Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (20th Century Fox, PG-13)
This adaptation succeeds most of the time.
MOVIES
The Neon Dead (Wide Eye Releasing, NR)
It is not scary, but I do not think it is trying to be. It’s hip.
Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection (Arrow Video, NR)
Director Shunya Ito isn’t going for naturalism; he’s going for impact, and boy does he achieve it.
The Enemy Below (Kino Lorber, NR)
The Enemy Below is not a great film, but it’s enjoyable enough if you like war movies.
Under the Sun (Icarus, NR)
Under the Sun reminds us that documentaries are created objects and can never offer a simple view of “reality.”
Queen of Katwe (Walt Disney Studios, PG)
There’s so much that Mira Nair got right in Queen of Katwe that it’s a shame it’s not a total success.
The Magnificent Seven (MGM/Columbia Pictures, PG-13)
It’s a good thing for Antoine Fuqua that films cannot sue for defamation.
Snowden (Open Road Films, R)
While getting the facts straight is important, it’s not enough to make a film work.
Our Little Sister (Sony Classics, PG)
Our Little Sister encompasses several virtues that you seldom find in mainstream American films.
The Hollars (Sony Pictures Classics, R)
It’s too bad the film doesn’t work better.