John Mulderig

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

Nothing is calm and little is bright in the grisly revenge thriller “Silent Night” (Lionsgate).

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

Partly a conversion story, partly a study in the triumph of friendship over isolation, the moving comedy-tinged drama “The Holdovers” (Focus) is an intimate, beautifully crafted film.

Set in an imaginary kingdom ruled by a sorcerer called Magnifico (voice of Chris Pine), this is the story of one of his younger subjects, 17-year-old Asha (voice of Ariana DeBose).

Families don’t have to achieve perfection in order to live in harmony. Along with a lesson about the breaking down of fear-based barriers, that’s the basic theme of “Trolls Band Together” (Universal), a pleasant third animated adventure for the music-loving, doll-derived beings of the title who first arrived on the big screen in 2016.

Viewers out for sweeping spectacle will likely come away from director Ridley Scott’s historical epic satisfied. But those seeking insight into the conquering French emperor’s personality will find there’s a hollow ring to star Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of him.

Considered artistically, the quirky, sometimes humorous but more often confusing superhero adventure “The Marvels” (Disney) presents a mixed bag of ingredients that will likely appeal to some viewers but not others.