Movies Update: The ladies who punch

Analyzing the fight scenes of "Bottoms," and more.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 22, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! We're in the thick of the fall festival season, and it's been a true bounty. At Toronto, I crammed in nine movies in two and a half days — that's my happy place. The highlights included the new restoration of "Stop Making Sense" (with Talking Heads in attendance as the audience danced throughout the theater) and "Green Border," Agnieszka Holland's agonizing migrant drama that our chief critic Manohla Dargis singled out in her report on the event. Next week the New York Film Festival arrives and we'll finally get to see titles that were hits in Cannes (like the opener from Todd Haynes, "May December") and in Venice, most intriguingly "Poor Things," the Yorgos Lanthimos take on the Frankenstein tale starring Emma Stone. By many accounts, it's out there and yet it seems to have drawn near universal acclaim on the fest circuit. I can't wait! In the meantime there are a host of documentaries to check out this week, including "The Trial," about the 1985 prosecution of Argentina's military junta. Our critic Nicolas Rapold writes that it "offers a stirring universal example of justice served." Whatever you decide to watch, enjoy the movies! Yana Blajeva/Lionsgate 'Expend4bles' Review: Band of Meatheads Sylvester Stallone leads an all-star mercenary squadron composed of '80s-to-aughts brutes in the fourth installment of this franchise. By Amy Nicholson Amazon 'Cassandro' Review: Love and Lucha Libre Gael García Bernal plays a flamboyant figure taking the world of Mexican professional wrestling by storm in this underdog drama directed by Roger Ross Williams. By Natalia Winkelman Orion Pictures Critic's Notebook How the Bloody 'Bottoms' Reinvents the Coming-of-Age Fight The hero vs. bully template made famous in the '80s gets subverted in this indie comedy, as well as in Hulu's "Miguel Wants to Fight." By Maya Phillips Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Laurent Champoussin/IFC Films Critic's Pick 'The Origin of Evil' Review: Daddy Issues "Succession" meets Brian De Palma in this delicious family-fortune thriller from France, directed by Sébastien Marnier. By Beatrice Loayza via Film Forum Critic's Pick 'The Trial' Review: Seeking Justice for Argentina Ulises de la Orden carves a documentary from film of the 1985 prosecution of the military leaders who had seized control of the government. By Nicolas Rapold Automatic Moving Co Critic's Pick 'Still Film' Review: Hollywood on Trial James N. Kienitz Wilkins's eloquently argued experimental film warns of a contemporary Hollywood dangerously obsessed with the past. By Robert Daniels MOVIE REVIEWS Cohen Media Group 'The Storms of Jeremy Thomas' Review: A Man Obsessed Thomas's dedication to pushing the envelope of big-screen entertainment is the focus of Mark Cousins's latest documentary. By Claire Shaffer DEFA Film Library at UMass Amherst 'Paul Robeson' Review: A Tribute to an Entertainment Titan The film's subtitle is drawn from one of the performer's quotes in his autobiography "Here I Stand": "I'm a Negro. I'm an American." By Lisa Kennedy Jonath Mathew/HOKA '26.2 to Life' Review: Running in Circles Christine Yoo's new documentary follows the inmates of San Quentin Prison in California who train to run a grueling marathon inside its yard. By Calum Marsh Martin Maguire/Music Box Films 'My Sailor, My Love' Review: When Romance Comes Ashore A grumpy man warms to a good-natured housekeeper in this film directed by Klaus Haro. By Amy Nicholson JA Productions 'Something You Said Last Night' Review: They Holiday, but Can't Get Away In this too-languid drama, a young transgender woman and her family butt heads during a fraught beach vacation. By Erik Piepenburg Neon 'It Lives Inside' Review: The Horrors of Building Self-Acceptance This feature debut about a high schooler's struggle with her cultural identity is promising, even if the allegory doesn't always land. By Brandon Yu David Sharp/Greenwich Entertainment 'Neither Confirm Nor Deny' Review: Exhumation at Sea A 1970s submarine recovery operation by the C.I.A. is the subject of this documentary, which prioritizes the excitement of undercover work over any serious consideration of the agency's legacy. By Nicolas Rapold Paramount+ 'Superpower' Review: Sean Penn Chronicles the War in Ukraine This documentary, which Penn directed with Aaron Kaufman, includes Penn's interview with the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the first day of Russia's invasion. By Ben Kenigsberg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Robin L Marshall/Getty Images With Striking Actors Off-Limits, Directors Get Their Close-Ups Since striking movie stars are not allowed to promote studio films, filmmakers unexpectedly, and in some cases uneasily, have the spotlight to themselves. By Julia Jacobs Photo illustration by Chantal Jahchan Screenland The Girlies Know: 'Oppenheimer' Was Actually About Us Yes, it's a film about a famous middle-aged scientist. But it also captures the primal dissonance of being a young woman. By Iva Dixit Saeed Khan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A Conversation With … What James Cameron Wants to Bring Up From the Titanic Preservationists such as Robert D. Ballard have long clashed with salvors such as Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who died in June on the Titan submersible. Is a third way possible? By William J. Broad STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Pragda Films Five International Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include an Argentine documentary about reproductive justice, an uproarious Tamil riff on superhero movies, a visual essay about Ireland and Britain, and more. By Devika Girish DreamWorks Pictures 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 Paramount Pictures 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 Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT 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? 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