Movies Update: A secret screening at the New York Film Festival

Plus, four movies to watch this weekend

View in browser|nytimes.com October 10, 2025 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! The email showed up in our inboxes on Saturday and the speculation soon followed: The New York Film Festival had added a secret screening. What could it be? Most educated guesses landed on "Marty Supreme." Good thing they were right: The packed crowd at Alice Tully Hall was primed for Josh Safdie's first solo outing — a sports drama (loosely speaking) starring Timothée Chalamet as an obsessed pingpong champion in postwar New York. The reaction in the auditorium was overwhelmingly positive, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say this is going to be a fun one to cover when it's released in December. What else is going on in the film world? Taylor Swift unveiled a movie (also loosely speaking), "The Official Release Party of a Showgirl," that was the undisputed box office champ over the weekend. That meant slim pickings for "The Smashing Machine," a sports drama by the other Safdie brother, Benny. But I wouldn't count out that film, which has Oscar prospects, especially for its lead, Dwayne Johnson. As for this weekend, our critics are recommending "A House of Dynamite," a nail-biter from Kathryn Bigelow about an unidentified missile in American airspace. Our chief critic Manohla Dargis calls it a "propulsive thriller." Jeannette Catsoulis writes that the drama "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," from Mary Bronstein, is "a howl of maternal desperation spiked with jagged humor." It stars Rose Byrne delivering a "remarkable performance" as a stressed-out mother with a mysteriously ill daughter. On the nonfiction front, Ben Kenigsberg has strong praise for "Israel Palestine on Swedish Television 1958-1989," writing that "it's great TV and an excellent documentary." Alissa Wilkinson isn't as high on "John Candy: I Like Me," which she describes as "a standard-issue celebrity documentary." But she adds that it's worth catching for the archival footage we might never get to see otherwise. Whatever you decide to watch, enjoy the movies! Eros Hoagland/Netflix, via Associated Press Critic's pick 'A House of Dynamite' Review: Kathryn Bigelow's Alarming Command and Control The director's latest nail-biter, starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson and Anthony Ramos, tracks a ballistic missile heading for the United States. By Manohla Dargis Leah Gallo/Disney Enterprises 'Tron: Ares' Review: Who Needs Logic When You Have Neon? The third "Tron" movie continues the saga begun over four decades ago, and now, the programs are in our world. By Alissa Wilkinson Yannis Drakoulidis/Amazon MGM Studios 'After the Hunt' Review: Uncomfortable, for the Wrong Reasons Luca Guadagnino's campus drama falls on its face trying to court controversy. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS Logan White/A24 Critic's Pick 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You' Review: Maternal Duress Rose Byrne is magnificent as an overwhelmed mother in this wrenching, spiky drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis SVT/Icarus Films Critic's Pick Review: How Swedish Television Covered the Middle East Goran Hugo Olsson's archival documentary "Israel Palestine on Swedish Television 1958-1989" excerpts three decades of public programs. By Ben Kenigsberg ANATOMY OF A SCENE Leah Gallo/Disney Enterprises Anatomy of a Scene Watch a Light Cycle Chase in 'Tron: Ares' The director Joachim Ronning narrates a sequence from his film featuring Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith and Jared Leto. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Davi Russo/Paramount Pictures 'Roofman' Review: Robbing McDonald's, Stealing Hearts Channing Tatum plays a spree-robber on the lam in Derek Cianfrance's movie that can't decide whether to celebrate his antics or denounce them. By Natalia Winkelman Roadside Attractions 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' Review: Play Their Favorite Song Jennifer Lopez comes up just a little short in a movie about the escapist power of musicals. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Prime Video Amazon Content Services LLC Documentary Lens 'John Candy: I Like Me' and the Challenge of Making a Film About a Nice Guy More or less a standard-issue celebrity documentary, the movie lets us enjoy archival footage that might otherwise not be seen. By Alissa Wilkinson Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now/Paramount+ 'Ozzy: No Escape From Now' Review: A Metal Legend's Last Stand It's painful to watch Ozzy Osbourne struggle in this documentary, but his efforts to make one final onstage appearance are awe-inspiring. By Glenn Kenny Devisio Picture 'Urchin' Review: The Vicious Cycle and Recycle of Addiction and Hope Frank Dillane, starring as a recovering addict in London, elevates this character study, Harris Dickinson's feature directing debut. By Beatrice Loayza Parisa Taghizadeh/Netflix 'The Woman in Cabin 10' Review: When Things Go Splash in the Night Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce encounter bumpy waters on a yacht in this adaptation of a Ruth Ware thriller. By Lisa Kennedy Spencer Peck/Affirm Films 'Soul on Fire' Review: After Near Death, Rebuilding a Life This adaptation of an autobiographical book by John O'Leary manages to be affecting despite its overly sentimental moments. By Sheri Linden Kris Dewitte/Doppleganger 'Mr. K' Review: 'The Hotel Is Shrinking!' Crispin Glover stars as a mild-mannered magician trapped in a twisted hotel in this offbeat, darkly surreal comedy. By Calum Marsh NEWS & FEATURES Erik Carter for The New York Times The Breakout Star of 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' "I wanted to tell a story that encompassed the gender spectrum," said Tonatiuh, who transformed his body to play the queer window dresser Luis Molina. By Sarah Bahr The Film-Makers' Cooperative An Appraisal The Strangely Beautiful Realities You Can Discover in a Ken Jacobs Film The avant-garde director, who died Sunday, changed our ideas of what cinema was and could be while showing us the old, lost New York. By Manohla Dargis Warner Bros. Critic's Notebook How 'American Girl' Enhances a Scene in 'One Battle After Another' The Tom Petty hit has a rich cinematic legacy that Paul Thomas Anderson draws on for the closing moments of his tale of radical revolutionaries. By Esther Zuckerman Photograph by Joshua Woods. Styled by Delphine Danhier The Greats Glenn Close Has Nothing Left to Prove For half a century, she's brought her singular talents to the stage and screen. Now, the actress wants one more shot at the role that helped make her a star. By Nick Haramis, Joshua Woods and Delphine Danhier STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix 5 Children's Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a modern fairy tale horror and an adaptation of a beloved graphic novel series. By Dina Gachman Shudder Five Horror Movies to Stream Now Just in time for Halloween comes killer cola, a creeping phantasm and death from the commode. By Erik Piepenburg Erin Simkin/Netflix The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in October "Nobody Wants This" is back and so is Kathryn Bigelow, with a new political thriller starring Idris Elba. By Noel Murray 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. 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