Movies Update: ‘No Hard Feelings’ and More

Plus, how Sasha Calle became Supergirl.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story June 23, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! This summer is proving to be a tumultuous time in Hollywood. As the Writers Guild strike grinds on and observers keep a wary eye on negotiations between the actors union and producers, the box office has provided one jolt after another. The animated romantic comedy "Elemental" fell flat last weekend, the worst performance for a Pixar movie, well, ever. As my colleague Brooks Barnes wrote, "Pixar is damaged as a big-screen brand," possibly because its last three films skipped theaters altogether and debuted on Disney+. Have audiences been trained to find the studio's films on streaming? Barnes also notes, "Films based on original stories are becoming harder sells." Then again, the DC franchise film "The Flash," from Warner Brothers Discovery, didn't do so hot either last weekend. Speaking of Warner Brothers Discovery, the news that the leadership of its Turner Classic Movies had been replaced really unnerved Hollywood and film lovers alike — to the extent that the directors (and TCM fans) Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson jumped on a call with the chief executive, David Zaslav, to express their concern. As Brooks Barnes reported, the conversation resulted in a joint statement from the filmmakers saying they were "heartened and encouraged." With all the news, it can be hard to focus on the movies themselves. It's a somewhat quiet week for new releases but our critics especially like "The Stroll," a documentary about transgender sex workers, and "Asteroid City," the Wes Anderson film that technically came out last week but is expanding to more theaters. Whatever you decide to watch, have fun at the movies! Macall Polay/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures 'No Hard Feelings' Review: How Lucky Can a Nerdy Kid Get? That time when Mom and Dad hired Jennifer Lawrence to introduce you to the pleasures of the opposite sex before you started college. By Glenn Kenny Music Box Films 'Revoir Paris' Review: Recovering Fragments of Memory In Alice Winocour's taut film, a woman survives a terrorist attack and tries to piece together what happened that day and how it changed her. By Manohla Dargis via Focus Features Wes Anderson's Secret Weapon: The Camera Moves of Sanjay Sami Sami brings ingenious design, a D.I.Y. spirit and pure athletic ability to the job of key grip — pushing and pulling heavy camera rigs with exacting precision. By Melena Ryzik Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Max CRITIC'S PICK 'The Stroll' Review: Telling Their Own Stories In this documentary, transgender sex workers speak for themselves without sanitizing or sensationalizing their experiences. By Devika Girish Pop. 87/Focus Features CRITIC'S PICK 'Asteroid City' Review: Our Town and Country In his latest film, Wes Anderson and his all-stars go meta with a TV show about a theatrical play that, in turn, is about a small town, U.S.A. By Manohla Dargis MOVIE REVIEWS Good Deed Entertainment 'The Country Club' Review: Who's Your Caddy? The sisters Fiona and Sophia Robert wrote and star in this broad, pastel-colored golf comedy. By Calum Marsh Greenwich Entertainment 'Here. Is. Better.' Review: A Glimmer of Hope Four military veterans go through PTSD treatments in this understated documentary. By Brandon Yu Michael Childers/Zeitgeist Films/Kino Lorber 'Desperate Souls' Review: When 'Midnight Cowboy' Moved the Culture A documentary examines how the winner for best picture of 1969 captured shifts in American life. By Ben Kenigsberg Daniel Daza/XYZ Films 'God Is a Bullet' Review: Cult, but Not Classic A kidnapping cult regrets making off with a detective's daughter in this wearyingly unsavory movie. By Jeannette Catsoulis Music Box Films 'Revoir Paris' Review: Recovering Fragments of Memory In Alice Winocour's taut film, a woman survives a terrorist attack and tries to piece together what happened that day and how it changed her. By Manohla Dargis Richard Foreman/MGM 'Surrounded' Review: Letitia Wright Impresses in an Overbaked Western Playing a woman disguising herself as a man, Wright is haunting and haunted, and Michael K. Williams is an energetic presence in one of his last roles. By Glenn Kenny Cinephobia 'Sublime' Review: Two Boys, One in Love A teenager dreams of pop songs, and his best friend, in Mariano Biasin's tender gay coming-of-age drama. By Erik Piepenburg Netflix 'Take Care of Maya' Review: A Chronicle of a Family's Pain In this Netflix documentary about a young girl who was held in a hospital and barred from seeing her family, we hear their side of the story. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Warner Bros. Pictures ANATOMY OF A SCENE Watch a Falling-Baby Rescue in 'The Flash' The director Andy Muschietti narrates a sequence featuring Ezra Miller. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times In a Flash, How Sasha Calle Became Supergirl The actress, making her feature film debut, discusses auditioning for "The Flash" without being told the role, or movie she was up for. By Brandon Yu Disney/Pixar How 'Elemental' Breathed Life Into Fire, Water, Earth and Air The film's director and production designer encountered challenges and took a few wrong turns as they worked on anthropomorphizing the natural world. By Mekado Murphy Todd Heisler/The New York Times Oscars' Best Picture Hopefuls Must Spend More Time in Theaters To be eligible for the academy's top prize, films will need to have an initial theatrical run of a week in one of six U.S. cities, and then expand to other cities across the country. By Nicole Sperling Photo illustration by Matt Curtis Pink Floyd, 'The Wizard of Oz' and Me The inside story of a Times reporter's strange role in a foundational moment in early internet culture: "The Dark Side of the Rainbow." By CHARLIE SAVAGE STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Alfonso Herrera Salcedo/Altered Innocence Five Horror Movies to Stream Now In this month's chilling picks, creepypasta and killer pasta, too. By Erik Piepenburg Focus Features 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. 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