A shade of wet newsprint grey smudges the facade of the still-standing South Bronx apartment. From the opposite side of the street, the only visible sign of life in the tenement is a faint glow coming from inside a center-frame window. A cut whisks us behind locked doors, where intense close-ups, backed by the rail wheel squeal of a nearby elevated train, introduce us to June (Naomi Watts). The Wolf Hour dawns at the crack of the Summer of Sam, but instead of seeing a horror film, we’re locked away on a mysterious journey with a brooding, once famous agoraphobic. It’s not a one-hander; a handful of characters are eventually granted entry to June’s flat. (There are, admittedly, moments where one envies their ability to leave.) What exactly did June do to earn her reputation? Her performance is superb, but there are some things that even Watt’s face cannot provide. The end may not justify the means, but at the very least, the humanitarian response that motivates reclusive June to finally leave her flat is enough to take the sting out of what might have been. (2019) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.