New movies in Seattle-area theaters this week: ‘Shazam 2,’ ‘Inside’

“Full River Red” (not rated; 159 minutes; in Mandarin, with subtitles): In 12th-century China, an ambassador is killed and a letter meant for the emperor is stolen. As the search for the letter unfolds, alliances are formed, secrets are revealed, and no one can stop the truth that’s destined to leave its mark on history. Multiple theaters.

★★½ (out of four) “Inside” (R; 105 minutes): How you feel about the psychological thriller “Insider” may depend on how you feel about spending the better part of two hours staring nonstop at Willem Dafoe. The actor plays Nemo, an art thief who becomes trapped in a posh Manhattan penthouse after the security system malfunctions. There are potentially interesting themes here, but “Inside” doesn’t fully engage with them, nor does it give us much of a sense of Nemo’s full story. But the film’s not-so-secret weapon is Dafoe, an ever-intriguing actor who’s incapable of a flat performance. Full review here. Multiple theaters. — Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times arts critic

★★★ “Moving On” (R; 85 minutes): Director Paul Weitz frequently struggles to get the tone right here; the comedy/drama balance is tricky, and often teeters. But “Moving On” is frequently good fun, simply because stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have such chemistry together. Full review here. Multiple theaters. — Moira Macdonald

“Return to Seoul” (R; 115 minutes; in Korean and French, with subtitles): “Return to Seoul” is a startling and uneasy wonder, a film that feels like a beautiful sketch of a tornado headed directly toward your house. First-time actor Park Ji-Min, a French artist, delivers a full-bodied performance as Frédérique Benoît, a reckless 25-year-old adoptee born in South Korea and raised in Paris who books a flight to her birthplace on a whim. Freddie doesn’t speak the language, doesn’t have the names of her biological parents and doesn’t want to blend in. Full review here. (The New York Times does not provide star ratings with reviews.) Lincoln Square, SIFF Cinema Uptown. — Amy Nicholson, The New York Times

★ “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (PG-13; 130 minutes): From the get-go, the makers of this latest “Shazam” feature appear to be set on making the cheesiest-looking picture imaginable. It seems they spared no expense (the special-effects end credits are endless) to make the movie look cheap. Full review here. Multiple theaters. — Soren Andersen, special to The Seattle Times