MOVIE MINIS

NOW PLAYING “The Accountant”

C +

A high-functioning math savant has a lucrative side business as a forensic accountant for a few scary people and the government is working to uncover his identity. It’s more potboiler thriller than prestige picture, but it’s fun to watch Ben Affleck in this against-type performance. Also starring Anna Kendrick and Jon Bernthal. Directed by Gavin O’Connor. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for strong violence and language throughout. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 8 minutes. PARENTS GUIDE The issue in this action-financial thriller is the extreme violence, which is presented as a necessary part of this line of work and a means to an end. Not much importance placed on the number of people killed in the film. Would be OK for older teens.

“American Honey”

Review not available in time for publication. An adolescent girl runs away from a troubled home with a traveling sales crew and gets into the life of hard partying, law bending and young love. Starring Sasha Lane, Shia LeBeouf and Riley Keough. Directed by Andrea Arnold. Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout and drug/ alcohol abuse - all by teens. At Lefont Sandy Springs and Tara Theatre. 2 hours, 42 minutes.

“Command and Control”

B +

Based on the book by journalist Eric Schlosser, the film is an overview of how many times we were very close to detonating a nuke on our own soil. The film has an uneven pace, but it’s brilliantly researched. Starring Allan Childers, Eric Schlosser and Rodney Holder. Directed by Robert Kenner. (Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer) Not rated but has disturbing themes and images, footage of nuclear detonations. At Landmark’s Midtown Art. 1 hour, 32 minutes.

“Desierto”

C +

When a group of illegal Mexican immigrants attempt to make their way across the desert into the U.S., a man with a rifle takes border patrol into his own hands. It’s a generic thriller that happens to be wrapped in political packaging. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Directed by Jonas Cuaron. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for strong violence and language. At Regal Hollywood Stadium. 1 hour, 34 minutes.

“Kevin Hart: What Now?”

C +

The comedian’s fifth stand up film since 2009 has him selling out Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. He has matured and so has his material and he’s aided by a sophisticated stage production. Starring Kevin Hart, Halle Berry and Don Cheadle. Directed by Leslie Small and Tim Story. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for some sexual material, and language throughout. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 36 minutes. PARENTS GUIDE Hart’s material about family and relationships will appeal to an adult crowd, not kids. The graphic sex talk and swearing is inappropriate for kids, but would be OK for most teens.

“A Man Called Ove”

B

A man on the verge of suicide is interrupted by a feisty young woman who ends up becoming his best friend and giving him promise. Adapted from an international bestseller, the film has a Scandinavian balance of warmhearted charm and brooding darkness. Starring Rolf Lassgard and Bahar Pars. Directed by Hannes Holm. (Colin Covert, Star Tribune-Minneapolis) Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some disturbing images and language. In subtitled Swedish. At Lefont Sandy Springs. 1 hour, 56 minutes.

STILL SHOWING “Bad Moms”

C

A trio of moms band together to take a hiatus from the responsibilities of motherhood. The problem with the film isn’t the concept or the message about the struggle to raise good people, it’s the execution. Starring Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell. Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for sexual material, full frontal nudity, language throughout, and drug and alcohol content. At Regal Snellville Oaks and Regal Georgian Stadium. 1 hour, 41 minutes.

“Birth of a Nation”

C +

In 1831 Nat Turner led an armed revolt in Virginia, freeing dozens of fellow slaves and killing many white men, women and children in a two-day riot. A retelling of American history that’s bluntly effective and beautifully acted, but has its drawbacks. Starring Penelope Ann Miller and Gabrielle Union. Directed by Nate Parker. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for disturbing violent content, and some brief nudity. At metro theaters. 2 hours.

“Blair Witch”

B

The sequel to the first found-footage film goes back into the same woods but this time, the explorers are armed with better equipment. There’s not quite enough story to support a full-length film and the atmospheric padding becomes tedious. Starring James Allen McCune and Callie Hernandez. Directed by Adam Wingard. (Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald) Rated R for vulgar language, violence, gore, disturbing imagery. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 29 minutes.

“Bridget Jones’s Baby”

B

She’s back, and this time, she’s pregnant, but isn’t sure who the father is. It’s relatable and feels current because the character has been allowed to grow. Starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey. Directed by Sharon Maguire. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for language, sex references and some nudity. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 2 minutes.

“Deepwater Horizon”

B

This film dramatizes the hours leading up to and including the explosion in 2010 of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. It may have sacrificed subtlety for spectacle but in this case, that didn’t turn out to be such a bad trade. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell and Gina Rodriguez. Directed by Peter Berg. (Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Rated PG-13 for prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images, and brief strong language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 47 minutes.

“Denial”

C +

This tells the story of author Deborah Lipstadt’s trial to prove she didn’t libel British writer David Irving when she wrote that he was a Holocaust denier. It’s a competently told story, but it’s missing feeling. Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson and Timothy Spall. Directed by Mick Jackson. (Stephanie Merry, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. At Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 50 minutes.

“Don’t Breathe”

B +

A group of teen burglars target a blind man, but underestimate their victim. There’s clever suspense and terrifying scares that don’t rely on the supernatural or fantasy. Starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minette and Daniel Zovatto. Directed by Fede Alvarez. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for terror, violence, disturbing content, and language including sexual references. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 28 minutes.

“The Dressmaker”

D +

A dressmaker returns to her tiny Australian hometown to reconnect with her mother and avenge her mistreatment as a child. The few brights spots don’t make up for what becomes a tiresom, increasingly nasty slog. Starring Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Caroline Goodall. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for brief obscenity and a scene of violence. At Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 58 minutes.

“The Girl on the Train”

B

A woman goes on a bender after a perceived betrayal and then has to piece together what happened the night she drank too much. The film aptly demonstrates the way in which the truth can be blinkered to fit a unique reality. Starring Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux and Luke Evans. Directed by Tate Taylor. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 52 minutes.

“Hell or High Water”

A

Two Texas rangers are on the trail of a pair of bank robbing brothers in this post-recession Western. It eschews allegory for direct confrontation with the issues of the day, foreclosure, poverty, gun violence. Starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges. Directed by David Mackenzie. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality. At AMC Mansell Crossing and Regal Snellville Oaks. 1 hour, 42 minutes.

“Jason Bourne”

B

Jason Bourne returns to crack a hacking of files about operations and plans for total, invasive national surveillance. There’s a tightly controlled sense of chaos that rides the line of anarchy. Starring Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vikander. Directed by Paul Greengrass. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language. At Regal Snellville Oaks and AMC Southlake. 2 hours, 3 minutes.

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

A

A young Japanese boy who lost his eye to the supernatural Moon King takes a journey to find truth. The animated film feels like a gorgeously illustrated Japanese fable with gloriously crafted images serving strong narrative points. Starring the voices of Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Travis Knight. (Colin Covert, Star Tribune-Minneapolis) Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, action and peril. At GTC Merchants Walk Stadium. 1 hour, 41 minutes.

“The Magnificent Seven”

C

A villain is terrorizing a town when seven good guys come in to save it. This remake is long on violence and short on story which makes it rather insignificant, not magnificent. Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language and suggestive material. A metro theaters. 2 hours, 12 minutes.

“Masterminds”

C +

An armored truck employee is conned into helping a petty thief and her husband steal millions, but he gets stranded in Mexico, unable to enjoy the fruits of his labor, after the deal goes down. Based on the true story of one of the largest cash robberies in the United States, the film devolves into a schlocky ‘90s unlikely-herosaves-the-day routine. Starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Directed by Jared Hess. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, some language and violence. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 34 minutes.

“Middle School”

C +

A teen gets transferred to a rule-crazy middle school and he and his best friend decide to try to break every rule in the book. The principal is after them as they try to hide their misdeeds. The animated sequences show innovative style and is a smart way to illustrate how high-stakes the conflicts are for the teen. Starring Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham and Andrew Daly. Directed by Steve Carr. Rated PG for rude humor throughout, language and thematic elements. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 32 minutes.

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”

C +

A Florida teen finds a home — located inside a time loop — where child misfits have turned their pecularities into super powers. The film has a wickedly wry sense of humor, and an enchanting aesthetic of old-fashioned yet modern steampunk spookiness. Starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell. Directed by Tim Burton. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and peril. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 7 minutes.