Friday’s openings: Lowriders at the Lantern

Looks as if the Magic Lantern will be opening not just one but two movies on Friday. One, “Norman,” is a pickup from AMC River Park Square. The other is a film that is enjoying a theatrical release after premiering at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival.

“Lowriders” : Demián Bichir (who also is among the cast of “Alien: Covenant”) plays the father of a young man who doesn’t share his obsession with their community’s car culture. Los carros, sí!

Some critical comments:

Christy Lemire , RogerEbert.com: “There’s an earnestness and a fundamental truth to this familial saga-as well as an appealing, low-budget scrappiness-that consistently make it hum.”

Neil Genzlinger , New York Times: “A mix of strong scenes and shopworn ones punctuated by clichés.”

Andrew Barker , Variety: “A peek under the hood reveals a rather shopworn story that doesn’t completely sell its more melodramatic narrative strands, but [also] to a trio of finely calibrated performances, an authentic sense of place and one gorgeously designed red ‘36 Chevy.”