Stories about finding one’s way are always going to be appealing because they’re nigh-universal in their relatability. Who among us hasn’t gone through a period where they felt stuck and didn’t know what to do going forward? We’ve all been there.

Now, that doesn’t mean that these stories are always GOOD. If they get too navel-gazey, they can often disappear up their own … behinds … in an insufferable ouroboros of fart-sniffing pretension. If they stay on the surface, they lack insight and ultimately feel pointless.

But when they strike the right balance, engage with honesty and humor and (perhaps most importantly) don’t take themselves too seriously, you wind up with some real gems.

“Drunk Bus” is one such gem.

Directed by John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke from a script by Chris Molinaro, it’s the story of a young man stuck in neutral, driving the nightly bus loop surrounding the college campus from which he graduated a few years earlier. It’s the tale of a late bloomer, one struggling to escape the ties that bind him to the past even as he hesitates to engage with the future.

It’s also a story of unexpected friendship, wherein a bold and bright free spirit enters the picture and pushes our hero to find forward motion, though that push is not without its own issues. But really, deep down, it’s about those times in our lives when we don’t necessarily know what we want, yet feel confident that what we have isn’t it.

Full disclosure: it is difficult for me to be objective with regards to Scooby Doo. I have had a deep-seated love for all things Hanna-Barbera since I was a kid; those characters are all beloved parts of my childhood pop culture consumption.

That being said, I was unsure how to feel about “Scoob!” The latest attempt to bring the character to the big screen – now available for rent or purchase via VOD – was an unabashed update, an origin story that I wasn’t at all sure that I needed or wanted. Of course, no IP is safe in the current cinematic landscape, so an update/reboot was all but assured.

Surprisingly, “Scoob!” is … not that bad. It’s an engaging enough take on the source material, making an effort to stay true to the spirit of the original. There’s a whiff of the formulaic here, but everything is executed with good faith effort. It’s certainly not going to alienate nostalgic fans, while also having a shot and bringing new ones into the fold.

When we think about movies for kids, we tend to have fairly specific ideas about them in terms of their style. You hear “kids’ movie,” you probably think about bright colors and simple narratives and a general levity with regards to tone. And a lot of child-oriented stories hew closely to those criteria.

A lot, but by no means all. There’s plenty of darkness to be found in children’s stories. From the bleakness prevalent in the tales of the Brothers Grimm, there have been shadows mixed in with the sunshine.

Because here’s the thing: kids LIKE some darkness alongside the light.

The new Netflix animated film “The Willoughbys,” based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowry, very much embraces that dichotomy. While it is rife with candy-colored goofiness and silly set pieces, there are some underlying themes that are legitimately dark. The balance between the two is what makes the movie work – too much of one or the other would undermine the whole thing.

It’s a story of what it truly means to be a family, as well as of the sacrifices that can be required to do right by the people we love. It also explores the consequences that can come from thoughtless decisions regarding those loved ones. Plus, it’s a great-looking film based on strong source material and featuring an absolutely killer voice cast.

Casual comedy fans – particularly those of a younger generation – may not be familiar with Doug Kenney. However, anyone who has any interest in the comedic craft has reaped the benefits of his groundbreaking work.

Kenney – who co-founded the subversive humor magazine The National Lampoon before branching out into stage, radio and film – was a weirdo shooting star in the comedy world, one who shone brightly and ultimately burned out too fast.

“A Futile and Stupid Gesture” – based on Josh Karp’s book of the same name – tells the story of Kenney’s rapid ascent and subsequent fall. Directed by David Wain, the film goes out of its way to paint its subject as a genius, a true icon, but despite its sprawling efforts – including a deep and talented cast - it never quite goes beyond a surface-level exploration of Kenney. The result is a serviceable biopic with a few flashes; not terrible, but not nearly what we might have hoped it to be.