A wild ode to Oakland, a charmer about three people planning an island concert, and a heartwarming gay rom-com top our roundup in a week that serves up a strong slate of films.

So let’s dig in.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” >> When “heartwarming” gets attached to a movie, it can denote a sickly sweet manipulator of emotions. Not so with “Wallis Island,” this delightful dramedy by director James Griffiths and screenwriters Tom Basden and Tim Key delivers that rare cinematic bird that soars beyond expectations and earns those “heart-warning” and “feel-good” labels without insulting your intelligence. It features three relatable characters — one far quirkier than the others — and disarms and wins us over in each and every scene. Basden and Key, who also co-star, have expanded upon their 2007 short film “The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island,” by giving Carey Mulligan a plumb part. She’s a delight as Nell, half of the McGwyer Mortimer music duo that’s been defunct for nearly a decade. But this “Ballad” belongs most to two characters: Nell’s former bandmate and lover Herb McGwyer (Basden) who’s been establishing a solo career, and the wealthy, very gabby Charles (Key), who made a killing from purchasing two lottery tickets.

Charles is a lonely but lovable oddball who wears interesting sweaters and listens to McGwyer Mortimer records while reflecting on what life was like when his wife was alive. Key steers away from turning Charles into a cute caricature. His Charles is endearing but also lined with sadness. Charles invites the musical duo to perform on the remote island he calls home, but neglects to tell either that the big concert, which comes with a huge payday for both, will be for an audience of one. Herb arrives first and is far more dubious about Charles and his obsession with him. Herb also gets a big surprise when Nell arrives by a small boat with her husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). As the two prep for the concert, their collaborative process brings back memories, but does it rekindle what they once had? “The Ballad of Wallis Island” plays out almost as if it were one of the soothing warm-blanket songs that the duo produced (the songs here are quite nice). “The Ballad of Wallis Island” is an emotional booster shot that lifts the spirits and gives us a case of the warm fuzzies — and you won’t hate yourself for feeling them. We need more movies like it.

Details >> out of 4; in theaters Friday.

“Freaky Tales” >> Anyone who longs for the ’80s will gobble up Anna Boden and East Bay-born Ryan Fleck’s gone-berserk quartet of VHS-like tales that celebrates Oakland’s vitality and creative spirit. The duo behind “Half Nelson” and a clutch of other low-key indies wave their freak flag high over 1987 Oakland, where some green matter sprung from a spiritual practice juices up the resident. The result is one of the most enjoyable, if insane, times at the movies this year. And do see this one in a theater: It should be experienced with a crowd. The wild tales (the title comes from a from a song by iconic East Bay rapper Too $hort) interlock with each other and take us on one rollercoaster ride after another. The opener features two Oakland punk teens (Jack Champion and Ji-young Yoo) and some of their rebellious friends kicking the bejesus out of neo-Nazis outside of the 924 Gilman Street club. It then zips over to a rap showdown between besties Entice (Nomani) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne) — who work at an ice cream shop where they fend off sleazy advances from a corrupt cop (Ben Mendelsohn — and Too $hort (played by East Bay rapper Symba). From there, it bounces over to shady debt collector Clint (Pedro Pascal) performing his final job, which goes awry, and includes a classic exchange in a video store with a clerk (Tom Hanks), a shining moment that’s kismet for movie lovers. The finale finds Golden State Warriors star Sleepy Floyd (a well-cast Jay Ellis) finding no rest after he makes a shocking discovery just after a 51-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers. “Freaky Tales” isn’t designed for the uptight viewer who isn’t willing to just to take a big old whiff off this joint, but should you fully embrace its passionate love for all things Oakland and ‘80s-era filmmaking, music and sports you’ll be in cinematic heaven. It certainly shot me up there.

Details>> ; in theaters Friday.

“A Nice Indian Boy” >> Most gay men can relate to Naveen Gavaskar (“Abbott Elementary’s” Karan Soni) and his reaction to the eternal question he gets asked at over-the-top Indian weddings: When will you be walking down the aisle? He’d like to say in a couple of months, but can’t since he hasn’t landed a special guy. His fate changes when Jay (Jonathan Groff, going full on adorable) walks into a temple where Naveen’s praying charms the heck out of him. Jay, who was adopted by two Indian parents, wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s a dreamboat, too. The two fall fast for each other and then, in true rom-com style, encounter relationship hiccups over how Naveen’s not so forthcoming about introducing the out-and-proud Jay as his boyfriend. More comedy and drama ensue in Eric Randall’s breezy adaptation of Madhuri Shekar’s stage play, which introduces us to Naveen’s family: his trying-to-be overly hip to gay culture mom (an irresistible Zarna Garg), his less demonstrative dad (Harish Patel) and his hot mess of an older sister Arundhathi (Sunita Mani). Director Roshan Sethi delivers a big-hearted rom-com that will make you smile, sniffle, and, best of all, feel better about the world. And isn’t that just what we want out of a romcom? You bet.

Details >> ; in theaters Friday.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.