Movies Update: The Projectionist on “difficult” women and the Oscars.

Plus, "Sinners" and "Wicked: For Good" get an early jump on awards season.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 19, 2025 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! Awards season picked up steam this week with the release of the academy's shortlists in 12 categories. "Sinners" and "Wicked: For Good" led the way, appearing in eight of the races, including the new best casting competition. The shortlists — the lineups that voters will winnow down for the actual nominations — largely cover what we call below-the-line contests, like score or makeup and hairstyling. So this week's news may not be an indication of what will lead the major categories at the Oscars. Indeed, the fact that "One Battle After Another," which many see as the front-runner, landed only in five categories may not be indicative of anything. (And wow, "Sirat," the indescribable thriller set in the Moroccan desert, tied with "One Battle.") Speaking of what the voters will choose — or not! — our resident Oscars expert, Kyle Buchanan, a.k.a. The Projectionist, wrote about his concern that a few major performances might be overlooked this season simply because the characters are women who buck convention. Rose Byrne (in "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Die My Love") and Amanda Seyfried ("The Testament of Ann Lee") "delivered some of their strongest ever work this year playing difficult women, yet remain on the bubble in most best-actress predictions," he writes, adding, "Too often during awards season, I find that likability is a metric applied against female leads far more often than to men, who manage to get away with just about anything." It's something to keep an eye on next month when the nominations are released. And we haven't even talked about the academy's decision to move the Oscars to YouTube starting in 2029, ending after more than 50 years on ABC. It's not unprecedented. Other movie-related ceremonies, like the SAG Awards — er, now they're the Actor Awards — have jumped to streaming and, to my mind, the loss of commercials has improved the entertainment value. There's also something to be said for showing the biggest awards in Hollywood on the biggest streaming service. But three years is a long time to wait given the pace of technological change, and the landscape may look a lot different when the academy actually makes the leap. Until then, enjoy the movies! Focus Features; Warner Bros.; Neon; A24 The 25 Most Notable Movies of 2025 We polled film experts in the newsroom. These are the titles that stuck with us this year. By The New York Times The Best Movies of 2025: You Decide The critics have had their say. Now it's your turn. What movies released in 2025 do you consider the best? By The New York Times Mubi; Searchlight Pictures The Projectionist Will the Oscars Make Room for 'Difficult' Women? Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence and Amanda Seyfried give great performances as women who buck convention. But some voters prize 'likability' above all else. By Kyle Buchanan 20th Century Studios 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Review: By Land, by Water, by Air! For the franchise's third movie, James Cameron throws in new creatures, new landscapes, melodramatic plot lines and big battle sequences. It's a lot. By Manohla Dargis Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate 'The Housemaid' Review: Dusty Counters, Dirty Secrets Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in a thriller that is best seen with a full house. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS Netflix critic's pick 'Cover-Up' Review: Seymour Hersh, Scoops and Power In their documentary, Laura Poitras ("Citizenfour") and Mark Obenhaus trace the career highs and lows of the famed investigative journalist. By Manohla Dargis 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 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 REMEMBERING ROB REINER Columbia Pictures, via Everett Collection An Appraisal Rob Reiner Gave Us Great Reasons to Go to the Movies "This Is Spinal Tap," "When Harry Met Sally …," "Misery": Reiner delivered an incredible number of accessible, original and adult movies that we still cherish. By Manohla Dargis Embassy Pictures Critic's Notebook How Rob Reiner Created His Comedy Legacy These moments from his movies brought the laughs, in many different ways. By Jason Zinoman Columbia Pictures, via Everett Collection An Appraisal Rob Reiner Made Clear What He Believed In, Onscreen and Off In films like "A Few Good Men," the director's ideas of honor and morality were stated as plainly as could be. By Alissa Wilkinson 20th Century Fox, via Everett Collection Rob Reiner: A Life in Pictures The actor-turned-director spent decades at the forefront of the entertainment world. By The New York Times Shutterstock Rob Reiner: 14 Movies and Shows to Stream He played one of the most memorable sitcom roles of the '70s before going on to direct a string of enduring movie classics. Here are some of his career highlights. By Esther Zuckerman MOVIE REVIEWS Netflix Documentary Lens 'Breakdown: 1975' Remembers the Distinctive Cinematic Voices of an Era This documentary could be better, but it offers a helpful lesson for film fans new to the movies of that decade. By Alissa Wilkinson WILLA 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' Review: When Help Won't Arrive Kaouther Ben Hania's dramatized feature about a Palestinian girl who is killed in Gaza City is both powerfully direct and purposefully removed. By Ben Kenigsberg Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Movies 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' Review: Underwater Adventure The latest installment to this entertainment juggernaut relies on a cheap, rote formula and easy gags to keep children engaged. By Brandon Yu Angel Studios 'David' Review: Preaching to the Choir The story of David and Goliath is presented as a feel-good family epic in this animated musical released by the popular religious media company Angel Studios. By Calum Marsh Mark Seliger/HBO 'Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?' Review: Becoming Big Stars The band became a major success in 1993 with the hit "Mr. Jones." Since then, the group has done its best to keep rock music alive. By Glenn Kenny NEWS & FEATURES Philip Cheung for The New York Times The Oscars Will Be Streamed The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it had reached a deal with YouTube for exclusive rights to the show starting in 2029. By Brooks Barnes and John Koblin Universal Pictures; Sara Krulwich/The New York Times How the 'Wicked' Movies Turbocharged a Broadway Juggernaut The musical was already one of theater's biggest success stories. Then came Hollywood. By Michael Paulson 20th Century Studios 'Avatar: Fire and Ash': What to Remember Before Seeing the New Movie The newest chapter in the saga of the Na'vi people continues to build their highly detailed world. Here's a guide to catch you up on the developments. By Esther Zuckerman STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Strand Releasing Five Free Movies to Stream The final column of the year looks at the end of things — the end of the world, the end of youth — along with an underrated holiday gem. By Brandon Yu Netflix Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now In this month's picks, torrents, trolls and time travel. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Clockwise from top left: 20th Century Fox; Focus Features; RKO Radio Pictures 30 Classic Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season Our list of classics is broad, from warm Old Hollywood favorites to the sort of boozy, vulgar entertainments that parents can watch after putting the kids to bed. By Scott Tobias Lorey Sebastian/United Artists The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don't have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We'll do the heavy lifting. You press play. By Jason Bailey Alisha Wetherill/Prime Merry Little Streaming From "Oh. What. Fun." to "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie," a roundup of several new holiday titles to stream this season. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Peter Mountain/Universal Pictures 20 Great Holiday Romance Movies From timeless classics to frothy distractions, we've picked the best holiday romances currently available to stream. By Ashley Spencer 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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