Movies Update: “Don’t Look Up,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and More

Plus, the latest Hollywood trend in casting

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 30, 2021 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! In the quiet last days of December, there's not much news coming out of Hollywood beyond the record-breaking box-office performance of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Perhaps that's why Film Twitter is consumed with arguments over whether the Adam McKay comedy "Don't Look Up," an end-times allegory about climate change, is terrific or terrible. In her review of the Netflix movie, our critic Manohla Dargis landed somewhere in the middle, finding it full of zingers but overseen by a director who's "not always in control of his material." Surprisingly, Spidey and "Don't Look Up" have something in common: a cast filled with A-listers. My colleague Brooks Barnes writes that packing the star power is the latest trend in Hollywood. "No Way Home" features Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch and more. "Don't Look Up" has, just for starters, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep. Other recent releases, including "Nightmare Alley" and "House of Gucci," are also following this strategy, as are forthcoming titles like "The 355." What's going on? "Stars matter — always have, always will — and Hollywood retreats to them, leans harder on them, when it gets nervous about a wandering audience," the film scholar Jeanine Basinger told Barnes. Speaking of audiences, as I look back on 2021, I'm grateful to have readers like you who care about films and film coverage. Here's to a 2022 filled with more good movies and good stories. Have a happy new year! Jody Rogac for The New York Times How Nicole Kidman Learned to Love Playing Lucille Ball A career of dramas like "The Hours" and "Big Little Lies" was not enough to help Kidman portray the "I Love Lucy" star in "Being the Ricardos." As she put it, "Funny's hard." By Dave Itzkoff Ander Gillenea/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images In Mexico, Women Directors Take the Lead After decades of struggling for the recognition long granted their male peers, female filmmakers in Mexico are setting the industry ablaze. By Oscar Lopez Daniel Arnold for The New York Times Maggie Gyllenhaal Has Dangerous Ideas About Directing Is there such a thing as a women's film or women's filmmaking? With "The Lost Daughter," she says the answer is yes. By Julie Bloom Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Iglesias Más/Sony Pictures Classics critic's pick 'Parallel Mothers' Review: Almodóvar's Brutal, Beautiful World The Spanish director finally confronts the legacy of his country's political violence in his new film, starring Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit. By A.O. Scott Yannis Drakoulidis/Netflix Critic's Pick 'The Lost Daughter' Review: The Parent Trap This dreamy thriller follows an academic with a mysterious past who heads to a beach vacation on the Greek islands. By Jeannette Catsoulis MOVIE REVIEWS Niko Tavernise/Netflix 'Don't Look Up' Review: Tick, Tick, Kablooey Adam McKay wants you to know that it's the end of the world and you should absolutely, unequivocally not feel fine. (But do laugh.) By Manohla Dargis Adolpho Veloso/Sony Pictures Classics 'Jockey' Review: Hit Hard and Still Riding In this plaintive drama, Clifton Collins Jr. plays a veteran jockey who has had one too many falls and is fast aging out of his profession. By Manohla Dargis David Lee/Sony Pictures 'A Journal for Jordan' Review: Reflections on Love Built and Lost The actors Michael B. Jordan and Chanté Adams bring a compelling chemistry to the screen as opposites who fall for each other. By Lisa Kennedy Akihiro Nishino/Eleven Arts 'Poupelle of Chimney Town' Review: Seeking Refuse In this anime feature, a lonely boy strikes up a friendship with a trash creature and searches for stars in a polluted sky. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Mark Abramson for The New York Times Hollywood Tests the Limit of Marquee Names a Single Film Can Hold Boldface names have always mattered at the movies, but a number of recent casts have been full of them. That hasn't always helped at the box office. By Brooks Barnes Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Jordan Strauss/Invision/Ap Jean-Marc Vallée, Director of 'Dallas Buyers Club,' Dies at 58 Known for his naturalistic approach, the Canadian-born filmmaker transformed true stories into acclaimed dramas. By Livia Albeck-Ripka Focus Features critic's notebook 'Pariah' at 10: When Black Lesbian Characters Had the Spotlight The Dee Rees drama made waves but studios largely returned to business as usual. A new crop of filmmakers sees signs of hope. By Beandrea July Erik Carter for The New York Times Mike Faist Tries to Keep His Cool as Riff in 'West Side Story' The actor, a star of Broadway musicals like "Dear Evan Hansen," talks about playing the leader of the Jets in Steven Spielberg's remake. By Dave Itzkoff Apple TV+, via Associated Press Critic's Notebook For Pop Music, 2021 Was the Year of the Deep Dive Documentaries brought us closer to musicians this year, and it wasn't always pretty. By Jon Pareles Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios Critic's Notebook What Is 'West Side Story' Without Jerome Robbins? Chatty. Justin Peck takes over choreographic duties in the Steven Spielberg adaptation of the 1957 musical in which words, not bodies, rule the screen. By Gia Kourlas Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Guy Levy/Paramount+, via Associated Press At Home This New Year's Eve (Unexpectedly)? Here's What to Watch. In case the Omicron spike has scrapped your plans, these binge watches, live broadcasts and double features will bring the party to you. By Erik Piepenburg First Artists Five Joan Didion Movies You Can Stream Right Now The writer, working with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, saw Hollywood as a way to make cash to support her art. It did and didn't work out. By Amy Nicholson Merie W. Wallace/Warner Brothers Stream These 9 Titles Before They Leave Netflix in January The turnover is a little lighter this month for U.S. subscribers, but there are still a bunch of great movies and TV shows worth catching. By Jason Bailey How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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