Movies Update: The acclaimed Oscar nominee without a distributor

Plus, yes, that creepy toy monkey is looking at you.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 21, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! The Oscars are coming up March 2, so you still have a little time to get caught up with the nominees before the big night. One in particular that our awards season columnist, Kyle Buchanan, has had his eye on is also one that no U.S. studio has been willing to distribute: the documentary "No Other Land," about the destruction of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank. In lieu of a distributor, the film's directors have executed a self-distribution plan, getting the film in at least 23 U.S. theaters with the hope of a larger rollout. Buchanan wrote, "The filmmakers hope that if anything can come of this awards campaign, it's an increased global awareness of the fraught situation in Masafer Yatta." On the non-Oscars side of the movie world, "Captain America: Brave New World" had a strong opening weekend at the U.S. box office, while weathering some backlash and mixed reviews. In a notebook offering suggestions to Disney about how to approach the future of Marvel, the critic Maya Phillips wrote, "The best way for Disney to successfully usher fans through this next iteration is not by trying to predict which way the political winds will blow, but by providing well-written, fully developed characters of all backgrounds." Out this week is the horror-comedy "The Monkey," which, the critic Alissa Wilkinson wrote, is stuffed with "giddily ludicrous demises, doled out at random." The writer Erik Piepenburg spoke to the film's star, Theo James, who is just as creeped out by musical monkey toys as we are. Also this week, if you'd like to save a penny or two, we kicked off a new column on great films that you can watch for absolutely free at home. Enjoy the movies. Markus Schreiber/Associated Press The Projectionist Inside the Oscar-Nominated Film That No Studio Will Touch "No Other Land," about the destruction of a village in the occupied West Bank, is one of the year's most acclaimed films. Still, U.S. studios are unwilling to distribute it. By Kyle Buchanan Eli Adé/Marvel Studios Critic's Notebook The New 'Captain America' Movie Isn't Great. But Don't Call Him a D.E.I. Hire. Anthony Mackie picks up the shield at a potentially awkward time. But there's one way Disney can do right by him and the next generation of Marvel stars. By Maya Phillips Neon 'The Monkey' Review: Death Beats a Little Toy Drum A gruesome horror comedy adapted from a Stephen King story mixes nihilism, fatherhood and carnage. By Alissa Wilkinson Zipatone/Cargo Film & Releasing 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse' Review: Graphic Doom In this straightforward documentary, the acclaimed cartoonist reflects on his Holocaust memoir, "Maus," and other masterworks of subversion. By Manohla Dargis CRITICS' PICKS Janus Films Critic's Pick 'Compensation' Review: Still Rebellious Finally getting a theatrical run, Zeinabu irene Davis's 1999 film about two Black couples in Chicago in two different eras earns its landmark status. By Lisa Kennedy Kino Lorber Critic's pick 'The Annihilation of Fish' Review: A Gem That's Worth the Wait The director Charles Burnett's deeply humane, singular film from 1999, starring James Earl Jones, is finally receiving a theatrical release. By Manohla Dargis MOVIE REVIEWS HBO Documentary Lens 'We Beat the Dream Team' Puts a Twist on the Sports Movie Formula This film tells the story of the college players who defeated the 1992 U.S. men's basketball team, filled with N.B.A. All-Stars, during a scrimmage before the Olympics. By Alissa Wilkinson Alan Markfield/Lionsgate 'The Unbreakable Boy' Review: Surmounting Hardships With Joy This family drama by Jon Gunn, based on a true story, is told from the perspective of a young boy with autism. By Sheri Linden Henrik Ohsten/Magnet Releasing 'The Quiet Ones' Review: Getting Swindled in Copenhagen Inspired by a real heist, this Danish thriller has more moving parts than it can keep track of. By Ben Kenigsberg Peter Marley/The Avenue 'Old Guy' Review: The Veteran and the Rookie Christoph Waltz plays an aging hit man begrudgingly training his replacement in Simon West's stale action movie. By Natalia Winkelman Myles Aronowitz/Republic Pictures 'Millers in Marriage' Review: Squall in the Family Three siblings navigate midlife crises in Edward Burns's glossy look at marriages in transition. By Jeannette Catsoulis Wyatt Angelo/Greenwich Entertainment 'Ex-Husbands' Review: Three Unweddings and a Funeral In this Griffin Dunne dramedy, a father and his sons face different kinds of relationship troubles at the same time. By Nicolas Rapold ANATOMY OF A SCENE Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures Anatomy of a Scene Watch Austin Butler in Battle in 'Dune: Part Two' The director Denis Villeneuve narrates a sequence from his film, which is nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Hannah Edelman for The New York Times The Invincible Jack Quaid With his movies "Companion" and "Novocaine," the young actor is showing he can do comedy, pain and a mix of the two. By Alexis Soloski Chantal Anderson for The New York Times Q&A Like Us, Theo James Is Freaked Out by the Toy in 'The Monkey' The actor discusses playing twins in Osgood Perkins's horror film, finding humor in dark situations and why that monkey is so, so creepy. By Erik Piepenburg Thea Traff for The New York Times Spring Preview Being George Clooney Is Harder Than It Looks He is making his Broadway debut with a stage version of his 2005 movie "Good Night, and Good Luck." He's ready, but also terrified. By Maureen Dowd and Thea Traff From left: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Martha Swope; via Wendy Kimball spring preview These Actors Made Broadway Debuts as Children. Now They're Back. Nick Jonas, Sadie Sink and Christian Slater are among this year's unusually large cohort of stars who first appeared onstage as tweens or even younger. By Michael Paulson Mario Anzuoni/Reuters Amazon Gains Creative Control Over the James Bond Franchise The family that has for decades held complete control over everything involving the globe-trotting superspy is relinquishing it to Amazon. By Brooks Barnes HBO With 'We Beat the Dream Team,' Grant Hill Can Finally Gloat Hill and the film's director talked about the time a team of college basketball players beat Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson — and the effort to bury it. By Stuart Miller Warner Bros. Pictures, via Associated Press Why Everyone Is Still Talking About 'Paddington 2' With the third movie now in theaters, let's look at how the 2018 film became a sleeper hit, thanks to Hugh Grant's villain and its showstopping end credits. By Sarah Bahr Les Films Aleph Critic's Notebook Watching 'Shoah' in Berlin, 80 Years After Auschwitz A commemorative screening of the monumental documentary came as some artists are questioning whether Germany's Holocaust remembrance culture stifles free speech. By Beatrice Loayza STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Neon, via Associated Press Five Free Movies to Stream Now Don't overlook ad-supported platforms like Tubi, Plex and PlutoTV. They're surprising repositories for great films like "Gunda" and "Farha." By Brandon Yu Well Go USA Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include stories about a vengeful bombmaker, a blind assassin and more. By Robert Daniels Brian Roedel/A24 The 50 Best Movies on Max Right Now In addition to new Warner and HBO films, the streamer has a treasure trove of Golden Age classics, indie flicks and foreign films. Start with these. By Scott Tobias Paramount Pictures The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now There are so many film experiences to choose from on Netflix, let us help you narrow down your choices. 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. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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