Freeze Frame: “Fatal Affair” (Not rated), “Dirt Music” (Not rated), “Blessed Child” (Not rated), “Useless Humans” (R)

Nia Long and Omar Epps star in the predictable and overly familiar Netflix thriller, “Fatal Affair.” Long plays a lawyer who becomes the unwilling object of obsession for the smart but psychologically disturbed Epps. While shamefully derivative, the earnest performances from Long and Epps make “Fatal Affair” a moderately tense little time waster. Search the words “Fatal” and “Affair” and you’ll find a lot of better movies that cover this territory.

 

The fine performances of Kelly MacDonald and Garret Hedlund are also the main attraction for the romantic drama from down under, “Dirt Music.” MacDonald is an unhappy housewife who begins an affair with a lonely seafood poacher, played by Hedlund, unaware of the fact that his melancholy state is a result of a tragedy that involved her husband. The unfamiliar Australian setting adds a bit of interest to this otherwise sluggish and morose movie.

 

“Blessed Child” is a documentary by Cara Jones that tells her own story. She is a once devout member of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church who broke free of that religion while attempting to maintain ties with her beloved family. “Blessed Child” is a touching and heartfelt account of a painful personal journey.

 

The cast of the horror comedy “Useless Humans” appears to be having a lot more fun than the audience will. A group of old friends reunite for a 30th birthday party only to encounter a deadly alien. It’s goofy midnight movie fodder that never quite delivers the laughs it had hoped for.

 

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of  intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, fineartsgroup.com and drafthouse.com.


Share This Episode