“Send Help” (20th Century) is a bitterly cynical horror movie that charts a race to the ethical bottom between its two main characters. In fact, as scripted by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, director Sam Raimi’s deliberately outrageous film suggests that worldly success can be achieved by resorting to unbridled viciousness.

Catholic faith was not part of comedian Catherine O’Hara’s public-facing work and personality.

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.

With apologies to pulp fiction crime writer Mickey Spillane, the dystopian thriller “Mercy” (Amazon MGM) might more aptly be called AI the Jury. That’s because, in the film’s near-future setting, artificial intelligence is empowered to fight crime by generating a rough sort of justice.

Brigitte Bardot made nearly 50 movies between 1952 and 1973, when she announced that she would make no more and turned to the cause of animal rights. Seven of those, all from the 1950s, received the C (Condemned) classification from the National Legion of Decency.

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.

“Hamnet” (Focus) is a lyrical but emotionally wrenching drama, a film that is both too intense and too complicated for kids. Those of their elders equipped to take on this challenging riff on real-life events, however, will also be able to bring their religious formation to bear on the movie’s more problematic elements.

The year just past was, on the whole, a reasonably strong one for Hollywood. A number of quality films were released, though a high quotient of movies that excelled aesthetically were marred by problematic content when considered from a spiritual and/or moral point of view.

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.

David Henrie is crediting beauty for his return to the Catholic faith after creating a new docuseries with EWTN Studios called “Seeking Beauty.”