Movies Update: A provocative take on “Dracula”

Plus, scary movie endings to talk about

View in browser|nytimes.com October 31, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! I hope you have a nice and spooky Halloween! Thanks to those of you who watched "Scream" with us and shared your thoughts. We had a fun time and a lively discussion. (And the trailer for "Scream 7" is out now, so more thrills from that franchise are to come.) For an art-house scare this week, there's the Romanian film "Dracula," from the director Radu Jude. Our chief film critic, Manohla Dargis, calls it "a gleefully crude and vulgar go-for-broke provocation that is as grindingly repetitive as it is self-amused." If you're looking for something less heady and not gory, you could go back to the 1990s and "Practical Magic." Some call the movie pure kitsch, but our writer Maya Salam offers an argument for why it prevails as a Halloween classic. You should also check out Maya's look at 10 of the most debated scary movie endings. (Warning, the entire story is a spoiler.) Enjoy the movies! 1-2 Special 'Dracula' Review: Fangs Out In this provocation, the Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude takes on the Dracula myth and a real-life horror show known as Vlad the Impaler. By Manohla Dargis Netflix 'Ballad of a Small Player' Review: Know When to Run Colin Farrell stars in Edward Berger's eye-popping but lethargic follow-up to 'Conclave.' By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS Amazon Critic's Pick 'Hedda' Review: Sex, Lies and a Country Estate ​​Tessa Thompson plays mind games with her guests in Nia DaCosta's endlessly surprising adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen production. By Natalia Winkelman Variance Films Critic's Pick 'Baahubali: The Epic' Review: The Return of the King This film combines S.S. Rajamouli's dynamic two-part period epic, "Baahubali: The Beginning" (2015) and "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" (2017), into a single, rollicking story with aplomb. By Nicolas Rapold GKIDS Critic's pick 'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain' Review: Discovering the World In this sweet animated film, set in Japan, a Belgian child encounters a flood of new wonders. By Brandon Yu My Teez Production/Home Made Docs Critic's Pick 'Coexistence, My Ass!' Review: Facing Conflict With Comedy Noam Shuster Eliassi spreads the message that Palestinians and Israelis should live as equals. By Ben Kenigsberg ANATOMY OF A SCENE Eros Hoagland/Netflix Anatomy of a Scene Watch a Tense Scene From 'A House of Dynamite' The film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, narrates a heightened sequence in which a nuclear missile is headed for the United States. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Netflix Documentary Lens 'The White House Effect' and the Value of Letting Footage Speak for Itself This film uses archival clips and documents to examine the way climate change evolved from nonpartisan topic to divisive issue. By Alissa Wilkinson Marta Mateus/Cinema Guild 'Fire of Wind' Review: May Day In this elegant, elliptical folk tale set in rural Portugal, a group of grape pickers are trapped in treetops after a bull is let loose and gores a few of their companions. By Beatrice Loayza Andriy Dubchak/National Geographic Documentary Films 'Love+War' Review: Married to the Job This documentary is a fast-charging profile of Lynsey Addario, a photojournalist who chases conflicts abroad while finessing them at home. By Jeannette Catsoulis NEWS & FEATURES Philip Cheung for The New York Times Colin Farrell and Edward Berger on High Rollers and 'Ballad of a Small Player' The actor was so fearful of the role, he thought about not getting on a plane to the Macau set. But it was a passion project for the director. By Kyle Buchanan Sela Shiloni for The New York Times Q&A Allison Williams, of 'Regretting You,' Knows She's Not the Underdog A "Girls" girl no more, the actress discusses film roles, family and exactly how often she lets herself sing. By Alexis Soloski and Sela Shiloni Warner Bros. 'Practical Magic,' Eternally Enchanting and Confounding The bewitching duo of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock turned this 1998 supernatural dramedy with a baffling story line into a Halloween classic. By Maya Salam STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Shout! Studios Beyond the Algorithm 'Old Henry,' 'Personal Shopper' and More Streaming Gems A good old-fashioned Western, a historical drama with fresh resonance and a new documentary on a famed screenwriter are among this month's off-the-beaten-path streaming recommendations. By Jason Bailey West Memphis Police Department, via HBO Three Great Documentaries to Stream In this month's picks, a chilling true-crime entry, a movie about an execution equipment manufacturer and a devilish doc from the "Exorcist" director William Friedkin. By Ben Kenigsberg Robert Palka/Netflix Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include convicted swordsmen, crooked cops and bumbling heroes who can't feel pain. By Robert Daniels 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. If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe 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. 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