a sexual awakening at the hands of a billionaire with sadistic proclivities. Rated R. 125 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
5 to 7
A 24- year- old American man ( Anton Yelchin) and a 33- yearold married French woman ( Berenice Marlohe) embark on a romance, but one that can take place only between the hours of 5 and 7 p. m. Like the first two “Before” movies, this is a romantic drama that will appeal to everyone, but mostly men. Rated R. 98 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Furious 7
Co- star Paul Walker died midway through the filming of this seventh installment of the action series, but the filmmakers
decided to reanimate him in several scenes, and the result is just creepy. Rated PG- 13. 137 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Insurgent
The second installment in the “Divergent” series really moves the story forward, a strong virtue in a book based on the middle installment of a trilogy. Rated PG- 13. 118 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
It Follows
A zombie- slacker movie with a slasher film sensibility, this horror film concerns a teenage girl who is cursed by zombies after she has sex. Though it doesn’t approach the palpable dread of “Halloween,” it’s a thoughtfully crafted creep show that doesn’t resort to gore to elicit some chills. Rated R. 100 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Kingsman: The Secret Service
An intermittently amusing comedy- drama from director Matthew Vaughn (“Kick-Ass”), starring Colin Firth as a British secret agent who takes a novice under his wing, the movie collapses into absurdity in its second half, sloppily careening from silliness to sentimentality. Rated R. 129 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Suggestive of a fairy tale, this is an enigmatic drama with doses of dry humor about a deeply troubled young Japanese woman who sets out on a peculiar quest. Having seen the movie “Fargo,” she heads for Minnesota in pursuit of fictional buried cash. Ironies and ambiguities abound, and there are overtones of Werner Herzog’s movies. Not rated. 105 minutes. In Japanese and English with English subtitles.
— W. Addiego
Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed
Spain’s best foreign film Oscar entry is this lovely, almost enchanted story about a slightly odd Beatles- obsessed teacher who in 1966 takes off on a quest to meet John Lennon, who was filming “How I Won the War” in Spain. Along the way he picks up two hitchhikers, and everyone’s lives are touched by what follows. Not rated. 108 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
The Longest Ride
At two hours and 19 minutes, this story of a sorority girl and a bull rider who meet at the rodeo may not be the longest ride, but it feels like it. Still, a subplot involving the usually smart- talking Alan Alda as a weepy, nostalgic old man is good for a few ( unintended) laughs. Rated PG- 13. 139 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Love Thy Nature
A documentary described by its makers as “a cinematic immersion into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world.” Narrated by Liam Neeson. Not reviewed. Not rated. 76 minutes.
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer
An inspired romantic comedy set against the Italian government’s war with the Mafia in Palermo beginning in the 1970s, this is the story of a boy’s pursuit of a girl from elementary school days to their adult lives as professionals. Not rated. 88 minutes. In Italian with English subtitles.
— G. A. Johnson
Man From Reno
San Francisco locations, an arresting leading lady and offbeat pacing manage to keep this wouldbe modern noir afloat for about half its running. But the movie loses itself in convoluted plotting and unwise story turns, and long before the finish the film becomes a “who cares” proposition. Not rated. 111 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Monkey Kingdom
Documentary from Disneynature about the dynamics of a group of South Asian monkeys. Narrated by Tina Fey. Not reviewed. Rated G. 82 minutes.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
In this sequel to the 2009 comedy, Paul Blart ( Kevin James) takes his teenage daughter on a vacation to Las Vegas. Not reviewed. Rated PG. 94 minutes.
Seymour: An Introduction
A loving documentary portrait of Seymour Bernstein, a virtuoso pianist who became a revered teacher and still gives lesson in his 80s. Bernstein is a model teacher, and it’s clear that director Ethan Hawke greatly admires his subject. Rated PG. 84 minutes.
— L. Hertz
3 Hearts
Benoit Jacquot directs this gripping romantic melodrama about a tax auditor who marries a woman ( Chiara Mastroianni) without knowing she is the sister of the woman he really loves ( Charlotte Gainsbourg). Rated PG- 13. 106 minutes. In French with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
True Story
An adaptation of Michael Finkel’s memoir — about a freelance journalist who starts writing a book about a mass murderer in Oregon — the film suffers in comparison to “In Cold Blood” and “Capote.” The movie focuses on the relationship between the writer ( Jonah Hill) and the murderer ( James Franco), but not enough happens, and there’s not enough to it. Rated R. 96 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Unfriended
High school friends are tormented online by a mysterious interloper one year after their bullied classmate killed herself. Rated R. 80 minutes.
— M. Ordoña
What We Do in the Shadows
Even if you’re sick of vampire movies, you’ll enjoy this one, a mock documentary from New Zealand that follows, in the style of low- budget cinema verite, four vampires sharing a house in Wellington. It’s funny from start to finish. Very funny. Not rated. 86 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
White God
In Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó’s audacious allegory of immigration and race relations, the government of Budapest requires all half- breed dogs to be registered, and one dog takes exception and ends up leading a canine revolt that takes over the city. Only the leader’s owner, a 12- year- old girl, can ( maybe) stop them. Rated R. 119 minutes. In Hungarian with English subtitles. — G. A. Johnson
Wild Tales
This collection of six short wild films from Argentina, all written and directed by Damian Szifron, has more energy, wit and invention in any of its sections than most films have in their entirety. Rated R. 122 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
The Wrecking Crew
This entertaining documentary shines a light on the ace studio musicians who, in anonymity, contributed to many of the top rock and pop hits of the 1960s and ’ 70s. The Beach Boys, Cher, Frank Sinatra, the Fifth Dimension, Elvis Presley and the Mamas & the Papas are just a few acts who made use of the Crew’s services. Rated PG. 102 minutes.
— W. Addiego