Freeze Frame: “Love Lies Bleeding” (R), “Arthur the King” (PG-13), “One Life” (PG), “American Dreamer” (Not rated)

The action thriller “Love Lies Bleeding” is an example of extremely well-made sleaze, a midnight movie with a mind. Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien star in a twisted lesbian romance embellished with violent revenge and occasional magic realism. It’s sordid and excessive but give a tip of the hat for the cinematic skills on display.

“Arthur the King” stars Mark Wahlberg in the true story of a pro adventure racer who befriends an injured stray pooch while at a world championship event in the Dominican Republic. Their harrowing adventures go viral on social media. Although the filmmaking is boilerplate, it’s a sweet story that will tug at the heartstrings.

Anthony Hopkins stars in “One Life,” the heroic true story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a British man who saved nearly 700 Czech children during WWII. It’s an honorable if uninspired version of the story. While the filmmaking is standard, the sentiment is real. Keep those tissues handy.

The life of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is the subject of the intriguing and creatively produced Amazon Prime documentary, “Frida.” She tells her own story, rendered through her writings, archive footage and inventive animation of her art. It’s an involving, adults-only feature that provides a revealing glimpse into the painter’s life.

Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine star in “American Dreamer,” now available on video on demand platforms. It’s a dark comedy based on a story from NPR’s “This American Life.” Dinklage plays a belligerent down-on-his-luck college professor who moves in with a wealthy elderly woman with the understanding that he’ll inherit her home when she dies. An affable cast elevates an otherwise glum comedy that can’t quite establish a consistent tone.

Share This Episode