Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and More

July 8, 2022

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, movie fans:

I was saddened to learn yesterday of the death of James Caan. A few months back, the film desk took a close look at "The Godfather" on its 50th anniversary, and though he wasn't the star, as others have noted it's impossible to imagine that classic without him. Here's a great list of his best performances available on streaming.

Elsewhere in the film world, the summer moviegoing season is in full swing. The big release this weekend is "Thor: Love and Thunder." The director Taika Waititi was credited with reviving that franchise with the previous sequel. His new entry is getting close scrutiny, and our critic Manohla Dargis's verdict is mixed: "Waititi's playfulness buoys 'Love and Thunder,' but the insistence on Thor's likability, his decency and dude-ness, has become a creative dead end," she wrote.

Also new in theaters this week is "Fire of Love," a documentary about the married volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, who constantly filmed volcanoes despite the clearly dangerous conditions. They produced so much eye-opening footage that they could almost be considered co-directors, wrote our critic A.O. Scott, though their real passion was the killers they studied: "They risked their lives to do this, and the movie argues that their sacrifice wasn't in vain."

Whatever you decide to watch this weekend, enjoy the movies!

Jasin Boland/Marvel Studios/Disney

'Thor: Love and Thunder' Review: A God's Comic Twilight

The director Taika Waititi injects antic silliness, once again, into this Marvel franchise starring Chris Hemsworth, who swings a mighty hammer and flexes mightier muscles.

By Manohla Dargis

Image'Est Via National Geographic Documentary Films

critic's pick

'Fire of Love' Review: A Volcanic Romance

Sara Dosa's new documentary chronicles the lives and deaths of the French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft.

By A.O. Scott

Columbia Pictures, via Getty Images

9 James Caan Movies to Stream

Drama, comedy, suspense, action, kids' movies — there was truly nothing he couldn't do. Who else could star in both "The Godfather" and "Elf"?

By Jason Bailey

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MOVIE REVIEWS

Netflix

'The Sea Beast' Review: Of Monsters and Men

In this new animated film from Netflix, a monster hunter and an orphan become unlikely allies at sea.

By Lena Wilson

Kate Yu/Neflix

'Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between' Review: Break Cute?

In this adaptation of Jennifer E. Smith's young adult novel, two high school seniors agree to split up in a year. Will they honor their pact?

By Lisa Kennedy

Mario Topic/Kino Lorber, via Associated Press

'Murina' Review: Hunting for Independence on Her Terms

In this coming-of-age tale set off the rugged Croatian coast, a teenage girl strives to catch elusive eels, one of the movie's hardworking metaphors.

By Manohla Dargis

Curiosa Films/IFC Films

'Both Sides of the Blade' Review: Who Do You Love?

In the latest film from Claire Denis, Juliette Binoche plays a Parisian radio journalist in a romantic quandary.

By A.O. Scott

Thomas Canel/Netflix

'Dangerous Liaisons' Review: The Epistolary Novel as Instagram Feed

A new film adaptation brings Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 book to the halls of a high school in modern-day France.

By Amy Nicholson

Hello Sunshine/Gravitas Ventures

'Fair Play' Review: Casting a Floodlight on Invisible Labor

This documentary, a lucid look at household tasks based on Eve Rodsky's best seller, pairs actionable guidance with testimony from real families.

By Natalia Winkelman

Epic Pictures

'Cop Secret' Review: Bang Bang, Kiss Kiss

In this Icelandic spoof of Hollywood action movies, two rival police officers make a love connection.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Magnolia Pictures

'Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel' Review: Bohemia's Holdouts

This documentary offers an immersion in the lives of residents who keep the building's spirit as a home for artists alive through a protracted renovation.

By Ben Kenigsberg

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NEWS & FEATURES

Heather Sten for The New York Times

Zawe Ashton Isn't Here to Be a Victim of Your Projections

The actress was never offered a period piece until "Mr. Malcolm's List." She was given 24 hours to decide whether to do it. Now she's earning raves.

By Alexis Soloski

Image'Est

They Loved Volcanoes and Each Other

A new documentary examines the work and lives of the French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, helped mightily by their own magnificent footage.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures

Critic's Notebook

The Real Reason the Minions Have Taken Over the World

Wordless, antic, physical: The film franchise's comedy is nothing like prevailing family entertainment, and that's a good thing.

By Calum Marsh

From top: Murray Close/Paramount Pictures, via Getty Images; Paramount Pictures, via Associated Press; Paramount Pictures

Critic's Notebook

What Becomes a Star Most? For Tom Cruise, It's Control.

Sheer force of will is now part of his potent mix of athleticism and charisma. That combination goes a long way to explain why "Top Gun: Maverick" is a hit.

By Calum Marsh

Janus Films

Rewind

A Feminist, Neorealist, Communist Film, and a Plain Great Movie

"One Way or Another," from 1974, is a class-conscious love story involving a macho worker and a well-to-do schoolteacher in Cuba.

By J. Hoberman

Robyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The Academy Museum Names Jacqueline Stewart as New Leader

The film historian and preservationist specializes in Black cinema and silent movies. She had been serving as the institution's chief artistic and programming officer.

By Julia Jacobs

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Indiecan Entertainment

Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a romantic do-over, two-minute time travelers and unwanted party guests.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

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CRITICS' PICKS

Film Movement

Critic's Pick

'Moon, 66 Questions' Review: Daddy Issues

This elliptical drama by the Greek writer-director Jacqueline Lentzou rousingly summons the inner turmoil of a young woman who returns home to care for her ailing father.

By Beatrice Loayza