Movie guide

Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.

Picks

“The Accountant”— A high-functioning autistic CPA (Ben Affleck) moonlights as a hitman in Gavin O'Connor's quirky, character-driven action thriller seemingly inspired by the comic book superhero genre. (R) L, V. 128 minutes.???

“Arrival”— It’s Terrence Malick meets Steven Spielberg in Denis Villeneuve’s slow, but stylish and thoughtful sci-fi tale of a linguist (Amy Adams) enlisted by the military to decipher the language of aliens who’ve landed around the earth. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (PG-13) L. 116 minutes.???

“Doctor Strange”— One of the top-tier Marvel Comics transfers, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a brilliant, arrogant surgeon forced by a car wreck to make a career switch into wizardry so he can protect the world from the Dark Dimension. Mind-boggling visual effects, witty script and bald Tilda Swinton’s quirky performance as The Ancient One highlight this action epic. (PG-13) V. 130 minutes.???½

“The Edge of Seventeen”— A dialogue delight as teenager Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) navigates the minefields of adolescence and learns a few hard lessons of adulthood. Smart, insightful and painfully funny. With Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick. (R) D, L, S. minutes.???½

“Fences”— Excellent performances by director Denzel Washington and Viola Davis (reprising their roles from Broadway) highlight Washington’s directorial debut based on August Wilson’s celebrated stage play, a character study of a man bursting with pent-up resentment, thwarted potential and masculine pride. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (PG-13) L, S. 139 minutes.???½

“Hacksaw Ridge”— With rage and passion, Mel Gibson directs this powerful, if flawed, fact-based World War II drama about a Seventh-day Adventist (Andrew Garfield) who joins the U.S. Army but refuses to touch a weapon. A driving tale of personal convictions. With former Buffalo Grove’s Vince Vaughn and chameleonic sparkler Teresa Palmer. (R) V. 139 minutes.???½

“Hidden Figures”— This bracing movie, about a group of brilliant African-American women whose scientific and mathematical skills helped NASA launch its space exploration program in the 1950s and 1960s, is a shot of distilled, exhilarating joy. Starring Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. At the AMC River East 21 and Showplace Icon at Roosevelt Collection in Chicago. Opens wide on Jan. 6. (PG) 127 minutes.??? ?

“Jackie”— Natalie Portman’s breathless Jacqueline Kennedy dazzles in this insightful, yet flawed study of the first lady following the 1963 assassination of her husband. (R) L, V. 95 minutes.? ??

“La La Land”— A joyous reinvention of the American movie musical from “Whiplash” creator Damien Chazelle. Star-crossed lovers Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, as a wannabe actress and a jazz musician, struggle to achieve their dreams in a jazzy, schnazzy tribute to 1940s Hollywood musicals. The theme song “City of Stars” will win the Oscar, by the way. (PG-13) L. 128 minutes.??? ?

“Lion”— Gorgeous cinematography caps this interesting fact-based drama about a lost Indian boy who grows up to be an obsessed man (Dev Patel) searching for his biological family after being adopted by an Australian couple for many years. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) S. In English, Hindi and Bengali with subtitles. 118 minutes.???

“Manchester by the Sea”— Casey Affleck’s tight performance as a withdrawn handyman/janitor highlights Kenneth Lonergan’s piercing character study of loss, grief and survival. He doesn’t want custody of his teen nephew (Lucas Hedges), even though his deceased brother (Kyle Chandler) put it in his will. (R) L, S. 135 minutes.???

“Moana”— Walt Disney’s lushly visualized animated musical tells the story of a feisty teen Polynesian princess (Hawaiian actress Auli’l Cravalhol) and her quest to break a long-standing curse, with assistance from an egocentric demigod (Dwayne Johnson) and his giant hook. Fun without romance. (PG) 103 minutes.???½

“Moonlight”— Raw, yet gentle cutting-edge drama about an African-American kid in Florida glimpsed in three stages of life: as a shy little boy, a troubled teen and a ripped neighborhood drug dealer. An evocative tribute to the power of forgiveness from filmmaker Barry Jenkins. (NR) D, L, S, V. 110 minutes.?? ??

“Neruda”— Chilean director Pablo Larrain is on a hero’s quest to destroy the conventional biopic, turning the story of on-the-run poet Pablo Neruda (Luis Gnecco) and wife Delia (Mercedes Moran) into a thrilling meditation on authorship. Noir-style Inspector Oscar Peluchonneau (Gael Garcia Bernal) kicks the story into high gear with his arrival on the scene. Reviewed by Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press. At the Music Box in Chicago. In Spanish with subtitles. (R) L, N, S. 107 minutes.???½

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”— Visual effects and action sequences squelch the characters in Gareth Edwards’ engaging prequel to “A New Hope.” Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) leads a band of rebels (borrowed from “The Seven Samurai”) to steal blueprints to the under-construction Imperial Death Star so that Episode IV can actually happen. (PG-13) V. 133 minutes.???

“Trolls”— Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake lead an animated cast in this musical tale of grumpy creatures who eat colorful little trolls for a happiness boost. Can Princess Poppy (Kendrick) sing something sweet enough to stop them? Reviewed by Sandie Angulo Chen, Washington Post. (PG) 100 minutes.???

Passables

“Allied”— Even the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard can’t prevent Robert Zemeckis’ grandly mounted World War II romantic thriller from feeling stiff and hollow. A Canadian spy (Pitt) marries a French agent (Cotillard), only to be later given 72 hours to prove she’s not a Nazi plant. Reviewed by Jake Coyle, Associated Press. (R) D, L, N, S, V. 124 minutes.??½

“Collateral Beauty”— Three struggling actors — Amy (Keira Knightley), Raffi (Jacob Latimore) and Brigitte (Helen Mirren) — are hired to impersonate Love, Time and Death to a grieving father (Will Smith). Simultaneously superficial and heartbreaking. With Kate Winslet, Edward Norton and Naomie Harris. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) L. 97 minutes.? ?

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”— It’s not exactly Harry Potter, but it’ll do. A Brit magizoologist (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in 1926 NYC, loses a suitcase full of mischievous critters, deals with an arresting agent (Katherine Waterston), befriends a charming baker (Dan Fogler) and battles a murderous wizard. Teeming with busy visual effects and an unwieldy running time. (PG-13) V. 133 minutes.??½

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”— Retired military man Reacher (Tom Cruise again) helps Army Major Turner (Cobie Smulders) deal with false charges of espionage in this plot-challenged sequel. Directed by Chicago’s Edward Zwick. Reviewed by Sandy Coen, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, V. 118 minutes.??

“Office Christmas Party”— Easy stereotypes and silly jokes are rendered with so-sue-me glee that somehow makes them less offensive than they ought to be. A tech firm boss (Jennifer Aniston) threatens layoffs unless a tech officer (Jason Bateman) and branch manager (T.J. Miller) sign a new client (Courtney B. Vance). Hence, a party for him. Reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post. (R) D, L, N, S. 105 minutes.??½

“Sing”— An energetic animated kids comedy relying on 85 sampled pop songs, flicker-fast shots and jokes to cover for a deficiency of anything to say beyond the “follow your dreams” bromide. A koala (Matthew McConaughey) sponsors a singing competition to save his ailing theater. (PG) 108 minutes.??½

Pits

“Assassin’s Creed”— A joyless, convoluted movie based on a video game. A death-row inmate (Michael Fassbender) gets sent back in time to 1492 Spain to find the Apple of Eden. Relentlessly dumb. Reviewed by Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, V. 115 minutes.?

“Bad Santa 2 ”— An intelligence-insulting sequel reuniting Billy Bob Thornton with elf Tony Cox in a comedy about a lecherous, amoral lush who plots to steal $2 million from a charity. Kathy Bates plays Thornton’s foul mother (and she’s only seven years older than he). Unfortunately set in Chicago. Reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post. (R) D, L, N, S, V. 87 minutes.?

“Passengers”— Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are space travelers awakened long before their 120-year commercial space mission is finished in Morten Tyldum’s dreary, derivative, over-plotted science-fiction drama. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (PG-13) N, S, V. 116 minutes.?½

“Why Him?”— A perfunctory and boorish vulgar comedy about a dad (a slumming Bryan Cranston) who tries to put the kibosh on his daughter’s relationship with a filthy rich tech czar (James Franco) with the maturity of a fruit fly. Reviewed by Alan Zilberman, Washington Post. (R) L, N, V. 111 minutes.?

Unpreviewed

“Dangal”— Walt Disney presents an Indian drama about a former Olympic wrestler who realizes his four daughters have just as much athletic spunk and talent as boys. (NR) 155 minutes.