Movies Update: Remembering David Lynch

Plus, a chat with Cynthia Erivo

View in browser|nytimes.com January 17, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans, Today, the film world is remembering one of its visionaries, the director David Lynch, who has died at 78. Lynch, best known for audacious films like "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive," and the television series "Twin Peaks," had a profound impact on a wide spectrum of culture, and our critics and reporters had a lot to say about his legacy. In her appraisal, the chief film critic Manohla Dargis wrote that Lynch's work "showed us what lies beneath; he showed us ourselves." And the television critic James Poniewozik wrote about how, in "Twin Peaks," Lynch "jimmied up the floorboards of the American dream and loosed a swarm of evil spirits from beneath." Our writers also focused on the "Lynchian look," and where to stream his cryptic output. The director's peers also paid tribute, and we collected images from Lynch's career. Out this week in theaters is the award-winning Brazilian film "I'm Still Here," which the critic Alissa Wilkinson called "beautiful" and "gutting." The writer-director Leigh Whannell has a new take on the Universal monster movie "Wolf Man." And for a bit of levity, there's the Keke Palmer-SZA buddy comedy "One of Them Days" or, over on Netflix, the Cameron Diaz-Jamie Foxx spy film "Back in Action." Enjoy the movies. AFI An Appraisal In His Dark, Disturbing Visions, David Lynch Showed Us Who We Are The director himself came off as almost performatively normal. Masterpieces like "Eraserhead" and "Mulholland Drive" said otherwise. By Manohla Dargis Acey Harper/Getty Images David Lynch: A Life in Pictures The filmmaker possessed a singular vision — and a knack for finding collaborators who could convey it. Alile Onawale/Sony Pictures Classics Critic's Pick 'I'm Still Here' Review: When Politics Invades a Happy Home The award-winning Brazilian film has been a major hit in its home country — and it's easy to see why. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS Anne Marie Fox/Sony Pictures Critic's Pick 'One of Them Days' Review: Too Broke, Girls Keke Palmer and SZA play short-on-cash roommates on a mad dash across Los Angeles in this exhilarating comedy. By Natalia Winkelman Roadside Attractions Critic's Pick 'The Last Showgirl' Review: Pamela Anderson Is Dazzling The actress stars as a dancer at a Las Vegas revue on its last fishnet leg in Gia Coppola's sensitive and beguiling film. By Manohla Dargis MOVIE REVIEWS Lionsgate 'Wish You Were Here' Review: One Night Can Change a Life A tepid romance follows familiar genre lines, but lacks some fundamental appeal. By Alissa Wilkinson John Wilson/Netflix 'Back in Action' Review: Surprise! Mom and Dad Are Spies Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx star as former agents, now parents, who must protect their children. You can guess the rest. By Ben Kenigsberg MUBI Documentary Lens 'Grand Theft Hamlet': The (Game) Play's the Thing The film captures two players staging the classic within an online video game, raising fascinating questions about community and connection. By Alissa Wilkinson Mika Cotellon/Magnet 'Night Call' Review: Belgian Brawlers An ordinary locksmith undergoes an action-hero transformation in this snappy thriller set in Brussels during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. By Beatrice Loayza Lionsgate 'Alarum' Review: Mission Forgettable Sylvester Stallone briefly stabilizes this artless action movie about a rogue agent and his wife on the run. By Jeannette Catsoulis Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures 'Wolf Man' Review: Howling on the Inside Julia Garner stars as a weary wife to Christopher Abbott, who might be transforming into a savage animal, in this cabin-in-the-woods thriller. By Jeannette Catsoulis Stephen Gerard Kelly/Grasshopper Films 'In the Shadow of Beirut' Review: Surviving in Sabra and Shatila This observational documentary tracks four families living in poverty in the capital of Lebanon. By Nicolas Rapold ANATOMY OF A SCENE Niko Tavernise/A24 Anatomy of a Scene Watch Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson Connect in 'Babygirl' The film's writer and director, Halina Reijn, narrates a sequence. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Dana Scruggs for The New York Times Cynthia Erivo Made a Promise to See Her Characters Through Whether it's Elphaba in "Wicked" or Celie in "The Color Purple," the star doesn't choose parts "frivolously"; she wants roles that stay with viewers. By Salamishah Tillet Disney Mood Board What the Songs of 'Moana 2' Owe to Beyoncé and 'Beauty and the Beast' In writing their first film soundtrack together, the TikTok duo of Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear looked to those influences and "Anchorman." Of course. By Sarah Bahr Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures Q&A Leigh Whannell and His Personal Monsters The writer and director of "The Invisible Man," 21st-century style, is back with an interpretation of another Universal Pictures monster movie, "Wolf Man." By Esther Zuckerman The Projectionist Guy Pearce Never Needed to Be a Movie Star After roles in "Memento" and "L.A. Confidential" made him famous, Pearce turned his back on Hollywood. At age 57, he's returned in "The Brutalist." By Kyle Buchanan and Caroline Tompkins Orion Pictures critic's notebook 'Nickel Boys' Awakens Black Cinema's Time Revolution RaMell Ross, A.V. Rockwell, Raven Jackson and Garrett Bradley are the new Black directors chronicling Black life at a different speed. By Robert Daniels STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS De Laurentis Group, via Everett Collection 12 Cryptic Titles From David Lynch and Where You Can Stream Them Films like "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" aren't always easy to explain, but they live on in your mind and burrow under your skin. By Esther Zuckerman Blue Fox Entertainment Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now In this month's sci-fi picks, what's worse? Coming face-to-face with the apocalypse or with our older selves? By Elisabeth Vincentelli Disney/Pixar The 50 Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch on Disney+ Right Now The Disney streaming platform has hundreds of movie and TV titles, drawing from its own deep reservoir of classics and from Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and more. These are our favorites. By Scott Tobias MGM The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don't have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We'll do the heavy lifting. 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