Molly

With a heavy debt to the Mad Max movie franchise, this Dutch-produced, post-apocalyptic adventure presents a new, Max-lite wanderer in the wilderness: a barely-adult woman named Molly (Julia Batelaan), who scavenges under a glaring sun among grassy dunes, fights off marauders with Buffy-like efficiency, and—well—has a handy little superpower. Meanwhile (of course), there’s a cult of bad guys led by a monster named Deacon (Joost Bolt), who has heard about Molly and wants her to fight for her life in a death pit. Along the way, a wounded Molly finds a little girl left on her own and decides to protect and accompany her. All of this plays out in a rather predictable and somewhat stale fashion, although the cinematography is notable, and Batelaan—who sometimes wears owlish eyeglasses—is an interesting character, falling somewhere between a nerd and sword-wielding warrior. Optional. (T. Keogh)