Movies Update: The final Oscar contenders have arrived.

Plus, Timothée Chalamet's ping-pong movie hits theaters.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 26, 2025 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! We hope you had a nice holiday. And if you're looking for more things to do with family and friends, enough movies have opened to keep you busy well through New Year's Day. Many of these releases are critics' picks, in addition to being a big part of the Oscar conversation. Perhaps most anticipated is "Marty Supreme," Josh Safdie's manic, midcentury table-tennis comedy starring Timothée Chalamet. It was No. 3 on our chief film critic Manohla Dargis's Top 10 list, and she called Chalamet "sensational." There's also "The Testament of Ann Lee," the period film about the founder and spiritual leader of the Shakers. That one is a critic's pick from Alissa Wilkinson, who writes that the production is a "singular, astonishing, otherworldly biographical musical." And for the Neil Diamond fans out there (and even for plenty who aren't), there's "Song Sung Blue," the biopic about a cover band that stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. In her critic's pick review, Jeannette Catsoulis writes that "while Jackman is terrific as an over-the-hill striver with an almost pathological yen for the spotlight, it's Hudson who will knock you sideways." Speaking of Hudson, my colleague Brooks Barnes interviewed the star for a candid profile in which she speaks about her reputation in Hollywood and Botox treatments: "Sometimes it's fun to have a forehead that doesn't move," she tells him with a laugh. Check these releases out and don't forget to vote in our poll of readers' 2025 favorites. Also, enjoy the movies! A24 Critic's Pick 'Marty Supreme' Review: Timothée Chalamet Sprints to the Top The actor stars as a magnetic, striving table-tennis champ in Josh Safdie's new movie, one of the most exciting movies of the year. By Manohla Dargis Searchlight Pictures Critic's Pick 'The Testament of Ann Lee' Review: A Woman Clothed With the Sun In an extraordinary performance, Amanda Seyfried plays the founder of the Shakers in a singular film. By Alissa Wilkinson Focus Features Critic's pick 'Song Sung Blue' Review: A Christmas 'Caroline' Craig Brewer's toe-tapping weepie about the triumphs and tragedies of a Neil Diamond tribute band is exactly the movie we need right now. By Jeannette Catsoulis CRITICS' PICKS Steven Breckon/Independent Film Company Critic's Pick 'The Plague' Review: Pool of the Flies A stunner of a debut film follows a group of boys at a water polo camp, where an outsider is just trying to fit in. By Alissa Wilkinson Nicola Dove/Sony Pictures Classics Critic's Pick 'The Choral' Review: Singing to Keep the Fear at Bay As England goes to war, a provincial choir master played by Ralph Fiennes is challenged to find available voices in this poignant drama set in 1916. By Glenn Kenny ANATOMY OF A SCENE 20th Century Studios Anatomy of a Scene How a Deadly Bond Develops in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' James Cameron narrates a sequence from his film, featuring Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Neon 'No Other Choice' Review: A Company Man Cut Loose Park Chan-wook, the director of "Oldboy" and "The Handmaiden," brings comedic flair to the cruel tale of an employee pushed to the brink. By Manohla Dargis Matt Grace/Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures 'Anaconda' Review: Back in the Jungle The movie gets at least one thing right: Rebooting the shlocky, widely-panned creature-feature, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, is a goofy idea. By Beatrice Loayza Kimberley French/Netflix 'Goodbye June' Review: Terms of Endearment, and Estrangement Kate Winslet directs a formulaic script by her son, Joe Anders, about a dying matriarch and her quarreling adult children. By Natalia Winkelman Carole Bethuel/Mubi 'Father Mother Sister Brother' Review: Families, Untied Jim Jarmusch's uneven triptych, a prizewinner at Venice, saves its best segment for last. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Warner Bros. Critic's Notebook In 2025, They Asked What Racial Solidarity Really Looks Like Across film ("Sinners," "One Battle After Another"), theater ("Ragtime") and TV ("The Lowdown"), four works suggested what achieving racial equality in America would take. By Salamishah Tillet Neon The Year's Best Fight Scenes Had One Thing in Common Everywhere you looked this year, men were feuding. In movies like "Splitsville," "Eddington" and "Friendship," it was gloriously pathetic. By Max Cea Thea Traff for The New York Times Kate Winslet's Unhappy Family Christmas The British actress's directorial debut, "Goodbye June," is based on a script written by her son and follows a fractured family reuniting in the hospital over the holidays. By Eleanor Stanford and Thea Traff Clockwise from top left: Neal Boenzi/The New York Times; Fairchild Archive/Penske Media, via Getty Images; Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive, via Getty Images; Sara Hirakawa for The New York Times; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Artists We Lost in 2025, in Their Words Robert Redford, Roberta Flack, Diane Keaton and Brian Wilson are among the cultural luminaries who died this year. By Gabe Cohn Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate Critic's Notebook Is Sydney Sweeney Today's Most Perplexing Movie Star? Onscreen, she tends to play women fighting the patriarchy; offscreen the image she cultivates has meant conservatives consider her one of their own. By Esther Zuckerman 20th Century Studios As the 'Avatar' Villain Varang, Oona Chaplin Connected With Her Rage She had been working with refugees and channeled her anger over their situation into the ferocious performance, which was filmed several years ago. By Calum Marsh A24 'Marty Supreme' Has Some Surprising Cameos. Here's a Guide. A "Shark Tank" investor, a supermarket magnate and even N.B.A. All-Stars make appearances in the table tennis comedy. By Sarah Bahr STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Netflix The Best Animated Shows and Movies of 2025 Yes, "KPop Demon Hunters" makes the list. But that was just one of the standouts in a great year. By Maya Phillips Quiver Distribution Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a World War I revenge tale, a vampire superhero and female assassins. By Robert Daniels Netflix On Comedy 5 Comedy Specials to Get You Through the Holidays For very different reasons, new hours from Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Kathleen Madigan, George Civeris and Jay Jurden are worth your time. By Jason Zinoman 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018