Editor’s note: Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one 17 and younger admitted.
Opening in Hollywood this week
“Aftermath” — A construction company owner gets pulled into a world of crime and violence after his lead foreman and his contractor come to blows. With Anthony Michael Hall, Chris Penn and Tony Danza. Written and directed by Thomas Farone. (1:24) R.
“Archaeology of a Woman” — A feisty former newspaper columnist grapples with dementia while her daughter, an aspiring chef, is called to her side to help. With Sally Kirkland, Victoria Clark and James Murtaugh. (1:34) NR.
“Before I Disappear” — A troubled young man puts his suicide attempt on hold when he’s interrupted by an urgent request to babysit his precocious niece. With Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek and Paul Wesley. Written and directed by Christensen. (1:33) NR.
“Black or White” — A widower raising his biracial granddaughter becomes embroiled in a bitter custody battle when the girl’s paternal grandmother turns up seeking custody. With Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer and Gillian Jacobs. Written and directed by Mike Binder. (2:01) PG-13.
“By the Gun” — A mafioso’s life spirals out of control when he becomes a made man, forcing him to decide what’s really important to him. With Ben Barnes, Leighton Meester and Harvey Keitel. Written by Emilio Mauro. Directed by James Mottern. (1:49) R.
“Dying of the Light” — When his nemesis resurfaces after 22 years in hiding, a veteran CIA agent recently diagnosed with dementia becomes consumed with taking the terrorist down while he still can. With Nicolas Cage, Anton Yelchin and Alexander Karim. Written and directed by Paul Schrader. (1:35) R.
“The Humbling” — A famous but depressed stage actor attempts to get his mojo back and has an affair with a lesbian half his age. With Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Nina Arianda. Written by Buck Henry and Michael Zebede. Directed by Barry Levinson. (1:53) R.
“Life Partners” — Two co-dependent 29-year-old women have their friendship tested when one of them starts getting serious with a new beau. With Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs and Adam Brody. Written by Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz. Directed by Fogel. (1:33) R.
“Miss Julie” — During an evening of revelry at a country estate in 1880s Ireland, a woman and her father’s valet charm and manipulate each other. With Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton. Written and directed by Liv Ullmann. (2:09) NR.
“Murder of a Cat” — When someone kills his beloved feline, an eccentric man-child takes it upon himself to track down the culprit. With Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed and J.K. Simmons. Written by Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow. Directed by Gillian Greene. (1:41) NR.
“Panic 5 Bravo” — A team of American paramedics receive an emergency distress call from the other side of the nearby U.S.-Mexico border and break the rules to respond. With Raul Mendez, John Henry Richardson and Aurora Papile. Written and directed by Kuno Becker. (1:24) R.
“Pioneer” — During the Norwegian oil boom of the early 1980s, a deep-sea diver is hired for a dangerous assignment, and a disastrous accident pits him against powerful enemies. With Aksel Hennie, Wes Bentley and Stephanie Sigman. Written by Hans Gunnarson, Katharina valen Zeiner, Cathinka Nicolaysen, Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjaerg. Directed by Skjoldbjaerg. In Norwegian with English subtitles. (1:40) R.
“Poverty Inc.” — A documentary exploring the hidden effects of the big business behind fighting poverty. Directed by Michael Matheson Miller. (1:58) NR.
“The Pyramid” — American archaeologists get more than they bargained for when they discover a lost pyramid unlike any other in the Egyptian desert. With Ashley Hinshaw, James Buckley and Denis O’Hare. Written by Daniel Meersand and Nick Simon. Directed by Gregory Levasseur. (1:29) R.
“Remote Area Medical” — A documentary about Americans without access to health care, as seen through the lens of a pop-up no-cost clinic held in Tennessee. Directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. (1:20) NR.
“A Small Section of the World” — A documentary about women from a remote farming region in Costa Rica who form a coffee-growing collective. Directed by Lesley Chilcott. (1:02) NR.
“Still Alice” — A renowned linguistics professor and mother of three grown children is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and struggles to stay connected to who she once was. With Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart and Kate Bosworth. Written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. (1:39) PG-13.
“Two-Bit Waltz” — After an especially turbulent week, a teenager learns she’s set to inherit a large sum of money from her deceased grandmother on the condition that she finish her education. With Clara Mamet, Jared Gilman and Rebecca Pidgeon. Written and directed by Mamet. (1:19) R.
“Uzumasa Limelight” — In Kyoto, a veteran movie extra who has devoted 50 years to being killed in samurai films begins mentoring an up-and-coming actress. With the voices of Seizo Fukumoto and Chihiro Yamamoto. Written by Hiroyuki Ono. Directed by Ken Ochiai. In Japanese with English subtitles. (1:43) NR.
“Wild” — Compelled by grief and personal turmoil, a woman embarks on a 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in this adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir of the same name. With Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Thomas Sadoski. Written by Nick Hornby. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. (1:55) R.