Movie & Television Reviews

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.

There’s much to like and even admire in the animated biography “Piece by Piece” (Focus). Most significantly, as a Lego version of singer, songwriter and music producer Pharrell Williams explores his past via an extended interview with director and co-writer Morgan Neville, the film highlights its subject’s Christian faith.

As scripted by Mark Bomback, “White Bird” effectively tugs at the heart by showcasing altruistic heroism in the face of dire evil.

The upshot is a long, grim, ultimately unrewarding slog made suitable for few — more by its gritty atmosphere than by an accumulation of objectionable ingredients.

Cast aside any concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence — “The Wild Robot” (Dreamworks) has arrived, a Mary Poppins bot ready to chase your cares away in this warm and fuzzy animated adaptation of the bestselling children’s book by Peter Brown.

As allegorical horror films about woodland isolation complicated by demon-infestation rate, “Never Let Go” (Lionsgate) checks off all the unpleasant boxes.

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.