Cinema News: Movies Update: Thanks to “KPop Demon Hunters,” this awards season is “Golden”

January 9, 2026

	By Mekado Murphy

Hey, movie fans!

We are right in the beating heart of awards season, with one set of televised awards already given out (the Critics Choice, where "One Battle After Another" took best picture) and another set to come on Sunday (the Golden Globes, with movies, TV and even podcasts competing for trophies). And this week our Projectionist, Kyle Buchanan, discusses the potential Oscar prospects of a promising young actor named Timothée Chalamet. Maybe you've heard of him. Surprisingly, while he's won several critics' prizes, Oscar voters tend not to reward young stars with the best actor statuette and that may affect his chances.

Many of the movies that have been racking up awards and nominations on the circuit are covered in our annual Oscars issue. That includes "Sinners" (we spoke to one of its stars, Hailee Steinfeld), "KPop Demon Hunters" (we have an oral history), "Hamnet" (Do we cover "Hamlet" speeches? That is the question) and the ubiquity of one actor in awards-y movies this year: Josh O'Connor.

Check all those stories out, then enjoy the movies!

A triptych of film stills on a yellow background picturing Timothee Chalamet in carious roles including

Sony Pictures Classics; Searchlight Pictures; A24

The Projectionist

Can Timothée Chalamet Break This Oscar Curse?

The best actor Oscar almost never goes to young men, though the 30-year-old has his best chance yet with "Marty Supreme."

By Kyle Buchanan

Mubi; Bleecker Street; Netflix

Critic's Notebook

Josh O'Connor x 4

The star's nuance and emotional power, along with his natural charisma, quietly enriched a quartet of movies in 2025.

By Manohla Dargis

In a darkly lit scene, a man in old-fashioned clothing stands and looks sad.

Agata Grzybowska/Focus Features

To Be or Not to Be: That Is the Question Filmmakers Can't Resist

The Shakespearean monologue that is featured twice in "Hamnet" has long informed the movies, often in surprising ways that can make us rethink the words.

By Alissa Wilkinson

An animated still shows three extremely long-legged women in different poses. One has long reddish hair; another has a long purple braid and the third has short dark hair.

Netflix

'KPop Demon Hunters' Oral History: The Making of a Smash

As the filmmakers, songwriters and actors tell it, their "wackadoo" concept evolved over nine years and eight versions of "Golden" into a global phenomenon.

By Melena Ryzik

In a movie scene set inside a juke joint, a woman in a light-colored slinky top stands out amid men in dark overalls and caps.

Warner Bros.

Hailee Steinfeld on What 'Sinners' Taught Her

For the Ryan Coogler-directed vampire tale, "this character is what pushed me to sort of truly live in myself," the actress said.

By Brian Josephs

CRITICS' PICKS

A bearded man in period clothes stands on a boat in a scene from the movie

Janus Films

Critic's Pick

'Magellan' Review: The Beauty and the Bloodshed of a Smaller World

Gael García Bernal plays the explorer Ferdinand Magellan in Lav Diaz's portrait of a brutal adventurer and his travels across the globe.

By Manohla Dargis

In an indoor setting, a woman in a purple shirt gently rests her forehead against a baby she is holding.

Music Box Films

Critic's Pick

'Young Mothers' Review: Teen Parents, Breaking Cycles

The Dardenne brothers' latest film is a tender portrait of four teenage moms in a Belgian maternity shelter.

By Alissa Wilkinson

An older woman with curly gray hair sits in the back seat of a car, looking thoughtfully out the window. Reflections of buildings and palm trees are visible on the glass.

Watermelon Pictures

Critic's Pick

'All That's Left of You' Review: Hearts, Minds, History

The Palestinian American director Cherien Dabis offers eloquent context with her generational drama about Palestinian men.

By Lisa Kennedy

NEWS & FEATURES

A black-and-white portrait shows three people sitting in a row against a white wall with the shadows of their heads.

Will Arnett, Laura Dern and Bradley Cooper: 3 Friends Walk Into a Comedy Club

In many ways, their new relationship tale, "Is This Thing On?," relies on their shared history over 25 years.

By Melena Ryzik and Sam Hellmann

In a black-and-white portrait set in a concrete-bunker-looking space, a man in dark clothing leans against the wall and tilts his head as he looks at the camera.

Max Miechowski for The New York Times

His Job Is to Resuscitate 'Star Wars.' No Pressure.

Lucasfilm hopes that Shawn Levy, who made "Deadpool and Wolverine" and helped make "Stranger Things," can bring that same touch. The key may be his inner child.

By Calum Marsh

In an archival black-and-white image a woman clutches her arm as she reclines on an old-fashioned sofa.

Museum of Modern Art

An Astonishing New Look at the Movie That Inspired Michael Mann to Direct

"The Joyless Street" is among the most chopped-up films of the silent era. A restoration at MoMA's To Save and Project series proves eye-opening.

By Ben Kenigsberg

An older man dressed in black stands in front of a pink background.

Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images

Bela Tarr, Titan of Slow-Moving Cinema, Dies at 70

The master Hungarian filmmaker's movies included "Satantango" and "Werckmeister Harmonies."

By Alex Marshall and Adam Nossiter

MOVIE REVIEWS

Two men indoors, one in a striped shirt with hands raised and a serious expression, while the other, in a green shirt, stands behind him.

Row K Entertainment

'Dead Man's Wire' Review: When the Action Is Razor Thin

Dramatizing an odd news item from 1977, Gus Van Sant's crime film isn't crazy enough.

By Ben Kenigsberg

A woman with a distressed expression screams while standing in a dimly lit, dirt-walled underground tunnel.

Gareth Gatrell/Paramount Pictures

'Primate' Review: Going Ape

This blood-splattered survival film about a rabies-infected chimpanzee is powered by unabashedly simple pleasures.

By Brandon Yu

A smiling couple sits at a bar with colorful lights in the background. The man wears sparkly glasses and a red shirt, while the woman has a bright blue wig and a shiny top.

Michele K. Short/Netflix

'People We Meet on Vacation' Review: When Stuffy Met Silly

Love grows between a restless travel writer and a contented homebody in this occasionally cute, instantly forgettable romantic comedy.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Three people stand outdoors under a cloudy sky, looking ahead with serious expressions. The man on the left wears a brown jacket, the woman in the center wears a dark coat holding a map, and the young man on the right wears a blue puffer over a hoodie.

Lionsgate

'Greenland 2: Migration' Review: The New World

Gerard Butler returns for more earthshaking action in this crowd-pleasing postapocalyptic thriller.

By Robert Daniels

A black-and-white image of a bearded man with wide eyes, looking surprised or shocked. Numerous computer mouse cursor icons are scattered across his face and the sparkling background.

Oscilloscope

'OBEX' Review: An Analog Nightmare

In this indie oddity boasting visceral D.I.Y. effects, a gentle loner enters the world of a video game to save his beloved dog.

By Beatrice Loayza

Two older men, one clean-shaven and one with a gray beard, stand outside at night, separated by a fence. Dimly lit houses and dark flowers are visible in the background.

Cohen Media Group

'My Neighbor Adolf' Review: The Nazi Next Door

The actors Udo Kier and David Hayman square off in this domestic drama where a man is convinced that his neighbor is Adolf Hitler.

By Glenn Kenny

An older man in a suit gestures while talking to a woman with long dark hair, sitting on a bench in a hallway. A formal event with seated guests is visible through an open doorway behind them.

Meridian Hill Pictures

'Holding Liat' Review: Hostage Situation

This unpredictable documentary follows a man and his family as they wait for news of his daughter and her husband, who were kidnapped in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

By Nicolas Rapold

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a sleeveless top, grips iron bars with both hands and her mouth open, standing by a brick wall and window.

Alejandro Focs/Netflix

Five International Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include an elliptical Mexican anthology film, an experimental biopic of the writer Suzanne Césaire and more.

By Devika Girish

An animated still from a movie showing several dogs and one boy, all wearing uniforms, on a city street.

Paramount Pictures

5 Children's Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a film sequel to a beloved franchise and a documentary about the plight of polar bears.

By Dina Gachman

A man and a woman in the front seats of a car, wearing sunglasses.

Des Willie/Prime

The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+, Amazon, HBO Max, Peacock and More in January

"The Pitt" Season 2, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," "The Beauty," "Wonder Man," "Shrinking" Season 3 and more arrive.

By Noel Murray

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Movies Update: Thanks to “KPop Demon Hunters,” this awards season is “Golden”