Freeze Frame: “Joy Ride” (R), “The League” (Not rated), “The Out-Laws” (R), “The Lesson” (R)

In the shameless and unapologetically bawdy comedy “Joy Ride,” Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu play Asian-American friends who go on a trip to China where everything goes awry. It’s goofy, energetic and the cast is very appealing, but “Joy Ride” will either bring you joy or loathing depending on your level of tolerance for vulgar humor and off-color banter.

The involving documentary “The League” is an extremely well-made film about the Negro Leagues, produced by Kansas City native Byron Motley and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Samuel D. Pollard. Through a treasure trove of archival footage and knowledgeable talking heads -including Negro Leagues Museum President Bob Kendrick- the film provides an enlightening look at the Negro League’s place in history and its significant and lasting impact on the game. It’s available at select AMC theaters this week and through most on-demand platforms on July 14th. “The League” is in a league of its own.

In the lowbrow Netflix comedy “The Out-Laws,” an uptight bank manager, played by Adam DeVine, comes to believe that his future in-laws, played by Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin, are infamous thieves who’ve robbed his branch. It supplies some brazen laughs, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that the crude and dimwitted farce “The Out-Laws” is an Adam Sandler production.

“The Lesson” is a respectable British mystery thriller about an ambitious young writer who is hired by a famed novelist’s wife to tutor her young son. Dark family secrets are eventually revealed that hold perilous implications for everyone involved. Strong acting by Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl McCormack help mask some of the implausible elements in “The Lesson’s” script.


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