Movies Update: Rabbits and snakes and sloths, oh my

Plus, perchance to dream about a Shakespeare biopic

View in browser|nytimes.com November 28, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! I hope your Thanksgiving was pleasant and plentiful. And I hope that you have seen, or will be seeing, plenty of movies. There's no shortage of choices. "Zootopia 2" is playing just about everywhere, with your favorite fox and rabbit detectives back on the case. My colleague Brooks Barnes made a visit to Walt Disney Animation Studios to chat with one of the film's directors, Jared Bush, about trying to bring magic back to the studio with this offering. Though the magic didn't completely work on our critic, Brandon Yu, he wrote in his review that the movie was "more expansive and action-packed, if also a bit bloated." In more limited release is the latest in the "Knives Out" series, "Wake Up Dead Man." (It comes to Netflix Dec. 12.) This one takes the detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to church, featuring Josh O'Connor as a priest. It's a critic's pick, with Alissa Wilkinson writing that the movie explores religion, and so much more, "with a remarkably light, affectionately irreverent touch." This one, like the others, is star-studded. We looked at how the casting of these projects comes together in a delicate dance. Two much-lauded films from the festival circuit have also landed in theaters, the period Brazilian drama "The Secret Agent," and the period biopic about Shakespeare's family, "Hamnet." Both are critic's picks as well. Whichever you decide on, enjoy the movies! Netflix Critic's Pick 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' Review: Forgive Them, Father Josh O'Connor leads a star-studded cast in the latest Benoit Blanc mystery — this one, about religious cults of personality. By Alissa Wilkinson Neon Critic's Pick 'The Secret Agent' Review: Carnival in the Face of Carnage Wagner Moura takes cover in this knockout from the filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho that is largely set in 1977 during Brazil's miliary dictatorship. By Manohla Dargis Disney Enterprises 'Zootopia 2' Review: Natural Habitats, Expanded A sequel to the 2016 hit, this movie about an animal metropolis takes on an even messier social allegory than the first one, while building out a wider (if bloated) universe. By Brandon Yu CRITICS' PICKS Agata Grzybowska/Focus Features Critic's Pick 'Hamnet' Review: The Rest Is Silence Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal star in a heartbreaking adaptation of the best-selling novel. By Alissa Wilkinson Rich Spirit Critic's Pick 'BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions' Review: An Artist's Mind-Expanding Collage In this dazzling essay movie, the director Kahlil Joseph draws on an array of sources — news clips, old movies, family albums, an encyclopedia of "Africana" — to create a thrilling whole. By Manohla Dargis Film Forum Critic's Pick 'Teenage Wasteland' Review: Young in Age, Mature in Reporting This documentary looks back at a group of teenagers who, in the early 1990s, created a high school video project that ended up breaking real news. By Ben Kenigsberg Aboramara Critic's Pick 'You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine' Review: Paying Tribute in Nashville Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, Kacey Musgraves and other luminaries perform Prine's songs in this engaging concert film. By Glenn Kenny MOVIE REVIEWS Leah Gallo/A24 'Eternity' Review: Dead Reckoning Elizabeth Olsen plays a dead woman who must choose her forever partner in this silly afterlife rom-com. By Jeannette Catsoulis Jean Dakar/Ciconia Film and National Geographic Documentary Lens In 'The Tale of Silyan,' the Storks Are Watching The birds' presence lends an otherworldly air to this nonfiction look at a family farm in a dying North Macedonian village. By Alissa Wilkinson Briarcliff Entertainment 'The Thing With Feathers' Review: Parenting Without Your Better Half A grieving father struggles to care for his two children after the death of his wife. Even with its star, Benedict Cumberbatch, the movie never takes flight. By Lisa Kennedy Netflix 'The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo' Review: Freelancing Woes Was a freelance photographer intentionally left out of the famous Vietnam War photo of "Napalm Girl"? By Beatrice Loayza Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co, Ltd © 2025/Netflix 'Left-Handed Girl' Review: An Electric Portrait of Taipei The filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou tells a sensitive story of a mother and her two daughters struggling to get by in Taiwan. By Natalia Winkelman NEWS & FEATURES Brian Randle/Daily Herald and Mirrorpix, via Getty Images Critic's Notebook The Great Beatles Documentary That's Nearly Impossible to See (Legally) With "The Beatles Anthology" now on Disney+, we dig into "The Compleat Beatles," another documentary on the band that is difficult to see legally but had an impact on a generation. By Jason Bailey Tom Hill/WireImage, via Getty Images 5 Years After His Death, John Prine Gets a Cinematic Send-Off The singer and songwriter died in April 2020 of Covid-19, delaying proper tributes. Now he is the subject of a new documentary, "You Got Gold." By Bob Mehr Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Scad my ten Da'Vine Joy Randolph Loves Ocean Swims, Minus the Snorkeling "I have a phobia of what lies beneath," the Oscar winner said. "I don't want to know what's down there! Don't touch me and I won't touch you." By Leigh-Ann Jackson Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures How 2 New Songs Made Their Way Into 'Wicked: For Good' Each witch gets a new number as part of an effort to flesh out the arc of the stage show's second act. By Esther Zuckerman Graham Dickie for The New York Times They Came for Timothée. They Left With $250 Windbreakers. Mr. Chalamet's star power was in full force in Manhattan as fans clamored to get merch for "Marty Supreme," a movie none of them will see until Christmas. By Jacob Gallagher and Graham Dickie STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Netflix Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include elaborate ambulance chasing, a killer shark and crime south of the border. By Robert Daniels The National Film Board of Canada Three Great Documentaries to Stream In this month's picks, a portrait of a vanguard filmmaker, a look back at a televised clash between writers, and a reflection on a Hollywood star and pinup. By Ben Kenigsberg Columbia Pictures 'The Holiday': A Festive Cocktail, Equal Parts Charm and Cringe Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black delivered a lesson on chemistry, good and bad, in the 2006 Nancy Meyers rom-com. By Maya Salam 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. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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