Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘Doctor Strange’ and More

May 6, 2022

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

Well it seems that blockbuster season may really be back. The latest film in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," is exploding onto (many, many) screens this weekend and, at least in this universe, is poised to open big.

Our writer and Marvel fan Sarah Bahr wrote about what you need to know heading into the film. Though the critic A.O. Scott noted that it might not be strange or mad enough, arguing that its surprises are "likely to elicit whoops and giggles of fan gratification rather than gasps of genuine wonder."

If you're seeking something smaller, yet topical, there's the French film "Happening," about a young woman trying to obtain an abortion in the early '60s when the procedure was illegal in France. In her Critic's Pick review, Manohla Dargis wrote that the director Audrey Diwan "shows you a part of life that the movies rarely do."

"By which I mean," Dargis continued, "she shows you a woman who desires, desires to learn, have sex, bear children on her terms, be sovereign — a woman who, in choosing to live her life, risks becoming a criminal and dares to be free."

On streaming this week, you'll find the buddy comedy "The Takedown" (on Netflix); the teen dramas "Along for the Ride" (Netflix) and "Inbetween Girl" (on demand) and the new Sheryl Crow documentary "Sheryl" (on Showtime).

Enjoy the movies!

Marvel Studios

'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Review: Nothing Out of the Ordinary

Benedict Cumberbatch returns for some more mystic Marvel mumbo-jumbo, though Sam Raimi manages to inject a sense of horror every now and then.

By A.O. Scott

IFC Films

Critic's Pick

'Happening' Review: An Abortion Story, an Existential Drama

In this powerful French movie set in the early 1960s, a young woman struggles to obtain an abortion when the procedure was criminalized.

By Manohla Dargis

Continue reading the main story

CRITICS' PICKS

Film Movement

Critic's Pick

'Reflection' Review: Through a Looking Glass of Horrors

The film, set against the backdrop of fighting in the Donbas region in 2014, would be bracing and haunting even if it weren't so timely.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Paul Calver/Saban Films

Critic's Pick

'Shepherd' Review: Solitary Assignment

An island of ghosts and an ocean of guilt plague a grief-stricken widower in this moody horror movie.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Utopia

Critic's Pick

'Inbetween Girl' Review: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman

Mei Makino's coming-of-age drama depicts an artsy, biracial high school student grappling with the guilt of sleeping with another girl's boyfriend.

By Beatrice Loayza

MOVIE REVIEWS

Momentum Pictures

'All My Puny Sorrows' Review: Every Day, a Little Death

A sister tries to persuade a sibling that her life is worth living.

By Teo Bugbee

Sarah Shatz/HBO Documentary Films

'Spring Awakening: Those You've Known' Review: Rock 'n' Roll High School

This film about the hit 2006 musical is a sure-handed blend of making-of explainer, theater-kid scrapbook, and jukebox documentary.

By Nicolas Rapold

Gravitas Ventures

'In a New York Minute' Review: Love or Freedom?

This drama from Ximan Li teases time in telling the stories of three Chinese women living in a city that tempts promise but delivers frustration.

By Lisa Kennedy

Dark Star Pictures

'Human Factors' Review: Paranoia is the Family Business

This thriller, about the invasion of a fractured home, is elevated by a talented cast but hampered by a stubbornly intellectual tone.

By Amy Nicholson

Showtime

'Sheryl' Review: The High Highs and Low Lows of Pop Stardom

This documentary about Sheryl Crow depicts a musician whose work ethic did not allow a lot of time for frivolity.

By Glenn Kenny

Emmanuel Guimier/Netflix

'The Takedown' Review: Mismatched Detectives on the Case

This film from Louis Leterrier tries to pay tribute to classic 1980s buddy-cop movies, but not even Omar Sy can't salvage it.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

Cinema Guild

'In Front of Your Face' Review: Clumsy Interactions, Pensive Revelations

This film is a minor addition to the South Korean director Hong Sangsoo's continuing investigation of human embarrassment.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Emily V. Aragones/Netflix

'Along for the Ride' Review: Becoming a Kid Again

A Netflix adaptation turns a best-selling novel by Sarah Dessen about a perfectionist teenage girl into a slick and breezy, Instagram-friendly story.

By Lena Wilson

Continue reading the main story

NEWS & FEATURES

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

New York's Movie Theaters, From Art-House to Dine-In

Our critic's favorite spots to see new releases (with a cocktail in hand), international revivals and cult classics on 70-millimeter film.

By Ben Kenigsberg

IFC Films

In France, a Film Has Women Sharing Their Stories of Abortion

Following the release of "Happening," about an illegal abortion in 1963, the country's contemporary stigma around the procedure is facing scrutiny.

By Laura Cappelle

Rozette Rago for The New York Times

Wayne Wang Still Isn't Satisfied

On the 40th anniversary of his breakthrough drama, "Chan Is Missing," the auteur says a new generation of Asian American filmmakers must make more challenging work.

By Brandon Yu

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Warner Bros.

Five International Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include an Argentine heist thriller, a whimsical Palestinian romance, a German period drama and more.

By Devika Girish

Netflix

The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now

Movies upon movies await, and you don't even have to drill down to find them.

By Jason Bailey

Netflix

The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in May

Here are the most promising new and returning titles for U.S. subscribers this month, including a new season of "Stranger Things."

By Noel Murray

Rafy/Sony Pictures Classics

Watch These 12 Titles Before They Leave Netflix in May

A ton of movies and TV shows are disappearing for U.S. Netflix subscribers next month. These are the ones worth catching before they're gone.

By Jason Bailey

Amazon Studios

The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+ and More in May

Looking for something new to watch? Here's a roundup of the most promising titles coming to most major U.S. streaming services (except Netflix) this month.

By Noel Murray

Continue reading the main story