Capsule reviews for June 10

Careful What You Wish For

Fans of teen heartthrob Nick Jonas can take that advice to heart after watching his inauspicious big-screen debut. It’s a lurid thriller in which Jonas stars as a teenager at a seaside summer retreat who is seduced by Lena (Isabel Lucas), an alluring older woman (Isabel Lucas) next door. That results in a steamy affair and a suspicious tragedy involving Lena’s rich but abusive husband (Dermot Mulroney), who happens to have a hefty life insurance policy. Some stylish touches from director Elizabeth Allen (Aquamarine) are compromised by a series of plot twists that stretches credibility before completely flying off the rails in the third act. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

King Jack

This bleak yet evocative coming-of-age drama eschews glamour in favor of stark realism. The title character (Charlie Plummer) is a small-town teenage outcast whose outward rebellion masks an inner vulnerability stemming from a sexting scandal involving a neighborhood crush, older bullies who won’t leave him alone, his own family’s socioeconomic struggles, and a nerdy little cousin (Cory Nichols) who pays a surprise visit. Plummer’s expressive performance brings depth and complexity, while the script by rookie director Felix Thompson steers away from clichés and cheap sympathy, and instead resonates with raw authenticity. Like its protagonist, the film is rough on the surface but contains redeeming qualities underneath. (Not rated, 81 minutes).

Puerto Ricans in Paris

At least the title accurately describes the culture-clash shenanigans in this lackluster low-budget comedy about pudgy NYPD detectives Luis (Luis Guzman) and Eddie (Edgar Garcia), who are dispatched to France to investigate a high-profile crime involving a missing handbag. Their ensuing romantic flings create friction and cause them to reflect on their relationship travails back home, where Eddie is married to Luis’ sister (Rosie Perez). The script by rookie director Ian Edelman awkwardly shifts tones while generating only a few fish-out-of-water laughs, due mostly to the easygoing rapport between Guzman and Garcia. Yet as a whole, the plotting is thin and the acting is uneven. (Rated R, 82 minutes).