Cinema News: Movies Update: The Oscars and More

March 10, 2023

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, film fans!

The Oscars are almost here and I couldn't be more excited — partly because I just love the Academy Awards (and have done since I was a kid) and partly because this year feels particularly suspense-filled. Will "Everything Everywhere All at Once" turn its awards-season mojo into best picture gold? Or will "All Quiet on the Western Front" play the spoiler? Will Michelle Yeoh make history as the first Asian star to win best actress, or will Cate Blanchett instead pick up her third Oscar, for "Tár"? Our awards expert Kyle Buchanan has made his predictions — there are some surprises! — if you want guidance for your Oscar ballot.

One thing is certain: The Slap continues to cast a shadow. The academy would like to move on from the shocking moment last year when Will Smith strode onstage and struck Chris Rock after the comedian joked about the actor's wife. But the incident continues to reverberate and informs what you will — and won't — see at the Dolby Theater. For starters, there will be a crisis team stationed at the ceremony to deal with anything unexpected. (What that team will look like isn't clear.) And while most of the acting winners from last year will be back to present prizes this year, as tradition dictates, Smith, who went on to take best actor in 2022, will not be on hand as he has been banned from the ceremony for 10 years.

If you're not interested in the Oscars (WHAT?), can we interest you in a new movie or three? Reviewing "Scream VI," Jason Zinoman praises "a couple of truly frightening, patiently established suspense scenes," but adds, "It's tricky business balancing disturbing terror and jokey film criticism." Manohla Dargis recommends "Stonewalling," describing the tale of a 20-year-old Chinese woman as "a cool, quietly brilliant heartbreaker." Finally, Brandon Yu has made Ethan Eng's "Therapy Dogs" a Critic's Pick, calling it "a bracing, exhilarating film that tracks one high school class's senior year."

Whatever film choice you make this weekend, enjoy the movies!

From top: A24; David Bornfriend/A24; Reiner Bajo/Netflix

THE PROJECTIONIST

Oscars 2023 Predictions: Who Will Win Best Picture, Actor and Actress?

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" is the favorite, but "All Quiet on the Western Front" could be a spoiler. Here's how our expert is marking his ballot.

By Kyle Buchanan

Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures

'Scream VI' Review: Yes, Another Scary Movie

Ghostface and meta commentary are back in this sequel, yet the weight of obligations to the dictates of the franchise ultimately drags it down.

By Jason Zinoman

KimStim

CRITIC'S PICK

'Stonewalling' Review: A Young Woman's Exchange Value

In this haunting drama, a 20-year-old Chinese woman struggles to find her place in a country where she faces a series of seemingly impossible hurdles.

By Manohla Dargis

Sony Pictures

'65' Review: What on Earth?

Millions of years ago, a guy from another planet landed on this one. Like most survivors, he had a moody little girl with him.

By A.O. Scott

Continue reading the main story

CRITICS' PICKS

Christopher Pryor/Dark Star Pictures

CRITIC'S PICK

'Punch' Review: Hitting at the Heart

Welby Ings's keenly observant debut feature follows a young, promising boxer whose priorities shift.

By Kyle Turner

Utopia

CRITIC'S PICK

'Therapy Dogs' Review: It's Time to Be Real

This low-budget film by a pair of high schoolers offers a bracing, impressionistic portrait of senior year as it's happening.

By Brandon Yu

Stephanie Mei-Ling/Disney+

CRITIC'S PICK

'Chang Can Dunk' Review: That's a Man's Jam

A short teen channels his inner Kobe Bryant in this exhilarating, warmhearted Disney+ basketball comedy.

By Calum Marsh

MOVIE REVIEWS

John Wilson/Netflix

'Luther: The Fallen Sun' Review: Psycho Filler

A smoldering Idris Elba is no match for the preposterousness of this feature-length Netflix continuation of the popular BBC crime thriller.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Focus Features

'Champions' Review: Following the Playbook

This film directed by Bobby Farrelly has elements that recall "Kingpin" and "There's Something About Mary." But the ratio of tastelessness to sentimentality has been reversed.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Yunus Roy Imer/Strand Releasing

'99 Moons' Review: On-Again, Off-Again

Instead of an engaging erotic romance, the film delivers a dull narrative of two lovers caught in a cycle of getting together and falling apart.

By Claire Shaffer

Gkids

'Unicorn Wars' Review: Teddy Bears in Battle

The contrast between this animated film's grim subject matter and its bubbly animation style is a big part of what makes it so creepy, our critic writes.

By Beatrice Loayza

Shout! Studios

'The Magic Flute' Review: Mozart Meets C.G.I., With Help From a Tween

A young tenor enters a world enlivened by computer graphics at a school devoted to the composer's works in this Roland Emmerich-inspired film.

By Glenn Kenny

Grasshopper Films

'Rewind & Play' Review: Thelonious Monk Dazzles Even When an Interview Falls Flat

Alain Gomis's documentary uses rushes from a 1969 French TV interview to make a smart indictment of music industry bias and offer viewers a subtle tribute to Monk.

By Lisa Kennedy

Continue reading the main story

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Clockwise from top left: Allyson Riggs/A24; Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros.; Focus Features

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Watch Scenes From These Eight Best Picture Nominees

Inventive and surprising moments happened in front of and behind the camera this awards season. Here's a look at memorable sequences in the top contenders.

By Mekado Murphy

NEWS & FEATURES

Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

As a Film Revives Elvis's Legacy, the Presleys Fight Over His Estate

After the death of Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis's ex-wife initiated a legal battle with her granddaughter over control of the family trust.

By Matt Stevens

Philip Cheung for The New York Times

With Its Future at Stake, the Academy Tries to Fix the Oscars (Again)

The awards telecast has been losing viewers for years. New leadership wants to reverse that starting Sunday, and ensure the financial well-being of the organization.

By Brooks Barnes

Reiner Bajo/Netflix

Could 'All Quiet on the Western Front' Win Best Picture?

Being a war movie in the Oscar race has its pros and cons.

By Jason Bailey

Emily De La Hosseray/Altered Innocence

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

Twenty Years Later, 'Irreversible' Still Shocks

A look back at Gaspar Noé's brutal told-in-reverse drama, which has been rereleased in a "Straight Cut" version.

By Beatrice Loayza

Paramount Pictures

In 'Scream VI,' Ghostface Takes the 1 Train

In turning the subway into a vehicle of horror, the movie gets a number of things right — and a few wrong. But verisimilitude wasn't the filmmakers' main goal.

By Esther Zuckerman

Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Lukas Gage on the Audition That Went Awry, 'You' and Writing His Own Ticket

Three years after his apartment was shamed by a director during a video tryout, the "You" actor is taking on his first lead role — in a film he co-wrote.

By Ashley Spencer

Continue reading the main story

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Dan Smith/Netflix

Five Children's Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a musical adaptation of a Roald Dahl classic, an animated coming-of-age story and an assortment of lovable farm animals.

By Dina Gachman

Netflix

Five International Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a Kafkaesque South Indian comedy, a delirious British noir caper scripted by Alan Moore and a Czech body-horror movie that'll get under your skin.

By Devika Girish

How are we doing?
We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com.

Like this email?
Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here.

Continue reading the main story