‘Thunderheart’

Directed by Michael Apted, this 1992 release is a spiritual thriller in which a predictable shoot-’em-up plot is intertwined with Native American religious customs and beliefs. Although the film tends to take itself too seriously, it is enlivened by some appealing acting and vivid camera work that saves it from the abyss. Inspired by the controversial arrest and imprisonment of Native American activist Leonard Peltier, its stars Val Kilmer (left) as an FBI operative, Sam Shepard (right) as his formidable superior, John Trudell as Peltier, Walter Crow Horse as a tribal police officer and John Fusco as a tribal elder (Showtime Sunday at 11:30 p.m., TMC Tuesday at 9 p.m.).