From con men to real estate closers, David Mamet has made a career out of writing characters who know how to spot a sucker. And with “Henry Johnson,” his first film in 10 years, he invites his devotees to look under the hood and examine the psyche of one of the weak, easily manipulated individuals that his most memorable characters spend their lives exploiting.

Adapted from his play of the same name, which premiered in Los Angeles in 2023 before mounting a Chicago production this spring, “Henry Johnson” unfolds over the course of four two-handed scenes. Like any Mamet endeavor, the real star is the language. Major plot events happen almost entirely offscreen, with its ensemble of characters using them as jumping off points to soliloquize about everything from the value of therapy to Snow White’s vagina. Everyone has preconceived opinions about his writing style, but Mamet puts it to use,...