Movies Update: An A.I. Tom Hanks and ‘A Real Pain’

Plus, "Saw" turns 20.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 1, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! Normally, we only let critics review films. But when my colleague Brooks Barnes, a reporter who covers the business of Hollywood, called Martha Stewart for a story on "Martha" and other celebrity documentaries made with the stars' cooperation, he got an earful. He still wrote the story he intended to, but he also wrote a second piece sharing Stewart's very pointed, on-the-record critique. Read her comments and then read our critic Alissa Wilkinson's take on the film. (Spoiler alert: she disagrees with Stewart.) I know Halloween has just passed, but if you're still in a spooky mood (or seeking a distraction from the news), try our list of 25 jump scares that still make us jump. I worked on this (with a team) for a few weeks before we published, and my nerves were shot by the end! If you want more frights, my colleagues Annie Aguiar looked back at the release of the original "Saw" 20 years ago, and Maya Salam zeroed in on the front pages that show up in movies when disaster hits. Whether it's a horror film or something less terrifying, have fun at the movies! Searchlight Pictures Critic's Pick 'A Real Pain' Review: Mourning as an Act of Survival Jesse Eisenberg directs and stars in a melancholic yet funny exploration of Jewish loss and belonging, with an outstanding Kieran Culkin. By Manohla Dargis Parisa Taghizadeh/Apple TV+ Critic's Pick 'Blitz' Review: Love in the Ruins Steve McQueen's World War II drama may appear conventional on the surface, but don't miss what it's really doing. By Alissa Wilkinson Sony Pictures 'Here' Review: Life Is Like a Box of Regrets Tom Hanks and Robin Wright reunite onscreen for a drama that showcases generations of existence. By Amy Nicholson Claire Folger/Warner Bros. Critic's Pick 'Juror #2' Review: Clint Eastwood Hands Down a Tough Verdict In his latest (and perhaps last) movie as a director, Eastwood casts a skeptical eye at the criminal justice system in a mystery starring Nicholas Hoult. By Manohla Dargis CRITICS' PICKS Kino Lorber Critic's Pick 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' Review: What Lies Beneath A passionate and propulsive documentary about the assassination of Patrice Lumumba spins its web in many directions. By Alissa Wilkinson Icarus Films Critic's Pick 'Youth (Hard Times)' Review: Working Till They Drop In Wang Bing's riveting new documentary about Chinese garment workers, a generation asks: What good is money when you have no rights? By Nicolas Rapold ANATOMY OF A SCENE Apple TV+ Anatomy of a Scene Watch a Nightclub Scene in 'Blitz' The writer and director Steve McQueen discusses a sequence set in the Café de Paris in London. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Netflix Documentary Lens A Prickly Martha Stewart Makes for a Bracing Netflix Portrait "Martha," from R.J. Cutler, argues that she was ahead of her time. But though she sits for a lengthy interview, this isn't hagiography. By Alissa Wilkinson Alberto Tolot, via Sony Music Critic's Notebook Luther Vandross and the Sound That Could Fill Hearts, or Break Them He was hounded by a fat-phobic press, but as Dawn Porter's new documentary shows, he was a transformational presence from the start. By J Wortham Samuel Goldwyn Films 'Absolution' Review: Brain Drain Liam Neeson plays a regretful gangster with a serious medical condition in this drab, downbeat action movie. By Jeannette Catsoulis Carolina Costa/The Future of Film is Female 'The Graduates' Review: How to Move On In this delicate drama set in Utah, three individuals deal with survivor's guilt a year after a school shooting takes the life of a loved one. By Beatrice Loayza Magnolia Pictures 'The Gutter' Review: A Phenom Is Born This bowling comedy, co-directed by the standup comedian Yassir Lester and his brother Isaiah, has absurdity to spare. By Glenn Kenny Level 33 'Chasing Chasing Amy' Review: A Fan's Favorite Sav Rodgers sets out to define the legacy of Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy" in this documentary, which is elevated by one instructive interview. By Natalia Winkelman Blue Fox Entertainment 'Lost on a Mountain in Maine' Review: Peak Experience The true story of a 12-year-old's survival in a vast mountain wilderness for nine days in the 1930s. By Lisa Kennedy Lumen Productions 'After: Poetry Destroys Silence' Review: A Study in Trauma Richard Kroehling's documentary presents a mixture of poets' responses to the Holocaust and argues for the importance of the form in addressing trauma. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Erik Carter for The New York Times Tom Hanks and Robin Wright Open a New Box The "Forrest Gump" stars were game to reunite with Robert Zemeckis for the technical experiment of "Here." De-aging? A static camera? They weren't fazed. By Melena Ryzik Pief Weyman/Briarcliff Entertainment & Rich Spirit What to Know About 'The Apprentice,' the Controversial Donald Trump Biopic The film, now available on demand, followed a thorny path to distribution — including the threat of a lawsuit by its subject. By Sarah Bahr Paramount Pictures 25 Jump Scares That Still Make Us Jump We ranked the most chilling, spine-tingling, utterly terrifying scenes that get us every time, and asked writers, filmmakers and stars to explain why. By The New York Times Travers Jacobs, via Disney 4 Surprising Things We Learned From the John Williams Documentary A new Disney+ film about the prolific film composer chronicles his life and career, with a focus on his famous music for movies including "Jaws" and "Star Wars." By Annie Aguiar Lionsgate 20 Years of Impossible Choices in 'Saw' The low-budget 2004 horror movie captured audiences and spawned a franchise by asking tough moral questions. By Annie Aguiar and Joyce Ho IFC films One Frame, Thousands of Snails This image, from the animated feature about a woman who hoards snail-related items, includes a bevy of tiny, handcrafted artifacts. By Carlos Aguilar Alex Welsh for The New York Times 'Martha' Stokes a Debate: What's a Documentary, Anyway? R.J. Cutler, a longtime filmmaker, is at the center of a debate in Hollywood over whether documentaries about celebrities are real documentaries. By Brooks Barnes Photo illustration by Pablo Delcan What if A.I. Is Actually Good for Hollywood? It's already powering remarkable visual innovations, like in the new movie "Here." But boosters think that's just the beginning. By Devin Gordon STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Lionsgate Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include female assassins, a quirky French thief and crooked cops. By Robert Daniels Prime Video The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+, Amazon, Apple TV+ and More in November "Cruel Intentions," "Music by John Williams" and "Dune: The Prophecy" arrive, along with "Bad Sisters" Season 2. 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. 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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