"Let Him Go"
directed by Thomas Bezucha (R, 1 hour, 53 minutes)
A cast that includes Kevin Costner often results in a film that's all about his character. That's partially true for "Let Him Go," but he's up against Diane Lane, who's a formidable competitor for the audience's attention.
The drama -- illogical at times, but still sporadically compelling -- concerns a retired rural Montana sheriff (Costner, obviously) and his wife (Lane, at her most fierce and focused) who raise horses with the aid of their son, James, who is accidentally killed by a rampaging horse. Along with grieving his loss, they have the added anguish of trying to track down their infant grandson after his newly widowed mother falls in with and eventually marries a member of a violent crime family headed by a dreadful matriarch (an over-caffeinated Lesley Manville) that's based in North Dakota.
"The Last Blockbuster" (not rated, 1 hour, 24 minutes) A documentary that celebrates, over and over again, the attributes of the last remaining Blockbuster Video in Bend, Ore. With Sandi Harding, Kevin Smith, Ione Skye, Jamie Kennedy; directed by Taylor Morden.
"Tesla" (PG-13, 1 hour, 42 minutes) A unique, intriguing, time-traveling and not entirely successful approach to the bio-pic genre centers on efforts to promote an electrical system created by a young Croatian-born Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) in New York at the very beginning of the 20th century that's competing with a different system from Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan). With Eve Hewson, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan; directed by Michael Almereyda.
"Host" (not rated, 57 minutes) Truly frightening, this brief, intense British horror thriller concerns six friends who, during a lockdown, hire a medium to present an online seance. What could go wrong? Just wait and see. With Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Edward Linard; directed and co-written by Rob Savage.
"Archenemy" (not rated, 1 hour, 30 minutes) There are some but not enough -- promising moments in other-worldly mystery thriller about an alcoholic who claims to be a superhero from another planet dragged to the earth through a wormhole and losing his powers along the way, as he finds a supporter in a true-believer teenager, which pays off when the kid gets sideways with a brutal drug syndicate. With Joe Manganiello, Jessica Allain, Mac Brandt; co-written and directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.
"Random Acts of Violence" (not rated, 1 hour, 20 minutes) A pointless, gory and poorly constructed serial-killer slash-fest in which a couple of comic book writers begin to notice unfortunate similarities between a character they created and undesirable real-life events. With Jordana Brewster, Jay Baruchel, Jesse Williams; co-written and directed by Baruchel.
"Love, Weddings & Other Disasters" (PG-13, 1 hour, 30 minutes) A cast led by Diane Keaton and Jeremy Irons should be an indication of a film worth watching. That's not the case in this baffling and totally failed attempt at romantic comedy about wedding planners who are hired to create beautiful experiences for others while having no control over their own relationships. With Maggie Grace, Chandra West, Diego Boneta; co-written and directed by Dennis Dugan.
"Elyse" (not rated, 1 hour, 35 minutes) A self-important and pretty much incomprehensible psychological drama about a 40-something woman plagued by depression, manic episodes, and eventually catatonia, as well as a family that doesn't do much to improve her situation. With Anthony Hopkins, Lisa Pepper, Aaron Tucker; directed by Stella Hopkins (Anthony Hopkins' wife).