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In the dark coming-of-age tale “The Pit,” narrow-minded rural Latvia seems as full of lurid secrets as Peyton Place, as well as being a locale where everyone has their nose in everyone else’s business. Marking the feature debut of writer-director Dace Pūce (who co-wrote with Monta Gagane and Pēteris Rozītis), it’s adapted from three stories by Latvian literary prize-winner Jana Egle. The action unfolds through the watchful eyes of an emotionally wounded boy stuck with his strict grandmother, but the film’s odd tone, incompletely developed characters and uneven performances fail to match the poignancy of its source. Named as Latvia’s submission for best international film, “The Pit” will premiere Stateside on Dec. 17 via streaming service Film Movement Plus.

Skinny, misunderstood 10-year-old Markus (Damirs Onackis) is unwillingly dispatched from Riga to the countryside following the death of his drug addict father, an artist. Flashbacks and gossip reveal...