Rich in charisma (and body count).
‘The Accountant 2’
Ben Affleck returns as an awkward accountant who seeks bloody revenge alongside his brother (Jon Bernthal) in this sequel directed by Gavin O’Connor.
From our review:
All that counts in “The Accountant 2” is that it’s adroitly paced, unburdened by narrative logic (there are almost as many coincidences as corpses) and buoyed by its well-synced, charismatic leads. Affleck and Bernthal’s chemistry is palpable, and it’s enjoyable watching how comfortably they fit together.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Critic’s Pick
Immigrants find an unexpected home.
‘Blue Sun Palace’
In an unassuming massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, Chinese immigrants bond after an act of violence in this intimate drama directed by Constance Tsang.
From our review:
Tsang brings a perceptive subtlety to the story, creating a whole world inside the parlor and its inhabitants, while letting us discover along with them what lies beyond. Instead of leaning into trauma or misery, the filmmaker gives us complex characters who nonetheless speak very little — everything happens in their expressions, the quick flash of a twitch across a cheek when the other isn’t looking.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A lonely doctor, a heavy movie.
‘April’
Nina, a lonely obstetrician who performs home abortions in the country of Georgia, is the subject of a hospital investigation in this drama directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili.
From our review:
“April” is easy to admire, but Kulumbegashvili’s use of art-film conventions can be wearyingly familiar, especially when the leisurely pace turns to a crawl. By turns, she pushes and pulls at you, toggling between abstraction and obviousness as she fills the screen with bodies.
In theaters. Read the full review.