Movies Update: Your favorite holiday classics

Plus, "The Iron Claw" and "All of Us Strangers"

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 22, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, movie fans! Twenty years ago, "Elf" and "Love Actually" were released on the same weekend, and instead of two Christmas-y movies canceling each other out, they went on to reach the vaunted status of holiday classic. Recently the critic Esther Zuckerman asked in our pages if we can ever have another such moment, whether it's possible to mint more true holiday classics when the combination of streaming and strapped studios tends to flatten truly joyful tales. It's a fair question, but then again as the scores of holiday classics nominated by our readers shows, we're not exactly lacking for heartwarming fare. Answering a callout, nearly 3,000 of you nominated your favorites. They included those 2003 classics, of course, as well as "It's a Wonderful Life" (so. many. showings), but also different versions of "A Christmas Carol" (shoutout for "The Muppet Christmas Carol" from 1992). There were some left-field entries as well. The most surprising to me? "The Deer Hunter," an agonizing drama I've watched several times (De Niro and Streep and Walken, oh my) but never once considered putting on during the holidays. There is non-holiday fare available to watch this weekend as well, like "The Iron Claw" ("smooth, spooky, often moving" in the words of chief critic Manohla Dargis), "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" ("clever enough, and plenty scary," Alissa Wilkinson wrote) and "All of Us Strangers," a tale of solitude and love that's a Critic's Pick for Wilkinson, who advises, "just feel your way through, letting it roll over you." Warner Bros./DC Comics 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Review: Back With a Trident and Dad Jokes The Atlantean hero-king returns as a new father, a bit worse for wear. But this sequel feels like a film for grown-ups who like fun. By Alissa Wilkinson Eric Chakeen/A24 'The Iron Claw' Review: Body Slams and Broken Lives Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White play brothers in a melodrama inspired by the wrestling dynasty called the Von Erichs. By Manohla Dargis Warner Bros Pictures 'The Color Purple' Review: Still Here There's a lot to like about this musical film version of Alice Walker's novel, but the story remains slippery to would-be adapters. By Alissa Wilkinson Clockwise from top left: Alan Markfield/New Line Productions; Warner Bros.; Disney 3,000 Readers Told Us Their Favorite Holiday Movie. Which Came Out on Top? There's no "Bah, humbug" here. By Robin Kawakami and Barbara Chai Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Chris Harris/Searchlight Pictures Critic's Pick 'All of Us Strangers' Review: A Soul Longing for the Impossible Playing a man alienated from himself and looking for answers, Andrew Scott makes this film sing. By Alissa Wilkinson MOVIE REVIEWS Chris Strother/Netflix 'Rebel Moon — Part One: Child of Fire' Review: Galaxy Brained Zack Snyder creates a space opera that's bloated but rarely buoyant. By Jeannette Catsoulis Brook Rushton/Sony Pictures 'Anyone but You' Review: Baring Bums in the Land Down Under Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romp in a rom-com bomb with gratuitous clothes-shedding, played out against beautiful backdrops. By Amy Nicholson Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures 'Migration' Review: Is It a Road Trip if You Have Wings? An animated feature written by Mike White ("The White Lotus") stars Awkwafina, Elizabeth Banks and Kumail Nanjiani as birds, but it never fully gets off the ground. By Glenn Kenny Giamni Fiorito/Film Movement 'The Inner Cage' Review: The Leftovers In this solemn Italian drama, the guards and inmates of a decommissioned prison renegotiate the limits of power. By Jeannette Catsoulis Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics 'Freud's Last Session' Review: Film Adaptation and Its Discontents Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis probably never met. What the stage-based film presupposes is: Maybe they did? By Ben Kenigsberg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Chris Harris/Searchlight Pictures Anatomy of a Scene Watch an Unusual Family Reunion in 'All of Us Strangers' The director and screenwriter Andrew Haigh narrates a sequence from his film, starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Ben Wiseman Critic's Notebook Disney Is a Language. Do We Still Speak It? As the company celebrates its 100th anniversary, its dominance as a generation-spanning cultural force no longer seems certain. By Alissa Wilkinson Buena Vista Pictures/Disney, via Everett Collection What 'Pocahontas' Tells Us About Disney, for Better and Worse The animated tale was both controversial and an Oscar-winning box office hit. It's also one of the rare films from that era that the company isn't eager to remake. By Brooks Barnes Netflix Critic's Notebook Just a Housewife? That's a Dangerous Thought in These Movies. Todd Haynes and Julianne Moore take one of the most overlooked characters in Hollywood and peel back the layers to expose lonely souls and monsters. By Esther Zuckerman Netflix The 12 Best (and Worst) Fake Noses in Cinema History "Maestro" isn't the first time a supersize sniffer set off a whiff of controversy. Here's a look at the most notable schnozzes onscreen. By Sarah Bahr Ludovic Marinvalery Hache/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images France's President Condemns 'Manhunt' Against Gérard Depardieu Emmanuel Macron broke with his culture minister, who had said she was "disgusted" by comments Depardieu made in a documentary. The actor is facing renewed scrutiny over sexual assault accusations. By Aurelien Breeden Photo illustration by Cristiana Couceiro. Source photographs from Alamy, Getty Images, Everett Collection. How Do You Make a Movie About the Holocaust? With "The Zone of Interest," Jonathan Glazer is just the latest director to confront the problem. By Giles Harvey Mario Anzuoni/Reuters My Ten For Tracee Ellis Ross, Happiness Is a Bowl of Olives and Her Own Clothes "My closet is my happy place," said the actress, who is starring in "Candy Cane Lane" and "American Fiction." "It is where dreams are made and looks are invented." By Kathryn Shattuck Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS 34th & May Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now This week's picks involve artificial youth and alien-discovering elders. By Elisabeth Vincentelli 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 Suzanne Tenner/Columbia Pictures The Best Movies and Shows on Hulu Right Now We've handpicked the finest movies and television shows currently streaming on Hulu in the United States. Take a look. 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. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018