Cinema News: Movies Update: ‘M3gan’ and More

January 6, 2023

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

I hope your new year is off to a good start. Although we're a couple of weeks away from the Oscar nominations (Jan. 24, to be exact), we're already highlighting potential nominees.

Kyle Buchanan had a chat with Michelle Williams, starring in the Steven Spielberg drama "The Fabelmans," about this transitional moment in her career. Also, the actors Lashana Lynch and Diego Calva spoke about their crucial roles in movies with Oscar buzz.

Our chief critics A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis each picked out a film from their Top 10 list and broke down the impact of a scene. You may see "Tár" and "EO" with new eyes after watching these moments.

Speaking of new eyes, you might be mesmerized or terrified by the ones on the doll at the center of "M3gan," a new horror film about a robot toy with a vengeance. In his review, the critic Jason Zinoman called it "ludicrous, derivative and irresistible."

Enjoy the movies!

Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures

'M3gan' Review: Wherever I Go, She Goes

A state-of-the-art robot doll becomes a girl's best friend, and dangerously more, in this over-the-top horror film.

By Jason Zinoman

Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

Meet the Newer, Bolder Michelle Williams

With "The Fabelmans," the Oscar-nominated actress moves from minor-key naturalism to more stylized performances: "I wanted to make work that an audience member had to deal with."

By Kyle Buchanan

Carlos Jaramillo for The New York Times

Diego Calva and the Detour That Took Him to 'Babylon'

The star of Damien Chazelle's epic was set on becoming a writer-director. Even after landing a part in an indie film, he wasn't sold on acting. Then Hollywood called.

By Carlos Aguilar

Sony Pictures

Lashana Lynch Challenges the 'Strong Black Woman' Cliché, Softly

She plays a ferocious warrior in "The Woman King," but in her performance, vulnerability and humanity were what she sought to convey.

By Kathryn Shattuck

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CRITICS' PICKS

Discovery+

CRITIC'S PICK

'January 6th' Review: Scenes of a Riot

A new documentary from Gédéon and Jules Naudet recounts the day of the U.S. Capitol attack.

By Brandon Yu

Array Releasing

CRITIC'S PICK

'Mars One' Review: Hope on the Horizon

This film from Gabriel Martins follows the dreams of a Black Brazilian family living on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte.

By Amy Nicholson

MOVIE REVIEWS

Well Go USA Entertainment and Saban Films

'Last Resort' Review: A Martial Arts Hostage Mission

In this action film set in Bangkok, a special forces guy goes in to rescue his wife and daughter.

By Glenn Kenny

Quiver

'Candy Land' Review: Truck-Stop Thrills

In this sleazy slasher by the writer and director John Swab, a group of sex workers adopts a former member of a religious cult.

By Beatrice Loayza

Saban Films

'The Old Way' Review: Mild Mild West

Nicolas Cage phones it in as a deadly, taciturn gunslinger in this middling western.

By Calum Marsh

Lluís Tudela/MUBI

'Alcarràs' Review: Labor of Love

In this naturalistic drama from Spain, a family confronts the impending loss of its generations-old farm.

By Devika Girish

Universal Pictures

'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!' Review: A Blunt Philosophy

The writer Mark Manson is an onscreen guide in this visualization of his self-help book.

By Ben Kenigsberg

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NEWS & FEATURES

Sideshow and Janus Films

One Indelible Scene: A Donkey's Escape in 'EO'

The animal, reared in a circus, enters into a forest and a world of wild animals. For the first and only time in the movie, he is free.

By Manohla Dargis

Focus Features

One Indelible Scene: The Master Class in Ambiguity in 'Tár'

Cate Blanchett's character visits Juilliard to tackle the big questions about art, life and music-world rivalry.

By A.O. Scott

Nina Westervelt for The New York Times

Dionne Warwick Is Ready for an Encore

A conversation with the five-time Grammy-winning singer who is the subject of a new career-spanning documentary, "Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over."

By Kalia Richardson

Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times

Movie Trailers Keep Tweaking Well-Known Songs. The Tactic Is Working.

Composers are increasingly in demand for trailerization — reworking existing tracks by artists including Kate Bush, Nirvana and Kendrick Lamar to maximize their impact in film and TV previews.

By Eric Ducker

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Dark Sky Films

Five Horror Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks feature a time-collapsing camera, culinary cultists and a hole to hell.

By Erik Piepenburg

John Wilson/Netflix, via Associated Press

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

Photofest

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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