Movies Update: Block out three-and-a-half hours. “The Brutalist” is here.

Plus, the best picture field might be narrowing.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 20, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! It's the busy season for the film desk. We of course knew that much-anticipated titles like "The Brutalist" and "The Room Next Door" were arriving this week and even more next week. But the reality is that it's a bit of a scramble. So much to cover and so little time! That said, I really enjoy finding out what our critics think. The film world has been abuzz about "The Brutalist" all year long and we finally have Manohla Dargis's verdict. The tale of an architect and Holocaust survivor (Adrien Brody) with a grand vision and little means is a Critic's Pick. Dargis described it as "grave, serious, visually sumptuous," and "a movie that grabs onto you immediately and builds steadily with measured, insistent force." "The Room Next Door" is "remarkably straightforward" for a Pedro Almodóvar film, writes the critic Alissa Wilkinson, who adds that the plain-spoken characters and lack of subtext "takes a second to get used to." But she concludes that the film, about a dying woman and her friend — "also feels refreshing, and true to these women in particular." Those films are very likely to be awards season contenders. My colleague Kyle Buchanan took at look at the landscape and concluded that while it is a more open race than usual, the best picture field is narrowing. In his view, what he calls the A-B-C-D-E movies — "Anora," "The Brutalist," "Conclave," "Dune: Part Two" and "Emilia Pérez" — are strong bets. (If you're looking to catch up on moviegoing, those would be good starting points.) But what will fill out the rest of the 10-slot category? He has thoughts! For now, enjoy the movies, and happy holidays! Disney 'Mufasa: The Lion King' Review: Squeaking, Not Roaring This wan photorealistic prequel to a remake, the latest addition to the Disney juggernaut, was directed by Barry Jenkins of "Moonlight" fame. By Manohla Dargis Iglesias Más/El Deseo, via Sony Pictures Classics Critic's Pick 'The Room Next Door' Review: A Life Worth Leaving Pedro Almodóvar's moving drama stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as friends facing mortality together. By Alissa Wilkinson Lol Crawley/A24 Critic's pick 'The Brutalist' Review: Ambitions Unbound Adrien Brody stars as a talented architect who flees postwar Europe to meet his match in America, a power-hungry industrialist played by Guy Pearce. By Manohla Dargis CRITICS' PICKS Jérôme Prébois/Samuel Goldwyn Films Critic's Pick 'The Count of Monte Cristo' Review: Mission Impeccable Stirringly acted and gorgeously filmed, this swashbuckler leaves previous versions of Dumas's famous revenge saga in the dust. By Jeannette Catsoulis Jürgen Olczyk/Paramount Pictures Critic's pick 'September 5' Review: When the Munich Games Changed Our News Tim Fehlbaum's journalism procedural, starring Peter Sarsgaard, tracks the broadcast coverage of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics. By Manohla Dargis Neon Critic's Pick 'Anora' Review: Her Glass Slipper Is a Swarovski Stiletto Mikey Madison gives a career-making performance in a Palme d'Or-winning film about the romance between a sex worker and a rich scion. By Alissa Wilkinson MOVIE REVIEWS Paramount Pictures/Sega of America, Inc. 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Review: Life Comes at You Fast Keanu Reeves steps in as Shadow, while Jim Carrey doubles his fun as Robotnik in this action-adventure comedy. By Glenn Kenny Laura Radford/Netflix 'The Six Triple Eight' Review: Tyler Perry Salutes the Greatest Generation Kerry Washington leads a female postal battalion on a moving mission in this World War II drama. By Lisa Kennedy Angel Studios 'Homestead' Review: A Home Away From Armageddon The moment these Doomsday preppers have been waiting for has arrived, and from within their secure compound they're confronting unexpected complications. By Ben Kenigsberg ANATOMY OF A SCENE Iglesias Más/El Deseo, via Sony Pictures Classics Anatomy of a Scene Watch Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton Connect in 'The Room Next Door' The writer and director Pedro Almodóvar narrates a bittersweet sequence between the two at a luxurious home. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES The Projectionist Which Films Will Be Nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars? You can expect the A-B-C-D-E movies ("Anora," "The Brutalist," "Conclave," "Dune: Part Two" and "Emilia Pérez"). But what will join them? By Kyle Buchanan Searchlight Pictures Critic's Notebook What Is a New York Movie? In 2024, the Definition Changed. Whether it was "A Complete Unknown" with 1960s Greenwich Village or "Anora" with present-day Brooklyn, filmmakers put new frames around the city. By Alissa Wilkinson Antipode Films Documentaries Ripped From the Headlines Are Becoming Harder to See Films about Israel and a union drive at Amazon are acclaimed Oscar hopefuls. But they are largely unavailable to American audiences. By Marc Tracy Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Mubi; HBO The 'Unexpectedly Sly' and 'Brilliantly Scuzzy' Shows, Music and Movies Readers Loved Critical favorites like "Anora," "Cowboy Carter" and "The Bear" still left room for more recent arrivals like "Wicked" and Broadway's "Maybe Happy Ending." By Robin Kawakami Fletcher Moore for The New York Times The Breakout Stars of 2024 Across the arts world, these 10 performers broke away from the pack this year by channeling guts and grit into their work. By Maya Salam Warner Bros. When 'The Lord of the Rings' Gets the Anime Treatment "The War of the Rohirrim" is the latest and most high-profile anime adaptation of a Western franchise to hit screens big and small. By Esther Zuckerman STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures, LLC. Beyond the Algorithm 'Didi,' 'Janet Planet' and the Year's Great Under-the-Radar Streaming Films Here are just a few of the year's finest indies, documentaries and international selections, available to stream at this very minute. By Jason Bailey Netflix Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now In this month's sci-fi picks, time loops, zombie apocalypses and robot/dog friendships. By Elisabeth Vincentelli 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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