One-Liners: Paranoia

KILL THE MESSENGER (B+) - Jeremy Renner is fantastic in this above-average journalistic thriller based on the true story of Gary Webb, the San Jose Mercury-News reporter who broke the story in the 1990s about the CIA's connections to Nicaraguan drug dealers' crack trade in America's inner cities.

Director Michael Cuesta ("L.I.E.," TV's "Homeland") brings his sure hand and knack for efficient storytelling to the tragic story of a man's career and life unraveling. Webb's series, "Dark Alliance," created a stir and an almost immediate backlash, as his reporting of the CIA's role -- which probably could have used a few more solid sources -- got twisted into a horror story of government agents handing out crack on playgrounds.

The essential facts of Webb's reporting were borne out, but the immediate effect was a lethal combination: a secret government agency seeking retribution for being outed, and establishment newspapers (L.A. Times, New York Times, Washington Post) looking to tear down an upstart by trying to poke holes in the reporting.

The newsroom depictions are a bit shaky at times, but Oliver Platt is around to lend some Lou Grant gravitas to the proceedings. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Webb's younger editor, Rosemarie DeWitt flounders as the loyal wife, and Paz Vega is rather creepy as Coral Baca, the mystery woman who tips off Webb (or is she setting him up?).

But it's Renner who not only holds this together but lifts it up above movie-of-the-week fare. He brings nuance to the depiction of a man driven to commit pure journalism but getting in way over his head. The domino effect on his career (which never recovered), his family, his sanity and eventually his health makes for compelling drama and a pretty good newspaper thriller.

COHERENCE (B-minus) - This ironically titled film brings to mind "Primer" or "The One I Love" if it were directed by Joe Swanberg on the fly.

Instead, it was created by writer/director James Ward Byrkit (who wrote "Rango"), and he injects this with loads of style, with snappy, overlapping dialogue that suggests a strong ensemble performance. The story: Four couples gather for dinner on an ominous evening in which a comet is scheduled to pass overhead. When the celestial event occurs, the lights go out, and the dinner guests explore the neighborhood, finding that one house two blocks away is the only one still lit up. Two of their crew goes to explore. When they finally return, they report that a group of doppelgangers exists in the other house. They bring back a box full of clues, including pictures of all the guests.

Things get more convoluted from there. Soon we're not sure which version of each character we're seeing. Horror tropes abound, and the sci-fi physics tricks started to make my brain hurt. But I truly wanted to stick around to see how it turned out; I was hooked.

 The cast really tries to sell this. The familiar face is Nicholas Brendon (Xander from "Buffy"), and the star is TV regular Emily Baldoni as Em, whose ex is one of the guests, accompanied by his saucy new girlfriend (Lauren Maher). Baldoni's go-to move is to run her fingers through her dirty blond hair. Others show some chops and provide depth to their individual characters.

Some might pick apart the narrative as ridiculous. If you can resist that, you'll be rewarded with a slick trifle.