L.A. movie openings, Aug. 4-11: ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold,’ ‘The Kitchen’ and more

Aug. 7

American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel
Documentary about the impact of the conservative Christian movement on U.S. politics. Directed by Jeanine Isabel Butler. (1:25) NR.

Aug. 9

After the Wedding
A woman who runs an orphanage in India returns to America to meet with a potential benefactor. With Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Abby Quinn, Will Chase. Written by Bart Freundlich; based on a screenplay by Anders Thomas Jensen, Susanne Bier. Directed by Freundlich. (1:50) PG-13.

Angels Are Made of Light
Documentary follows students and teachers struggling to succeed in war-torn Afghanistan. Directed by James Longley. In Dari, Pushto, Arabic and English with English subtitles. (1:57) NR.

The Art of Racing in the Rain
A clever dog voiced by Kevin Costner narrates the story of his owner, an aspiring Formula One driver. With Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Baker, Martin Donovan, Gary Cole. Written by Mark Bomback; based on a novel by Garth Stein. Directed by Simon Curtis. (1:49) PG.

Brian Banks
A promising high school football player fights for justice after he is falsely convicted of rape. With Aldis Hodge, Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd, Greg Kinnear. Written by Doug Atchison. Directed by Tom Shadyac. (1:39) PG-13.

The Circus: Down the Road
Documentary about a traveling big-top circus. Directed by Barbara Camillo, Seth Camillo. (1:38) NR.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold
The teen explorer from the animated series leads her friends on a jungle adventure in this live-action tale. With Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, Temuera Morrison. Written by Matthew Robinson, Nicholas Stoller; story by Tom Wheeler; based one the series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, Eric Weiner. Directed by James Bobin. (1:42) PG.

Dying to Survive
A Chinese father, fighting for custody of his son, turns to importing a cancer drug from India to make money. With Xu Zheng, Wang Chuanjun, Yang Xinming, Zhang Yu, Tan Zhou, Zhang Changlin, Wang Yanhui. Directed by Wen Muye. Written by Han Jianu, Zen Muye, Zhong Wei. In Mandarin with English subtitles. (1:57) NR.

Every Time I Die
The spirit of a murdered man tries to stop his killer from hurting his surviving friends. With Marc Menchaca, Kevin D. Benton. Written by Gal Katzir, Robi Michael. Directed by Michael. (1:38) NR.

The Kitchen
The wives of three incarcerated mobsters take over their husbands’ rackets to support their families in 1970s NYC. With Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d’Arcy James, Margo Martindale, Common, Annabella Sciorra, Myk Watford. Written by Andrea Berloff; based on the comic book series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. Directed by Berloff. (1:42) R.

Light of My Life
A father struggles to protect his young daughter 10 years after a devastating global pandemic. With Casey Affleck, Anna Pniowsky, Elisabeth Moss. Written and directed by Affleck. (1:59) R.

Nekrotronic
An average Joe stumbles into the middle of a high-tech war between demons and those who hunt them. With Benedict Hardie, Monica Bellucci, Caroline Ford, David Wenham. Written by Kiah Roache-Turner, Tristan Roache-Turner. Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. (1:39) R.

Ode to Joy
A loner who suffers bouts of paralysis whenever he is overcome by strong emotions meets an attractive woman. With Martin Freeman, Morena Baccarin, Melissa Rauch, Jake Lacy, Jane Curtin. Written by Max Werner, Chris Higgins; inspired by a radio story on “This American Life.” Directed by Jason Winer. (1:37) R.

One Child Nation
Documentary details 30 years of China’s controversial family-planning and population-control policy. Directed by Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang. In English and Mandarin with English subtitles. (1:25) R.

The Peanut Butter Falcon
A young man with Down syndrome chases his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. With Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley. Written and directed by Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz. (1:33) PG-13.

Piranhas
Teen hoodlums in Naples, Italy, aspire to move up in the world of organized crime. With Francesco Di Napoli, Viviana Aprea. Written by Maurizio Braucci, Claudio Giovannesi, Roberto Saviano; based on a novel by Saviano. Directed by Claudio Giovannesi. In Neapolitan with English subtitles. (1:45) NR.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Teens in a small town in the 1960s discover a book of terror tales that start to come true. With Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint. Written by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman; story by Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan; based on the series by Alvin Schwartz. Directed by André Ovredal. (1:510 PG-13.

Socrates
A teen living on the margins in Sao Paulo, Brazil, struggles to survive in the wake of his mother’s sudden demise. With Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji. Written by Thayná Mantesso, Alexandre Moratto. Directed by Moratto. In portuguese with English subtitles. (1:11) NR.

South Central Love
A boy and a girl from different worlds meet on the mean streets of L.A. and forge a relationship while struggling to rise above their circumstances. With Christina Cooper, Jamal Henderson, Vanessa Simmons, Timothy DeLaGhetto. Written and directed by Cooper. (1:20) NR.

This Changes Everything
Actors, artists, studio executives and others discuss sexism in Hollywood, the #MeToo movement, etc., in this documentary. With Geena Davis, Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Jill Soloway, Shonda Rhimes, Sandra Oh, Anita Hill, Jessica Chastain, Rose McGowan, Judd Apatow, Rosario Dawson. Directed by Tom Donahue. (1:36) NR.

The Tracker
A man returns to a remote town in Southern Italy seeking revenge for the kidnapping and murder of his wife and daughter there 15 years earlier. With Dolph Lundgren, Cosimo Fusco. Written by Rab Berry, Scott Mallace, Giorgio Serafini; story by Mallace. Directed by Serafini. In English and Italian with English subtitles. (1:35) R.

Wicked Witches
A man whose wife kicked him out of the house finds horror when he visits an old friend’s farm. With Duncan Casey, Justin Marosa, Kitt Proudfoot. Written by Mark Pickering, Martin J. Pickering. Directed by Martin J. Pickering. (1:19) NR.