Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘The Matrix Resurrections,’ ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ and More

December 23, 2021

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, film fans!

At the start of the week, the big news in Hollywood was the huge box-office take of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which made more than $250 million solely in theaters last weekend. The industry seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, until the rise in Covid cases from the Omicron variant brought new concerns.

For now, that has meant a scrambled awards-season calendar. The Critics Choice Awards, which were set for Jan. 9 and which some saw as supplanting the tarnished Golden Globes, have been postponed, with no new date announced. Likewise, the Governors Awards, the lifetime-achievement honors handed out by the academy, have been delayed from their Jan. 15 date. Samuel L. Jackson, Liv Ullmann, Elaine May and Danny Glover were set to collect prizes, but perhaps, as industry speculation has it, that will happen at the Oscars, which are still set for March 27.

The end of the year is always a bountiful time for movie lovers, and this week there's plenty to choose from, including the much-anticipated sci-fi sequel "The Matrix Resurrections." The movie "alternately amuses and frustrates you with its fantastical world," our critic Manohla Dargis writes. That film is directed by a solo Lana Wachowski. Another new high-profile offering from a sibling working solo is Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth." Our critic A.O. Scott is all in for this Denzel Washington-Frances McDormand drama, calling it a "crackling, dagger-sharp screen adaptation." (Speaking of crackling, Scott wrote the review's headline: "The Thane, Insane, Slays Mainly in Dunsinane.")

Happy viewing!

Justin J Wee for The New York Times

The Projectionist

Peter Dinklage on 'Cyrano' and Life After 'Game of Thrones'

The actor is happy to upend 100 years of clichés by playing the romantic lead. It's a liberating change after the series became his life.

By Kyle Buchanan

Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Carrie-Anne Moss on the 'Matrix' Movies and Playing an Action Hero in Her 50s

The actress synonymous with Trinity faced the weight of expectations when she reunited with Keanu Reeves and Lana Wachowski for the new sequel.

By Gina McIntyre

Dana Canedy

Reliving the Pain (and Joy, Too) of My Deepest Love Onscreen

An author wrote about the loss of her fiancé and father of her son. When Denzel Washington stepped in to film that story, the memories flooded back.

By Dana Canedy

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CRITICS' PICKS

Alison Rosa/Apple TV+

critic's pick

'Tragedy of Macbeth' Review: The Thane, Insane, Slays Mainly in Dunsinane

Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand play a toxic power couple in Joel Coen's crackling adaptation of Shakespeare's Scottish play.

By A.O. Scott

Neon	Critic's Pick 'Memoria' Review: In Search of Lost Time Tilda Swinton stars in Apichatpong Weerasethakul's elusive and enchanting new film, set in Colombia. By A.O. Scott

MOVIE REVIEWS

Warner Bros.

'The Matrix Resurrections' Review: Slipping Through Dreamland (Again)

Keanu Reeves plunges down the rabbit hole once more in this familiar-seeming mind-game movie, the fourth in the series.

By Manohla Dargis

20th Century Studios

'The King's Man' Review: Suiting Up and Shooting Down

This prequel to the "Kingsman" series presents the confusing origin story of the elite British spy agency, founded by Ralph Fiennes (naturally).

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures

'Sing 2' Review: Taking the Show on the Road

The amateur ensemble is back, this time in animal Las Vegas.

By Amy Nicholson

Michael Kubeisy/Lionsgate

'American Underdog' Review: A Football Fairy Tale

Zachary Levi plays the N.F.L. star Kurt Warner in this biopic. It's a wan parable about love and hard work.

By Teo Bugbee

Oscilloscope

'The Velvet Queen' Review: Searching for an Elusive Leopard

The documentary follows the photographer Vincent Munier and the writer Sylvain Tesson on a mission to catch a glimpse of a rare snow leopard in Tibet.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Dimestore Productions/Discovery+

'Dead Man's Switch: A Crypto Mystery' Review: A Staggering Scam?

A new documentary tries to unpack how $200 million went unaccounted for after the Canadian cryptocurrency entrepreneur Gerald W. Cotten died.

By Glenn Kenny

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NEWS AND FEATURES

Matt Kennedy/Sony Pictures

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Ensnares Audiences and Refills Studio Coffers

After nearly two years of lackluster box office sales for theatrical releases, Spidey breaks through to do what superheroes are supposed to do.

By Brooks Barnes

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Beyoncé Edges Closer to Her First Oscar Nomination as Shortlists Are Revealed

"Be Alive," which the superstar wrote with Dixson for "King Richard," made the academy's cut in preliminary voting. So did Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billie Eilish and Van Morrison.

By Stephanie Goodman