Movies Update: The Godzillas, Kongs and ghosts haunting your multiplex

Plus, movie recommendations for pop culture-obsessed weirdos

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 29, 2024 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! Find a screen with great sound at your local multiplex this weekend, because some familiar creatures are stomping their way back into theaters. "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" is out, and it has Kong seeking some companionship down in Hollow Earth. Unfortunately, our critic Alissa Wilkinson thinks that Earth isn't the only thing hollow in this sequel, writing in her review that the film's human characters "are pretty boring, more anemic than they were in the last movie." While you're at the multiplex, the latest in the "Ghostbusters" franchise, "Frozen Empire," is waiting for you as well. In her review, the critic Amy Nicholson writes that it's "overstuffed" and "erratically funny," cramming in "four main characters from the original 1984 blockbuster, six characters from the 2021 Oklahoma-set spinoff, 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' and introduces three new occultists along with an assortment of ghosts, poltergeists, horned phantoms and miniature marshmallow men." If you're looking for something a bit smaller and more subtle, yet still wrapped up in wonder, try "La Chimera," the lyrical new film from the Italian director Alice Rohrwacher. In her review, discussing the director's style, the critic Manohla Dargis writes, "She reveals beauty rather than pummels you with it, the way flashier filmmakers do, and lets meaning emerge without trumpet blasts." If you're looking for some fun movie alternatives at home, the writer Jason Bailey recommends Night Flight Plus, a wild discovery of a streaming service for pop culture-obsessed weirdos. Or if you've been wondering about "Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros," that four-hour Frederick Wiseman doc about a French restaurant that our critics have been consistently praising since it came out, now is your opportunity to watch it for free. Lots of choices! Enjoy the movies. Warner Bros. 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Review: Running Out of Steam The latest in the Warner Bros. Monsterverse franchise shows signs of an anemic imagination. By Alissa Wilkinson Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Review: Something Weird, Multiplied This overstuffed entry in the franchise is an eclectic, enjoyable barrage of nonsense. By Amy Nicholson Neon Critic's pick 'La Chimera' Review: A Treasure Trove In her latest dreamy movie, the Italian director Alice Rohrwacher follows a tomb raider, played by Josh O'Connor, who's pining for a lost love. By Manohla Dargis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Neon Critic's Pick 'Immaculate' Review: Sydney Sweeney Is Wide-Eyed but Sly The actress stars as a fresh-faced nun who, by the end of this erotic thriller-horror mash-up, runs amok in her convent. By Manohla Dargis Shanna Besson/Tous Droits Reserves/Briarcliffe Entertainment Critic's Pick 'DogMan' Review: Crackers for Animals An electrifying Caleb Landry Jones plays the damaged heart of this oddly wonderful tale of resilience and revenge. By Jeannette Catsoulis HBO Critic's Pick 'The Truth vs. Alex Jones' Review: The Power of Parents Directed by Dan Reed ("Leaving Neverland"), the documentary offers a lesson in how conspiracy theories work and shows how parents confronted Jones in court. By Ben Kenigsberg MUBI Critic's Pick 'Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World' Review: A Wild Romanian Trip In Radu Jude's shambling, acidly funny movie set in Bucharest, a foul-mouthed gofer named Angela tours the troubled heart and soul of her country. By Manohla Dargis MOVIE REVIEWS Laura Radford/Prime Video 'Road House' Review: This Remake Amps Up the Action Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a pro fighter turned bouncer at a juke joint in the Florida Keys, taking on Patrick Swayze's role in the original. By Glenn Kenny Parisa Taghizadeh/Sony Pictures Classics 'Wicked Little Letters' Review: Prim, Proper and Profane Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley elevate a comedy about a weird true tale of defamation and dirty words. By Alissa Wilkinson Kino Lorber 'On the Adamant' Review: A Psychiatric Facility on the Seine This documentary by Nicolas Philibert drifts along, with unnamed patients and their caretakers, on a large houseboat in Paris. By Beatrice Loayza Netflix 'The Beautiful Game' Review: A Different Kind of World Cup This heart-string-tugging Netflix movie about a homeless soccer team, featuring Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward, puts the emphasis on play and uplift. By Glenn Kenny Vertical/Roadside Attraction 'Asphalt City' Review: Arbiters of Life and Death Sean Penn plays a flinty paramedic showing a rookie the ropes in this maddening drama about emergency medical workers in New York. By Natalia Winkelman Glen Wilson/Netflix 'Shirley' Review: A Woman Who Contained Multitudes This staid biopic of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, is less interested in what she did than what she represented. By Devika Girish IFC Films/Shudder 'Late Night With the Devil' Review: Selling Your Soul for the Ratings An occult-obsessed nation is nimbly captured in this found-footage horror film about a late night show gone horribly wrong. By Alissa Wilkinson Peacock 'Stormy' Review: Trials and Travails A new documentary on Stormy Daniels traces how fame, frenzy and legal battles involving a former president upended her life. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive/UCLA Library 'Romancing the Stone' and Its Screenwriter's Tragic Tale Diane Thomas was a waitress when she made headlines for the script sale of what would become a box office smash. But the Cinderella story had a sad ending. By Bob Mehr Amy Sussman/Invision, via Associated Press Louis Gossett Jr., 87, Dies; 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and 'Roots' Actor His portrayal of a drill instructor earned him the Oscar for best supporting actor. He was the first Black performer to win in that category. By Anita Gates The Avenue A Georgia Town Basks in Bountiful Filming. The State Pays. When movies are made in Thomasville, Ga., it welcomes celebrities and an infusion of cash. But the financial incentives that attract studios have cost the state billions. By Jonathan Abrams and Matt Stevens STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Night Flight Plus Are You a Pop Culture-Obsessed Weirdo? Try Night Flight Plus. If you've got six bucks and want to be adventurous, try this streaming service for some wild fringe programming. By Jason Bailey Andrea McCallin/Disney General Entertainment Content, via Getty Images The Best of Late Night, at the Movies and Beyond The new horror-thriller "Late Night With the Devil" isn't the only time late-night hosts, shows and sets become fodder for on-screen moments in film and TV. By Trish Bendix Kino Lorber Three Great Documentaries to Stream Ethan Coen's survey of a rock 'n' roll icon, Frederick Wiseman's take on haute cuisine and a searing portrait of PTSD are this month's picks. By Ben Kenigsberg Cranked Up Films Five Horror Movies to Stream Now A fanatical faith leader, aggressive home invaders and disfigured attention hogs are among the subjects of this month's horror picks. By Erik Piepenburg Daniel Mcfadden/Warner Bros. Entertainment, via Associated Press Stream These 12 Movies Before They Leave Netflix in April A Ryan Gosling detective comedy, a Formula One racing drama and the romantic musical "Mamma Mia!" are among the movies exiting the streaming service. By Jason Bailey Netflix Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include brotherly revenge, ghoulish specters and more. By Robert Daniels 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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