Brigsby Bear

A young man who was kidnapped from the hospital as a newborn (Kyle Mooney) is finally returned to his real family (Matt Walsh and Michaela Watkins as his parents, Ryan Simpkins as the sister who was born after he disappeared). Adjusting is naturally difficult, especially since he doesn’t know what happened next in the fake TV series his captors (Mark Hamill, Jane Adams) created to pacify him all those years. Written by Mooney and Kevin Costello, the basic premise is more than a little far-fetched and inadequately explained—but if you can get behind it, the movie’s rewards are many, and its unforced sweetness disarms all misgivings. Mooney is earnestly naïve and wholly loveable, and the story is refreshingly unpredictable; by the last scene the movie has earned the right to tug at your heartstrings. J.L.