Movies Update: And the Oscar might go to …

Plus, remembering Gene Hackman

View in browser|nytimes.com February 28, 2025 By Kellina Moore Hi there, movie fans! Roll out the red carpet and finalize your bets — the big weekend is finally here! I'm speaking, of course, of the Oscars, which, after a tumultuous and unpredictable awards season, will at long last hand out those coveted statuettes on Sunday night. There are many ways to prepare. Flex your cinephile muscles by filling out your own ballot with our handy template (will you dare to defy the Projectionist Kyle Buchanan's predictions?) or trying to match Oscar winners with their review headlines. Look back at Timothée Chalamet's oddball campaign (I'm a sucker for a good Nardwuar interview) or learn how Yura Borisov of "Anora" went from Kremlin darling to Oscar darling. Get a more intimate peek at the preparations with photos from the nominees dinner — my favorite sees Cynthia Erivo's shadow looking like Nosferatu — and Melena Ryzik's interview with the host of this year's ceremony, Conan O'Brien. Read Wesley Morris on the best picture nominees, and why truly weird cinema is back (thank god!) or Manohla Dargis on the effects of more women behind the camera (thank god!). In other movie news, we lost a true cinema treasure this week: Gene Hackman. Esther Zuckerman appraises his work, describing the contradictions he was able to embody. "He mixed warmth with menace," she writes. "He could be paternal as well as terrifying, sometimes all within the same film." Manohla Dargis wrote about his disarming charm, too, saying, "You might note that when one of his characters draws you to him with an upward curve of his mouth, something bad might happen soon." You can find the best ways to delve into his filmography here. Have a great weekend, and enjoy the show. Neon The Projectionist Oscars 2025 Predictions: Who Will Win Best Picture, Actor and Actress? The best picture race has been full of twists and turns. The best actress race is closely contested. Our expert predicts which films and artists will get trophies on Sunday. By Kyle Buchanan Searchlight Pictures; Mubi; Netflix critic's notebook There's Something Weird About This Year's Oscars Or with the 10 best picture nominees, at least. But what seems clear is that Hollywood is celebrating the kinds of movies it doesn't make. (Weird, right?) By Wesley Morris Chantal Jahchan Women Watching Women Watching Women In movies like "The Last Showgirl," a new kind of woman has emerged onscreen, our critic writes. That's thanks to more of them being behind the camera, finally. By Manohla Dargis Conan O'Brien Is Terrified of the Oscars. (He's Hosting Anyway.) It can be a thankless gig, but that's part of the appeal. "I am drawn to the things that scare me," O'Brien said as he made final preparations. By Melena Ryzik and Sinna Nasseri Porcelain War/Picturehouse Documentary Lens In these Documentary Oscar Nominees, Stories That Resonate A quick guide to the nominated films and why you should watch them. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS via The Estate of Katharine Graham Critic's Pick 'Becoming Katharine Graham' Review: A Newspaper Leader, in Her Voice The sibling filmmakers George and Teddy Kunhardt use a straightforward approach in this documentary about the Washington Post publisher, letting a pioneer shine. By Sheri Linden MOVIE REVIEWS Briarcliff Entertainment 'My Dead Friend Zoe' Review: On the Battlefield and at Home A young Army veteran struggles with her memories and guilt in this heartfelt independent drama. By Alissa Wilkinson Mark Cassar/Focus Features 'Last Breath' Review: Three Men and a Crisis Woody Harrelson has a fine time almost playing a deep-sea diver in this true-life adventure yarn. By Jeannette Catsoulis Roadside Attractions 'Riff Raff' Review: These Jokes Don't Kill The dark mayhem spun up by this crime comedy might seem a little familiar. By Glenn Kenny Yellow Veil Pictures 'Rats!' Review: Keep Texas Weird This gross-out action-comedy, which sees an emo teenager sucked into a deranged conspiracy plot, lays hard on the absurdism. By Beatrice Loayza Well Go USA 'Cold Wallet' Review: It's Payback Time After losing big in a crypto swindle, three people in Massachusetts plot to get their money back. By Ben Kenigsberg Utopia 'The Accidental Getaway Driver' Review: Hostage to the Past In Sing J. Lee's big-hearted debut feature about Vietnamese American lives, three escaped prisoners take a cabdriver as their accomplice. By Nicolas Rapold Amazon MGM 'Superboys of Malegaon' Review: Making a Local Hit Inspired by true events, this Hindi-language film is a love letter to scrappy moviemaking, and to friendship. By Lisa Kennedy Blue Fox 'A Sloth Story' Review: Slow Cooking A family of sloths take their food truck to the big city in this animated movie directed by Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent. By Natalia Winkelman ANATOMY OF A SCENE Alile Onawale/Sony Pictures Classics Anatomy of a Scene How a Family's Life Is Upended in 'I'm Still Here' The film's director, Walter Salles, narrates a sequence from his film, which is nominated for best picture. Its star, Fernanda Torres is nominated for best actress. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Warner Bros., via Everett Collection An Appraisal Gene Hackman's Smile Could Give You Shivers In "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Unforgiven," the actor used his charm to great disarming effect, flashing a smile before abruptly shifting to a sneer. By Manohla Dargis Roberto E. Rosales/Associated Press For Gene Hackman, a Jarring End to a Quiet, Art-Filled Life in Santa Fe Mr. Hackman, who was found dead with his wife and one of their dogs, had written novels and painted since leaving Hollywood behind for retirement in New Mexico. By Julia Jacobs A Movie Game: Can You Match the Oscar-Nominated Film to Our Headline? We picked 20 movies that have been nominated for an Oscar since 1990 and found the headlines that ran with each New York Times review. Can you pair them correctly? By Aliza Aufrichtig and Eden Weingart Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times Ready for Their Close-Ups at the Oscar Nominees Dinner Over 100 awards hopefuls gathered at the Academy Museum for a class photo just days before the ceremony. Our photographer and columnist were there. By Sinna Nasseri and Kyle Buchanan Stefanie Loos/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Timothée Chalamet Does Awards Season a Little Differently The 29-year-old actor has hit the usual stops, but the defining moments of his awards campaign have been distinctly online. By Esther Zuckerman STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Focus Features Five Horror Movies to Stream Now The Oscar-nominated "Nosferatu" is among this month's sinister selections. By Erik Piepenburg Allstar Picture Library Ltd., Alamy Gene Hackman: 13 Memorable Movies to Stream He played a complicated hero in "The French Connection" and an arch-villain in "Superman." Here are some of Hackman's career highlights. By Alex Marshall and Noel Murray Kino Lorber Three Great Documentaries to Stream This month's picks look at a political convention, the work of a cinematographer and the films of a revered pair of directors. By Ben Kenigsberg Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures Where to Stream the 2025 Oscar Nominees Many of the top contenders can be watched at home. Here's a guide to help you get a jump on the field. By Scott Tobias 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. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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