Una (Cynthia Nixon) has a big heart — just ask her. Why else would the Eastern European motel owner hire Riz (Geetanjali Thapa), a seemingly manageable Indian immigrant looking to shake a delinquent past? A single-take walk through of the grounds, led by an irritatingly impersonal Una, offers breathing room before holding its characters captive inside the scurvy motor court. Riz is forced to bunk down with Dallas (Olivia DeJonge), whose motto is, “Steal for me and I’ll return what I stole from you.” Riz strikes gold the first time out, in the form of a brick of cocaine hidden in a guest’s valise. Why would Dallas trust Jimmy (Robert Aramayo), her caricature of a ne’er-do-well boyfriend (and Una’s son), with that much dope? And with a kilo of coke valued at over $20,000 in their possession, why fart around with knocking over a school pharmacy, no matter how stylish the execution? Nixon’s muscular performance, along with our two leads’ ability to plaster the cracks in a screenplay co-written by newbie director Sonejuhi Sinha, make it worth your time. (2019) — Scott Marks
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