Movies Update: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ hits theaters.

Plus, a look at how festival films are faring commercially.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 4, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! Much-anticipated movies that played the fall festivals are starting to make their way to theaters, and it has not been pretty. First up was "Megalopolis," the passion project that Francis Ford Coppola spent $140 million of his own money on. That film kicked up a fuss when it debuted in Cannes. And though it was the subject of avid conversation on my socials when it opened last weekend and The Times's Manohla Dargis made it a critic's pick, the drama played to near-empty theaters, tallying about $4 million at the box office and earning a D-plus in CinemaScore exit polls. As my colleague Brooks Barnes reported, "There is no kind way to put it," the film "died on arrival." This weekend, "Joker: Folie à Deux" reaches theaters after debuting at the Venice Film Festival. While it's expected to have a much, much bigger opening (it could hardly do worse), the reviews have not been kind. It was decidedly not a critic's pick for Dargis, who wrote that it's "such a dour, unpleasant slog that it is hard to know why it was made or for whom." She's got a lot of company: As of Friday afternoon, the film was rated 38 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Remember, this is the sequel to a film that took the top prize at Venice (in 2019) and garnered 11 Oscar nominations. Yikes. There is another festival alumnus hitting theaters this weekend. The Sundance drama "The Outrun" stars Saoirse Ronan as a young alcoholic trying to maintain her sobriety on the Orkney Islands off Scotland. Ronan's performance turns the film, "which occasionally veers near overdone territory, into a thing of beauty and hard-won joy," Alissa Wilkinson writes in her critic's pick review. Many more festival films will be making their way to theaters this season. Stay tuned for the reception. In the meantime, we want to know what questions you have about movies, moviegoing and everything else in pop culture and the arts. We're kicking off a new advice column and want to hear from you. As always, thank you for reading and have fun at the movies! Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Review: Make 'Em Laugh (and Yawn) Todd Phillips's "Joker" sequel stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga who sing and dance like crazy kids, but the movie is seriously un-fun. By Manohla Dargis Nadine Redlich Too Scared to Watch Horror Movies? These 5 Tips May Help. How to get into the season, even if you're squeamish. By Maya Salam and Nadine Redlich CRITICS' PICKS Martin Scott Powell/Sony Pictures Classics Critic's Pick 'The Outrun' Review: From Rock Bottom to Recovery Saoirse Ronan gives another stunning performance in a story about an alcoholic in search of healing. By Alissa Wilkinson Christopher Nunn/Film Forum Critic's pick 'Intercepted' Review: The Awful Intimacy of the War in Ukraine In leaked phone calls home, Russian soldiers grapple with the war they're waging. This new documentary sets the calls' swagger and anguish against images of the invasion's devastation. By Manohla Dargis Edith Lemay/National Geographic Critic's Pick 'Blink' Review: The Last Things They May See In this travel documentary, two parents take their children on a spectacular world tour before a rare genetic condition may cause blindness. By Nicolas Rapold MOVIE REVIEWS Greenwich Entertainment Documentary Lens Farm to Table to Screen: A Close Look at How America Feeds Itself "Food and Country" argues that our food production systems don't work and offers potential solutions. By Alissa Wilkinson Music Box Films 'Daaaaaalí!' Review: Keeping It Surreal The French absurdist director Quentin Dupieux did not make a biopic of Salvador Dalí — he adopted the Surrealist painter's approach to deliver a particularly loopy tale. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Larry Horricks/Lionsgate 'White Bird' Review: After 'Wonder,' a Bully Moves On A boy starts a new school and gets a history lesson from his grandmother, played by Helen Mirren. By Glenn Kenny Netflix 'It's What's Inside' Review: I Gotta Be You A limp body-swapping comedy doesn't really know what makes its subgenre so funny. By Alissa Wilkinson ABC News Studios/Hulu 'Patrice: The Movie' Review: At a Crossroads The emotional core of this crowd-pleasing documentary concerns a couple who cannot marry without jeopardizing their disability benefits. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times Have We Gotten Aubrey Plaza Wrong This Whole Time? Don't let her deadpan sense of humor fool you. In projects like Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," she puts everything she has on the line. By Kyle Buchanan and Caroline Tompkins Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In 5 Halloween Film Festivals Worth Traveling For It's October, and horror movie festivals scratch both the weekend getaway and scare-the-bejesus-out-of-you itch. A guide to some worth checking out. By Erik Piepenburg Celeste Sloman for The New York Times Saoirse Ronan Has Lived, and Acted, Through a Lot At 30, the Irish actress has already spent two decades in front of the camera, collecting many awards. Her two latest projects are also generating Oscars buzz. By Roisin Kiberd STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Searchlight Pictures 5 New Horror Movies to Stream for Halloween Out this week, a period possession movie starring Sarah Paulson, a chef-driven supernatural thriller starring Ariana DeBose and more. By Erik Piepenburg Well Go USA Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include cool fighter pilots, a feminist queen and urban turf wars. By Robert Daniels Marco Ghidelli/Prime Video The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+, Amazon, Apple TV+ and More in October "Citadel: Diana," "Disclaimer," "The Franchise," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," a Springsteen documentary and others arrive. By Noel Murray Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in October Keri Russell is back and so is Ali Wong. Here's a roundup of what's worth checking out for U.S. subscribers this month. By Noel Murray 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. 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