OPENING TODAY

The Babysitters (**) Subversive suburban dark comedy starts with an intriguing premise — that of a teenage sitter (Katherine Waterston) who begins an affair with a married father (John Leguizamo), then decides to get her friends involved with his friends for extra cash. But as the side business starts to unravel on both ends, so does the film. Instead of edgy, the satire feels increasingly strained and mean-spirited, and there’s not enough of a payoff at the end. Rated R, 88 minutes. At the Inwood. — Todd Jorgenson

Son of Rambow (***) In the early 1980s in rural England, a shy boy (Bill Milner) grows up sheltered because of his mother’s strict religious adherence. A rebellious classmate (Will Poulter) exposes him for the first time to many new experiences, such as a bootleg copy of First Blood, the first Rambo movie. Together, they become schoolboy celebrities as they embark on getting into various scrapes, coming of age and making an action film together. Funny and charming if somewhat familiar. Rated PG, 95 minutes. At the Landmark Magnolia and Angelika Plano. — B.A.

Girls Rock (***) High-spirited documentary about a weeklong retreat in Oregon for girls that teaches them not only the finer points of rock ’n’ roll, but about issues of self-esteem and female empowerment. It’s obviously a worthwhile endeavor, and the filmmakers put a few charming subjects in the spotlight. But it doesn’t say much we don’t already know about contemporary peer pressure or social image. Worth seeing more for the topic than the technique. Rated PG, 89 minutes. At the Angelika Dallas. — T.J.

Then She Found Me (**) Helen Hunt makes her feature directing debut and also plays a woman who wants to have a child and marries someone completely unsuitable (Matthew Broderick) before quickly separating. She then finds herself attracted to someone seemingly as unsuitable (Colin Firth). Meanwhile, from nowhere, her birth mother (Bette Midler) has found her and wants to reconnect. Characters and situations strain reality while remaining overly treacly. Rated R, 100 minutes. At the Angelika Dallas and Plano. — B.A.

Vice (*1/2) This low-budget police drama is taking a brief detour into theaters before finding its rightful place on DVD or late-night cable. Michael Madsen stars as a washed-up cop who does some soul searching as he becomes involved in a seedy mess of ruthless gangsters and sleazy drug dealers. The cliches are so obvious they can be checked off a list, and the dialogue is as laughable as the script is tedious. Also stars Daryl Hannah and Mykelti Williamson. Rated R, 98 minutes. — T.J.

What Happens in Vegas (**) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher team up in this formulaic romantic comedy about two misfits who meet during a wild night in Sin City, get married on a drunken impulse, win a $3 million slot machine jackpot, and then realize they are completely incompatible. It’s more watchable than the premise suggests, thanks mostly to some amusing one-liners and quirky characters that help offset the tiresome bickering of the two leads. Rated PG-13, 99 minutes. — T.J.