Beauty and the Dogs,
directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
(not rated, 1 hour, 40 minutes)
A structured and muscular critique on a patriarchal society that sees women as being of little value, this intriguing and artfully photographed psychological thriller underscores the challenges of an indifferent and abusive bureaucracy.
It uses nine chapters to tell the story of a young Tunisian college student who, after being traumatically raped by police officers as she leaves a lively party, is forced to fight for her rights against fierce odds and an indifferent justice system. With Mariam Al Ferjani, Mohamed Akkari, Ghanem Zrelli. In Arabic with English subtitles.
Acrimony (R, 2 hours ) Sluggish, poorly plotted and overwrought, there's no suspense in this so-called drama about a faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson, too accomplished for this role, but she does what she can with it) who, tired of appearing to be supportive of her cheating husband (Lyriq Bent) can take no more when it becomes clear she has been betrayed. With Jazmyn Simon, Ptosha Storey; directed by Tyler Perry.
Gemini (R, 1 hour, 33 minutes) A lightweight, ineffectual plot undercuts the possibilities for this drama that follows a personal assistant (Lola Kirke) and her Hollywood starlet boss (Zoe Kravitz) as they attempt to solve a horrific crime while struggling to outwit a determined police officer (John Cho). Directed by Aaron Katz.
The Endless (not rated, 1 hour, 51 minutes) An imaginative, smartly executed science-fiction thriller in which two brothers -- who escaped the inevitable fate of a UFO death cult a decade earlier -- find themselves in a similar situation when they become the recipients of a foreboding video message. With Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Tate Ellington, Callie Hernandez; directed by Benson and Moorhead.
Escape Plan 2: Hades (R, 1 hour, 36 minutes) Sylvester Stallone resurrects his role as Ray Breslin who, in the original 2013 Escape Plan, fought his way out of an escape-proof prison called the Tomb. Now he's in charge of a for-hire security force, which does decent work until one of its team members ends up getting lost inside a computerized techno-terror battle maze called Hades. How to get him out? With Dave Bautista, Jaime King, Jesse Metcalfe; directed by Steven C. Miller.
Spinning Man (R, 1 hour, 40 minutes) A classy cast delivers prime performances, but they can't do much to add tension to a stumbling script concerning an ever-worsening situation for popular philosophy professor Evan Birch (Guy Pearce). He has a penchant for getting into romantic entanglements with female students, gets into trouble when one of them disappears. Support is not coming from his suspicious wife (Minnie Driver), and there's the matter of evidence that falls into the possession of a wily police detective (Pierce Brosnan). Directed by Simon Kaijser.
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (TV-MA, 2 hours, 15 minutes) Fans of singer-songwriter-guitarist Eric Clapton, now in his 70s, will likely enjoy the recent and archival footage offering stories and recollections by musicians and others who've known him over the years, from his days with bands such as the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos, as well as a solo performer. But insiders won't discover much that's new, and others seeking to get inside Clapton's head are unlikely to gain illumination from Clapton's less-than-revealing commentary. Directed by Lili Fini Zanuck for Showtime.
Terminal (not rated, 1 hour, 35 minutes) Even the compelling presence of Margot Robbie can't save this baffling and frantic revenge drama that concerns two assassins who take on a risky mission for a fat payoff; their work gets complicated when they run into a woman who becomes unexpectedly entwined in their efforts. With Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons; directed by Vaughn Stein.
MovieStyle on 06/29/2018