In The Dutchman, Clay (André Holland) and his wife Kaya (Zazie Beetz) have been stuck in a rut because she cheated on him, so they both see a couples therapist, Dr. Amin (Stephen McKinley Henderson).  After one of their sessions, he meets a mysterious woman, Lula (Kate Mara), on the subway who stalks him and convinces him to bring her to a work party. She happens to know a lot about him for reasons that won't be spoiled here. Writer/director Andre Gaines and co-writer Qasim Basir have made a provocative, surreal and gripping psychological thriller with shades of David Lynch. Based on the book Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, the screenplay incorporates just the right amount of exposition while keeping the audience a little confused for a while, but that's forgivable because it makes them easily relate to Clay who's also confused at the same time. The filmmakers trust the audience's patience because they wait until the last five minutes to explain what's actually go on and why. Fortunately, there's no over-explaining. The Dutchman leaves still leave just enough room for interpretation, i.e. the apple that Lula holds. There are some darkly comedic moments and also a few tender ones thanks to the heartfelt performance by André Holland  The Dutchman would be an interesting double feature with Interstate 60, After Hours, The Devil's Advocate and the lesser known Crime Without Passion. At a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Rogue Pictures and Inaugural Entertainment.  

      Sara (Kim Ho-Jung) travels from South Korea to Winnipeg, Canada to visit her daughter, Sumi (Leere Park), who's comatose after an accident in The Mother and the Bear. She wants her to date someone, so she signs her up for an online dating site and catfishes a young doctor. Meanwhile, she befriends Sam (Lee Won-jae), the owner of a Korean restaurant, and convinces him to use her special kimchi recipe. Writer/director Johnny Ma has made a mildly engaging, sugar-coated and meandering drama that feels too contrived and shallow to pack an emotional punch. There are a few sweet moments, though, especially between Sara and Sam. The film has very little to say about its many themes of motherhood, love, happiness, aging and loneliness that remain underexplored. You'll learn something about how to make kimchi, though. For a much more engrossing, poetic and captivating drama that also incorporates food, see Sweet Bean. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, The Mother and the Bear opens at IFC Center via Film Movement.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Ava (Daisy Ridley) desperately searches for husband, Mitch (Matt Whelan), after a military experiment caused many people to turn into zombies in We Bury the Dead Writer/director Zak Hilditch has made a lean and slow-burning, but dull, tedious and undercooked zombie thriller with not enough world-building, suspense, scares or imagination. The flashbacks that show what the relationship between Ava and Mitch was like the last time she had seen him. However, those scenes do very little to establish their emotional bond, so the beats don't land as effectively as they would have had the film focused more on their relationship before Mitch goes missing. Clay (Brenton Thwaites), the young man that she befriends through her quest to find Mitch, remains an underdeveloped character. There are a few creepy scenes toward the end, but they're far and few between and too little, too late to please horror fans. 28 Years Later excels at everything that We Bury the Dead fails at. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, it opens nationwide via Vertical. In a double feature with 28 Years Later, it would be the inferior B-movie.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3