Movies Update: ‘The Bikeriders’ vrooms into theaters.

Plus, 15 great Donald Sutherland performances to stream.

View in browser|nytimes.com June 21, 2024 By Kellina Moore Hey movie fans! Nice to meet you! I'm a news assistant at the Times (you might recognize my name from the bottom of the weekly review roundups). Some things you should know about me: I'm a big horror movie nerd and a hater of summer heat. One salve is that plenty of great movies take place during heat waves, like "Dog Day Afternoon," "Do the Right Thing" and "Predator 2." In all of them you can practically smell the sweat on the actors and feel the tension boil with the temperature. If you're looking to escape the weather, there's nothing better than heading into an overly air-conditioned movie theater with an ice-cold drink the size of your head. Maybe you're in the mood for some eye-candy escapism? Try the crime-drama "The Bikeriders." Based on a classic photography book of the same name and starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, it's certainly nice to look at even if it's sparse on thrills. Our chief critic, Manohla Dargis, calls it "a movie that understands the seductions of beauty, the sensuous lines of a human body, the curves of a chassis." And check out Kyle Buchanan's profile of Austin Butler for insight into the brains behind the beauty. Some of the joys of June are the celebrations of Pride month, and a new Netflix documentary about L.G.B.T.Q. comedians is quintessential queer viewing. "Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution," features comedians like Margaret Cho, Bob the Drag Queen and Joel Kim Booster exploring the power of comedy. As the critic Chris Azzopardi notes in his review, the film "showcases comedy as more than just a source of laughter, but of healing, catharsis and as an agent for queer liberation." In a companion piece, Erik Piepenburg wrote an ode to the gay comedians Paul Lynde, Rip Taylor and Charles Nelson Reilly who were groundbreaking even when they weren't necessarily out. Oh, and the new Yorgos Lanthimos movie, "Kinds of Kindness," was released this week. It's a return to his earlier, weirder mode — "less accessible, more deranged, less logical, more disturbing" as the critic Alissa Wilkinson puts it. Count me in! Stay cool and enjoy the movies! Mike Faist/Focus Features Critic's Pick 'The Bikeriders' Review: On the Road to Nowhere, Beautifully Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy star in a romanticized drama about a fictional motorcycle club in the 1960s. By Manohla Dargis Beth Dubber/Netflix Critic's Pick 'Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution' Review: Beyond the Punchline A new Netflix documentary showcases comedy as a source of queer liberation, featuring Margaret Cho, Tig Notaro, Joel Kim Booster and more. By Chris Azzopardi Searchlight Pictures Critic's Pick 'Kinds of Kindness' Review: Everybody's Looking for Something Yorgos Lanthimos returns with a twisted fable triptych about dominating and being dominated. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS A24 Critic's Pick 'Janet Planet' Review: A Sticky Summer Full of Small Dramas Annie Baker's debut feature film is a tiny masterpiece — a perfect coming-of-age story for both a misfit tween and her mother. By Alissa Wilkinson Agata Kubis/Film Forum Critic's Pick 'Green Border' Review: Migrants' Elusive Race for Freedom Agnieszka Holland focuses on the Polish-Belarusian border as a Syrian family tries to make it to the European Union. By Manohla Dargis Extra Terrestrial Films Critic's Pick 'Hummingbirds' Review: Two Friends' Summer Along the Border The young directors Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía (Beba) Contreras stargaze, watch fireworks and discuss their lives in this documentary filmed in Laredo, Texas. By Ben Kenigsberg MOVIE REVIEWS Fred Norris/Vertical 'The Exorcism' Review: Losing Faith Russell Crowe stars as an actor playing an exorcist who's battling his own demons. By Alissa Wilkinson Magnolia Pictures, via Associated Press 'Thelma' Review: Granny Get Your Gun The remarkable June Squibb plays a vengeful scam victim in this ludicrous action-movie spoof. By Jeannette Catsoulis Ulrich Seid Film Produktion and Heimatfilm/Shudder 'The Devil's Bath' Review: Madwoman in the Cottage This stark psychological horror movie tracks the mental deterioration of an 18th-century peasant woman. By Beatrice Loayza ANATOMY OF A SCENE Disney/Pixar Anatomy of a Scene How 'Inside Out 2' Battles Anxiety The director Kelsey Mann narrates a sequence from his film, which pits Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) against Anxiety (Maya Hawke). By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Adali Schell for The New York Times The Careful Crafting of Austin Butler "Elvis" and "Dune" established him as a chameleonic movie star. Now, with "The Bikeriders," something closer to the real Butler is being revealed. By Kyle Buchanan Adam Powell for The New York Times You Talkin' Like Him? A Convention Lets De Niro Fans Get In on the Act. Participants at De Niro Con in Tribeca could talk like Travis Bickle, shadowbox like Jake LaMotta or get a tattoo like Max Cady. Yes, a real tattoo. By Sarah Goodman Alex Welsh for The New York Times Film Crew Veteran, Injured in an Accident, Faults Amazon for His Pain The visual effects supervisor, hurt in one of three recent accidents on Amazon film sets, has sued, but the company says it is not to blame. By Nicole Sperling and Matt Stevens Raymond Cauchetier/Cine-Tamaris Critic's Notebook She Walked in Beauty: The Subtle Seductiveness of Anouk Aimée The French star created characters who could be fantasies or enigmas, but they always intrigued, even when she was miscast in Hollywood. By Glenn Kenny A24 ("Janet Planet); Édouard Vuillard/2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York via Alamy (painting); Paramount Pictures ("L'Enfance Nue"); DeeDee Halleck and George Griffin ("The Meadows Green") Mood Board A Universe of Inspirations Swirls Within 'Janet Planet' The playwright Annie Baker shares the artistic influences behind her feature film debut. By Robert Ito Murray Close/Lionsgate An Appraisal Donald Sutherland Didn't Disappear Into Roles, and That Was a Good Thing The actor understood the range of human feeling, but he came of age when movies distrusted institutions, and that suspicion was part of his arsenal. By Alissa Wilkinson STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS 20th Century Studios Five Horror Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include demon baby, a cursed chef and all kinds of people trapped in hellish situations. By Erik Piepenburg 20th Century Fox 15 Great Donald Sutherland Performances to Stream Whether in the lead or a supporting role, the actor's immense talent and range were apparent in six decades of performances. By Scott Tobias Henrik Ohsten/Magnolia Pictures Beyond the Algorithm 'The Promised Land,' 'Biosphere' and More Streaming Gems Speculative science fiction, period drama and sly thrillers are among this month's off-the-beaten-path recommendations from your subscription streamers. 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. 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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