Movies Update: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and More

Plus, documentaries about both Sidney and Sinead.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 23, 2022 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! Finally, after all the drama surrounding "Don't Worry Darling" has been filling up your feeds, the movie is in theaters for you to see for yourself. You might first check out Manohla Dargis's review of the film, which stars Florence Pugh as a housewife who senses something may be amiss in her picture-perfect life. Dargis wrote that the director Olivia Wilde "does some fine work" on the movie, "but she isn't a strong enough filmmaker to navigate around the story's weaknesses, much less transcend them." Also out is Lena Dunham's second feature of 2022, "Catherine Called Birdy." This coming-of-age film about a teenage girl is set in the 13th century, but the critic Amy Nicholson didn't find it bound by the period. In her Critic's Pick review, she wrote, "Dunham sets out to make life in 1290 feel as vibrant as if Birdy was rocking the glitter eye shadow of 'Euphoria' instead of drawstring underpants." You can read an interview with Dunham here. If you're looking for a documentary profile, one on the singer Sinead O'Connor has landed in theaters before bowing on Showtime next week. And a look at the revered actor and filmmaker Sidney Poitier is on Apple TV+. Over on Netflix, you can find a thriller starring Allison Janney ("Lou") an action film set in a French housing project ("Athena") and a melodrama from Tyler Perry ("A Jazzman's Blues"). Enjoy the movies! Warner Bros. 'Don't Worry Darling' Review: Burning Down the Dollhouse Florence Pugh plays a seemingly happy housewife whose world starts to crack apart in Olivia Wilde's wobbly feminist gothic. By Manohla Dargis OK McCausland for The New York Times Lena Dunham Channels a Voice of a (Different) Generation With "Catherine Called Birdy," she tackles a beloved Y.A. novel set in medieval England. It's a project she had dreamed of since the start of "Girls." By Esther Zuckerman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Icarus Films Critic's Pick 'My Imaginary Country' Review: Chile in Revolt Patricio Guzmán, Chile's cinematic conscience, chronicles the uprising that shook the country starting in 2019. By A.O. Scott Alex Bailey/Amazon Studios Critic's Pick 'Catherine Called Birdy' Review: Ye Olde Lady Bird Bella Ramsey plays a 13th century adolescent in Lena Dunham's winning film. By Amy Nicholson Strand Releasing Critic's Pick 'Petrov's Flu' Review: Roaming a Grim, Rowdy Underworld In this fever dream of a movie by Kirill Serebrennikov, a Russian man wanders a wild urban landscape that he regularly hallucinates his way out of. By Manohla Dargis Good Deed Entertainment Critic's Pick 'Carmen' Review: You Will Live in Bliss After her priest brother dies, a woman masquerades as a village's irreverent new spiritual leader in this delightful drama. By Teo Bugbee MOVIE REVIEWS Kourtrjameuf Kourtrajme/Netflix 'Athena' Review: Oh Brothers, Where Art Thou? A besieged French housing project is the setting for Romain Gavras's relentlessly kinetic action movie. By A.O. Scott Golf Thanaporn/Apple TV+ 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' Review: Vietnam on the Rocks Zac Efron plays a man trying to deliver brewskis to his Vietnam War buddies in Peter Farrelly's film. By Amy Nicholson Netflix 'Lou' Review: Unfinished Business A child's kidnapping ignites a protracted bid for redemption in this down-and-dirty thriller. By Jeannette Catsoulis Jace Downs/Netflix 'A Jazzman's Blues' Review: Tyler Perry Revisits a Jim Crow-Era Romance The writer-director returns to his first screenplay — a dark melodrama with soulful musical numbers — after two decades. By Lisa Kennedy Bob Adelman/Apple TV+ 'Sidney' Review: A Lovingly Assembled Career Portrait Sidney Poitier is memorialized in this thorough, and thoroughly conventional, documentary. By Jeannette Catsoulis Erika Doss/Paramount+ 'On the Come Up' Review: Battle Rap's Next Big Thing? This film adaptation of the Angie Thomas novel follows a teenage rapper with a dream. By Beandrea July Andrew Catlin/SHOWTIME 'Nothing Compares' Review: Sinead O'Connor's Rise and Fall This new documentary shows many faces of Sinead O'Connor and highlights her genuinely incomparable voice. By Glenn Kenny MKI Distribution Services/Peacock 'Meet Cute' Review: Live. Date. Repeat. This time-loop rom-com takes another swing at the tried-and-true "Groundhog Day" premise. By Calum Marsh Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Clockwise from top left: Kurt Iswarienko/FX; Jonathan Olley/Warner Bros.; Hugh Stewart/Warner Bros.; A24; Matt Kennedy/Annapurna Pictures; NBC Reporter's Notebook Why Does Hollywood Keep Using Fat Suits? The industry's unforgiving standards are well known. Can it pivot to include a range of sizes and body types? By Farah Fleurima Madeline Leary for The New York Times The Multiplying Horror of Ti West With "X" and "Pearl," the writer and director has released two related horror movies in the last six months, with a third on the way. The filmmaker discusses his quick building of a little horror universe. By Erik Piepenburg Amazon Prime Video For the Love (and the Hate) of the Horror Remake With the American update of the Austrian horror film "Goodnight Mommy" now streaming, a horror fan discusses why remakes for him are a must-see. By Joshua Lyon Evelyn Freja for The New York Times Why New Yorkers Still ❤️ Film Projectionists are busier than ever, as they serve a demand for obscure 35-millimeter titles, nostalgia and the quirks of analog. By Ted Alcorn and Evelyn Freja STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Bernard Walsh/Brainstorm Media 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 Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios The 50 Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch on Disney+ Right Now The Disney streaming platform has hundreds of movie and TV titles, drawing from its own deep reservoir classics and from Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and more. These are our favorites. By Scott Tobias How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? 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