Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘Emily the Criminal,’ ‘Day Shift’ and More

August 12, 2022

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, movie fans!

Just about all of this summer's high-profile titles have been released. While we await the final box office tally for the season, the jury is out on whether theatrical moviegoing is back, though the signs are largely promising.

Viewers are still flocking to theaters to see "Top Gun: Maverick," which is well past the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. And "Nope" just crossed $100 million domestically, showing that an original idea can lure us off our couches. The roughly $30 million opening-weekend take for another non-franchise production, "Bullet Train," is considered "so-so," as Variety put it, given the price tag of the film. But that kind of opening was pretty common before the pandemic, too. I'm very interested to see what the box office experts will say when the season wraps up.

All the tentpoles may have been released for the summer, but there are several interesting films premiering this week, starting with "Emily the Criminal," which Jeannette Catsoulis named a Critic's Pick because it "plays less like a lecture on the evils of capitalism than a darkly demented workplace drama, a cry of outrage." Other Critic's Picks include "The Princess," a documentary about Princess Diana (yes, we know) but so much more; and "Girl Picture," a judgment-free Finnish comedy about teenage girls.

Whatever you end up watching, enjoy yourself at the movies!

Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment

Critic's Pick

'Emily the Criminal' Review: Survival Strategy

Aubrey Plaza's wonderfully nuanced performance anchors this absorbing story of a young woman's descent into lawlessness.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

'Day Shift' Review: Stakes Out

Jamie Foxx is a blue-collar vampire hunter and a steadying hand on the tiller of this frenzied action comedy.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

GKIDS

'Inu-oh' Review: Dazzling Anime Meets Medieval Epic

This modern riff on "The Tale of the Heike," from 14th-century Japan, takes some confusing turns. But the animation is undeniably wonderful.

By Manohla Dargis

Brett Roedel/Magnolia Pictures

When Your Girlfriend Is Your Father

James Morosini, the writer-director and star of the catfishing comedy "I Love My Dad," talks with his real father and Patton Oswalt, his onscreen father.

By Bob Morris

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CRITICS' PICKS

Netflix

Critic's Pick

'Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story' Review: Surviving the Grind

In this documentary, a professional skateboarder turns down the Olympics for the chance to live openly.

By Teo Bugbee

Kent Gavin/HBO

Critic's Pick

'The Princess' Review: An Unsparing Look at Princess Diana

The director Ed Perkins uses only found footage to create a harrowing account of Diana's life and death.

By Glenn Kenny

lkka Saastamoinen/Strand Releasing

Critic's Pick

'Girl Picture' Review: Teens on Thin Ice

This Finnish comedy about three high school girls grants them a judgment-free sanctuary.

By Amy Nicholson

MOVIE REVIEWS

Alan Markfield/Netflix

'13: The Musical' Review: Mild Anxieties in Middle America

The Broadway show of the same name gets a Netflix screen adaptation directed by Tamra Davis.

By Amy Nicholson

John O'Hara/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images/Mubi

'Free Chol Soo Lee' Review: An Indictment of the Justice System

Activists helped free a Korean immigrant, and this documentary explores the wrongful conviction and its ripple effect.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Well Go USA

'Emergency Declaration' Review: Midair Contagion

The "Parasite" star Song Kang-ho plays a detective working to thwart a plan to unleash a deadly virus on unsuspecting plane passengers.

By Robert Daniels

Paramount Pictures

'Laal Singh Chaddha' Review: Forrest Gump in India

This Indian adaptation of "Forrest Gump" doubles down on its Pollyanna hero, substituting different historical touchstones.

By Nicolas Rapold

Gravitas Premiere

'Mack & Rita' Review: 70 Is the New 30

An influencer emerges from a tanning bed 40 years older in this playful movie starring Diane Keaton.

By Lisa Kennedy

First Run Features

'Free Puppies!' Review: A Fight to Save a Dog's Life

This documentary focuses on volunteer animal rescue groups in the rural United States.

By Claire Shaffer

Hopper Stone/Paramount Pictures

'Secret Headquarters' Review: You Know, for Kids

A group of plucky tweens get in on some superhero action in this kid-friendly action comedy.

By Calum Marsh

Bleecker Street

'Summering' Review: The Besties Confront Bittersweet Truths

This meditative coming-of-age movie by James Ponsoldt tracks the emotional upheavals of four 11-year-old girls who stumble upon a corpse.

By Beatrice Loayza

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NEWS & FEATURES

via Everett Collection

An Appraisal

Olivia Newton-John: That Headband Was a Crown

When the singer smudged her classy image, she "unlocked something new that shot her to the top of pop's Olympus," our critic writes: "The vestal vamp."

By Wesley Morris

A24	'Bodies Bodies Bodies' and the Difficulty of Coping IRL What happens when Gen Z loses Wi-Fi? Using horror and humor, the cast and filmmakers of the new slasher film aim for a generational portrait. By Kalia Richardson

Robin de Puy for The New York Times

The Russian Filmmaker Trapped Between Hollywood and Moscow

As boycotts of Russia expand to include cultural exports, artists like Kirill Serebrennikov must prove they are dissident enough to enjoy a Western audience.

By Irina Aleksander

Victor Llorente for The New York Times

A Music Career Is a Risky Bet. In 'Mija,' the Stakes Are Even Higher.

A new documentary follows Doris Anahi Muñoz, the daughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants, as she balances the needs of her family with artistic dreams.

By Kalia Richardson

Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times

Jo Koy on Comedy They Told Him Wouldn't Work

The standup's breakthrough film, "Easter Sunday," focuses on Filipino family themes dear to him, especially after naysayers said audiences couldn't relate.

By Robert Ito

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Ross McCall

Five Action Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include films about corrupt systems and a fun-loving superhero B movie.

By Robert Daniels

Melinda Sue Gordon/MGM

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

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