Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘Eternals’ and More

November 5, 2021

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

Those seeking another dose of Marvel need wait no longer. "Eternals" has arrived. And our critic has some good things to say about it. "The actors are the movie's great superpower and give it warmth, even a bit of heat," Manohla Dargis writes.

If you prefer royalty to superheroes, the Princess Diana film "Spencer" may be more your speed. But don't expect "The Crown." Pablo Larraín's film is an often-dark, genre-hopping journey into Diana's psyche. In his Critic's Pick review, A.O. Scott calls it "an allegory of powerlessness, revolt and liberation."

And speaking of Critics' Picks, our writers anointed several films opening this week with that distinction. Among them are the personal documentary "North by Current"; the coming-of-age drama with an Indigenous star, "Beans"; the open relationship rom-com "Mark, Mary & Some Other People"; and the Syrian refugee documentary "Simple as Water." That's an eclectic bunch.

Additionally, Halloween just ended so it means time to begin decking the halls! Holiday movies will be here before you know it. We caught up with some of the stars of this season's films, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Meryl Streep and Aunjanue Ellis. We look at why so many movies this season are in black-and-white and we provide a list (that we checked at least twice) of the offerings rolling out in the next couple of months.

Enjoy the movies!

Marvel/Disney

'Eternals' Review: When Super Franchises Walk the Earth!

A pleasing cast and the director Chloé Zhao, who won a best picture Oscar for "Nomadland," give Marvel's latest a steady heartbeat.

By Manohla Dargis

Neon

critic's pick

'Spencer' Review: Prisoner of the House of Windsor

Kristen Stewart stars as an anguished, rebellious Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín's answer to "The Crown."

By A.O. Scott

Robbie Lawrence for The New York Times

Benedict Cumberbatch and the Monsters Among Us

The actor is earning some of the best reviews of his career for his turn as a vicious bully in "The Power of the Dog." Here's what it took to become that seething cowboy.

By Roslyn Sulcas

Niko Tavernise/Netflix

Meryl Streep for President

Meryl Streep explains how she prepared to play a fictional (and not especially competent) U.S. president in Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire "Don't Look Up."

By Dave Itzkoff

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CRITICS' PICKS

Sebastien Raymond/Filmrise

Critic's Pick

'Beans' Review: Growing Up Fast in the '90s

A middle school student comes of age during a standoff between the police and Mohawk residents during the 1990 Oka crisis in Canada.

By Teo Bugbee

PBS/POV

Critic's Pick

'North by Current' Review: The Mornings After a Family Nightmare

In this documentary, the filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax reckons with the loss of his niece, his vibrant sister's rocky recoveries and being transgender in a traditional, Mormon environment.

By Nicolas Rapold

Vertical Entertainment

Critic's Pick

'Mark, Mary & Some Other People' Review: Till Death Do They Waffle

In this romantic comedy, a couple opens their relationship to prove they can be married and modern.

By Amy Nicholson

HBO Documentary Films

Critic's Pick

'Simple as Water' Review: Family Ties That Span the Globe

Filmed in five separate countries, this documentary follows, with ambitious scope and devastating intimacy, Syrian families displaced by war.

By Claire Shaffer

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Focus Features

Anatomy of a Scene

Watch the 1960s Come Alive in 'Last Night in Soho'

Edgar Wright narrates a dreamy sequence from his film featuring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy.

By Mekado Murphy

MOVIE REVIEWS

David Lee/Netflix

'The Harder They Fall' Review: A New Look for the Old West

Jeymes Samuel's film is a bloody horse opera with a charismatic cast.

By A.O. Scott

Apple TV+

'Finch' Review: Three for the Road

Tom Hanks, a dog and two robots take a post-apocalyptic road trip in this unexciting drama from Apple TV+.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Kino Lorber

'Hive' Review: In the Aftermath of War, a Survivor Finds Herself

In a tough, taut drama, the director Blerta Basholli explores the lives of women whose husbands went missing in the Kosovo War.

By Manohla Dargis

Ryan De Franco/HBO

Review: 'This Is Not a War Story,' Nor Does Coming Home Mean Peace

This poignant drama directed by and starring Talia Lugacy follows a traumatized Marine as she tries to connect with a group of fellow veterans at home.

By Beatrice Loayza

Netflix

'A Cop Movie' Review: When a Uniform Is a Costume

This strange and ambitious Mexican film plays like a combination of "Cops," "F for Fake" and "When Harry Met Sally."

By Ben Kenigsberg

Gravitas Ventures

'Isolation' Review: Dispatches From a Different Pandemic

In an anthology of nine short films made during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, people around the world fight to survive.

By Lena Wilson

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NEWS & FEATURES

MGM	Winter Movies 2021: Here's What's Coming Soon to Streaming and Theaters Get ready for originals like "House of Gucci" and "C'mon C'mon" or franchise updates like "The Matrix Resurrections" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." By Ben Kenigsberg

Marvel/Disney

What to Know About 'Eternals'

Who are they? How long have they been here? Where do they fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We have answers.

By Devin Fuller

Akilah Townsend for The New York Times

Aunjanue Ellis Leans Into a Supporting Role and Turns It Into a Talker

The actress is used to secondary parts, but with "King Richard" she is being singled out for her turn as the mother of Venus and Serena Williams.

By Iman Stevenson

Netflix

The Projectionist

This Movie Season, It's a Black-and-White Boom

"Passing," "The Tragedy of Macbeth" and "Belfast" are just a few of the movies that forgo color for a more classical approach.

By Kyle Buchanan

Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Kristen Stewart's Princess Diaries

The actress is drawing Oscar talk for her portrayal of Princess Diana in "Spencer," a role that required the sort of performance she had never given before.

By Kyle Buchanan

Macall Polay/Netflix

'Tick, Tick … Boom!': A Musical Based on a Musical About Writing a Musical. We Explain.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut is an adaptation of a show by Jonathan Larson, creator of "Rent." This guide unpacks the many layers.

By Sarah Bahr

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Kyle Kaplan/Open Road Films/Briarcliff Entertainment

Five Action Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a gangster shoot-em-up, a post-apocalyptic zombie/cannibal thriller, a World War II film and more.

By Robert Daniels

20th Century Fox, via Associated Press

The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now

New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don't have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We'll do the heavy lifting. You press play.

By Jason Bailey