Movies Update: ‘Indiana Jones’ and More

Plus, breaking down a scene from "Past Lives."

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story June 30, 2023 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! Grab your fedora and leather jacket and swing on over to the nearest multiplex. Indiana Jones is back, this time on the hunt for "The Dial of Destiny." Our critic Manohla Dargis called the new film "overstuffed if not entirely charmless," but praised the work of the longtime Indy player, Harrison Ford. "It's hard to believe this or any other installment would have worked half as well without Ford, whose gruffly appealing, unthreatening (to women, importantly) masculine persona has always felt natural and unforced." This week includes a couple of intriguing options on streaming platforms as well. There's "Nimona" (on Netflix), an animated feature based on the ND Stevenson comic about an intriguing shape-shifting villain. Amy Nicholson had mixed thoughts, writing, "at first, the look (particularly the lifeless backgrounds) is so slapdash that you're tempted to flee. But jokes litter the film like scattered Legos." Read an interview with the graphic novel author Stevenson. And a new documentary on Max, "Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed," takes a closer look at the gay Hollywood actor and how living in the closet throughout his career clouded his life. The critic Calum Marsh wrote that the director Stephan Kijak "seems keenly interested in the ways in which Hudson's sexuality manifested itself, largely unintentionally, in his movies — coded but legible on the surface of the image." Also, our critics rounded up a handful of their favorite films from the year so far, almost all of which are now available to stream. Check it out, and enjoy the movies! Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' Review: Turning Back the Clock The gruff appeal of Harrison Ford, both de-aged and properly weathered, is the main draw in this generally silly entry in the long-running franchise. By Manohla Dargis Netflix 'Nimona' Review: Fright the Power A zingy, chintzy, idea-driven animated feature based on the ND Stevenson comic. By Amy Nicholson Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features The Best Films of 2023, So Far Our critics picked six films that you can catch up with over the long holiday. By The New York Times Darrall K W Slater/Breaking Glass Pictures CRITIC'S PICK 'Sin La Habana' Review: A Long Way From Home In Kaveh Nabatian's new drama, an Afro-Cuban dancer tries to bring his girlfriend to Canada through a sham marriage. By Claire Shaffer MOVIE REVIEWS Nord-Ouest Films/ArteFrance Cinema 'The Passengers of the Night' Review: A Woman's Second Act In this French drama, Charlotte Gainsbourg plays a woman who rebuilds her life, piece by fragile piece, after her husband leaves her. By Manohla Dargis HBO 'Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed' Review: Living a Double Life Stephan Kijak's new documentary seems keenly interested in the ways in which the closeted actor's sexuality manifested itself, largely unintentionally, in his movies. By Calum Marsh HBO 'Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music' Review: Wish You Were There Only 650 people got to experience one of the 21st century's artistic feats, until this documentary. Unfortunately, it misses some of the performance's key aspects. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Sarah Enticknap/Netflix 'Run Rabbit Run' Review: No Child of Mine A splendid Sarah Snook battles weak plotting in this atmospheric, derivative ghost story. By Jeannette Catsoulis ArtMattan Films 'As Far as I Can Walk' Review: A Search That Won't End Taking place against the backdrop of the Syrian refugee crisis, this well-crafted adaptation of a medieval Serbian poem leaves the viewer with a certain queasy ambivalence. By Brandon Yu Cinema Guild 'Umberto Eco' Review: Remembering a Literary Explorer A new documentary delves into the infectious curiosity and passions of the Italian scholar and author of "The Name of the Rose." By Nicolas Rapold Focus Features 'Every Body' Review: Celebrating the 'I' in L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ The documentary follows three openly intersex people, set against the larger backdrop of decades of secrecy and unnecessary surgeries. By Teo Bugbee DreamWorks Animation 'Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken' Review: Coming of Age is a Sea Change The newest animated adventure from DreamWorks follows a high schooler who transforms into a giant tentacled sea creature. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Jon Pack/A24 ANATOMY OF A SCENE Watch an Emotional Reunion in 'Past Lives' The writer and director Celine Song narrates a sequence from her film featuring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times How 'Nimona' Helped Its Creator Explore His Emerging Identity The graphic novelist ND Stevenson wrote the trans allegory long before he came out. When it was time to adapt it for a new film, he was ready to go further. By Robert Ito Laura Nespola/Focus Features For a Documentary on Intersex Lives, a Director Champions the Power of Activism With "Every Body," Julie Cohen looks at both what her subjects have been through and how they are translating those experiences into action. By Melena Ryzik Kin Cheung/Associated Press Kevin Spacey Called 'Sexual Bully' by Prosecutor in U.K. Trial The prosecution outlined its case against the actor, who has pleaded not guilty to 12 sexual assault charges. By Alex Marshall Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Alan Arkin, Comic Actor With a Serious Side, Dies at 89 He got laughs and won awards on Broadway in "Enter Laughing" and in movies like "Little Miss Sunshine." But he also had a flair for drama. By Robert Berkvist and Peter Keepnews Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Mark Your Calendars: 'Barbenheimer' Is Coming The "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" movies look very different. But some fans are planning a double feature for their release on July 21. By Claire Moses via the Art Gallery of Ontario and Arte Revisiting a Midcentury Haven for Cross-Dressing Men The documentary "Casa Susanna" explores the Catskills boardinghouse community that allowed denizens to express their identity when that was taboo. By Nicolas Rapold Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Ovid Five International Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a visually stunning documentary about garbage, a lesbian comedy from Spain, a drama about a Bollywood-obsessed teen in 1980s Afghanistan and more. By Devika Girish Francois Duhamel/Columbia Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Stream These 8 Movies Before They Leave Netflix in July The best James Bond movie of recent years is among a handful of great titles leaving soon for U.S. subscribers. By Jason Bailey Universal Pictures 'Out of Sight,' 25 Years Later This adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel broke a losing streak for Steven Soderbergh and gave George Clooney a boost up the movie star ladder. By Jason Bailey 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 Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving Movies Update, unsubscribe. 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