Movies Update: When the theater is overrun with “Sinners”

Plus, a queer rom-com remake

View in browser|nytimes.com April 18, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! As we approach summer movie season and the arrival of new offerings from long-in-the-tooth franchises (looking at you, "Mission: Impossible" and "Jurassic Park"), it's interesting to note what a major studio is doing this week: releasing, in IMAX even, an original film from an auteur. Few filmmakers these days get this opportunity, but Warner Bros. has gone big with the writer-director Ryan Coogler for his Southern gothic horror story "Sinners." Our chief critic, Manohla Dargis, thinks it's a knockout. In her review, she calls it "a big-screen exultation — a passionate, effusive praise song about life and love, including the love of movies." So if you're angling for something fresh and bold (and horror is up your alley), this could be the one for you. Notably, Coogler has yet to direct a film that hasn't featured Michael B. Jordan, the star of "Sinners." Here you can read Reggie Ugwu's interview with Coogler and Jordan about their 12-year collaboration (and find out what Coogler has to say about his screen characters with daddy issues). If you're looking for something lighter, there's a remake of "The Wedding Banquet," Ang Lee's 1993 queer rom-com about love and (sham) marriage. The update is directed by Andrew Ahn and features Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone, along with the international screen legends Joan Chen and Yuh-Jung Youn. In her review, the critic Alissa Wilkinson praises the performances, calling Gladstone "both centered and luminously funny," and writing that Youn "sparkles and surprises." For more on Chen, you can read an interview about her career renaissance playing mothers in indie films. Enjoy the movies! Warner Bros. Pictures Critic's Pick 'Sinners' Review: Ryan Coogler's Southern Horror Fantasia The director goes boldly out there in his fifth feature, a genre-defying, mind-bending shoot-em-up that stars Michael B. Jordan as twins. By Manohla Dargis Luka Cyprian/Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures Critic's Pick 'The Wedding Banquet' Review: The Family You Find A retelling of Ang Lee's classic of queer cinema comes at the same farcical situation in a new way. By Alissa Wilkinson Dana Scruggs for The New York Times Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler and a Dozen Years of Collaborations The star and the director of "Sinners" have risen in parallel since first working together over a decade ago. In a joint interview, they explain their connection. By Reggie Ugwu Amy Harrity for The New York Times Joan Chen: Exacting Artist, Cool Mom The acclaimed actress and filmmaker is having a career renaissance playing dynamic mother roles in indie films, including in the new version of "The Wedding Banquet." By Esther Zuckerman CRITICS' PICKS Marcel Zyskind/IFC Films/Shudder Critic's Pick 'The Ugly Stepsister' Review: Nipped, Tucked and Royally Fussed Over This deliciously nasty reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale imagines how far one of the stepsisters would go to marry her prince. By Jeannette Catsoulis MOVIE REVIEWS Film Forum Documentary Lens Ani DiFranco Tried to Collaborate. Then the Pandemic Hit. The film "1-800-ON-HER-OWN" follows the fiercely independent artist as she tries a career first: writing a song with another artist. By Alissa Wilkinson Sophie Giraud/Janus Films 'The Shrouds' Review: For Cronenberg, Grief Is an Obsession The director's latest stars Vincent Cassel as an entrepreneur who mourns the death of his wife by inventing technology that surveils her entombed body. By Elisabeth Vincentelli A24 'The Legend of Ochi' Review: The Great, Familiar Adventure A 1980s throwback movie about a teenager who sets out on a journey with a mysterious being. By Alissa Wilkinson Cohen Media Group 'The President's Wife' Review: Would Madame Get Your Vote? Catherine Deneuve plays the former French first lady Bernadette Chirac in this puckish, highly fictionalized biopic with a pop-feminist edge. By Beatrice Loayza Altered Innocents 'Queens of Drama' Review: A Half-Century Feud Alexis Langlois's musical romance is an unruly story of a love-hate relationship between two ambitious musicians. By Lisa Kennedy DP Rafael Palacio Illingworth 'Invention' Review: Patent Pensive In this strange experimental feature from Courtney Stephens and Callie Hernandez, a grieving daughter investigates the mysterious gadget her father left behind. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Victor Llorente for The New York Times Alex Garland Pairs With a Veteran to Engage in Realistic 'Warfare' The filmmaker directed his latest picture with Ray Mendoza, a U.S. Navy veteran of the Iraq War. They wanted to depict, with a sense of urgency, war as it is really experienced. By Marc Tracy Kevin Mazur/WireImage, via Getty Images; Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images How John Cena Became the Last Great Crossover Wrestling Star As his in-ring career draws to a close, the most popular star in W.W.E. is trying out a new role: the bad guy. By Timothy Bella Focus Features The 'Pride & Prejudice' Hand Flex: One Gesture and the Web Is Still Swooning The subtle expression of longing in the 2005 adaptation wasn't meant to be a key moment. Even the director is surprised it took on a life of its own. By Esther Zuckerman The Interview Ramy Youssef Is Just Trying to Be 'Emotionally Correct' The creator and comedian discusses his penchant for self-reflection, how politics fits into his work and why he's not interested in representing anyone but himself. 45 MIN LISTEN Abergavenny Local History Society Street Survey Overlooked No More: Ethel Lina White, Master of Suspense Who Inspired Hitchcock A powerhouse of the genre, she published around 100 short stories and 17 novels, one of which was adapted into the acclaimed film "The Lady Vanishes." By Sarah Weinman STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Peter Mountain/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Beyond the Algorithm 'The Voyeurs,' 'Cyrano' and More Streaming Gems Exciting new riffs on 1990s genre movies are among the highlights of this month's recommendations on your subscription streaming services. By Jason Bailey Quiver Distribution Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include brave siblings and violent young men. By Robert Daniels Sundance Selects Five Free Movies to Stream Now In films like Andrew Haigh's "Weekend," you'll find new beginnings in time for spring. Here's a rundown of what's currently on Tubi, Plex and PlutoTV. By Brandon Yu 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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