Cinema News

May 27, 2022

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, film fans —

The Cannes Film Festival is heading into its final weekend, and our critic Manohla Dargis writes that several filmmakers there are addressing despair, perhaps understandably given current events. Still, she found a sense of communion even while watching dark films like "EO," Jerzy Skolimowski's exquisite but sorrowful tale of a donkey.

Speaking of dark, Kyle Buchanan met with the body-horror auteur David Cronenberg to talk about his new film, "Crimes of the Future," which frames surgery as performance art, though the director had a few thoughts about surgeries he's had as well. By now, he said, "I'm quite bionic, I think."

There were lighter moments, like the premiere of "Elvis," Baz Luhrmann's "hyperventilated" biopic of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. The movie stars Austin Butler in the title role. If you haven't heard of him, you're not alone, although Hollywood thinks he might just be the next big star. That can be a precarious position, as our reporter Brooks Barnes notes.

Also in a somewhat precarious position is Tom Cruise. Yes, he's a global movie star, but our reporter Nicole Sperling asks if that matters in a world of franchises and streaming options. He's been on an extensive promotional tour for the new sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," which the critic A.O. Scott calls "thin, over-strenuous and sometimes very enjoyable." Can Cruise deliver at the box office?

Stay tuned.

Paramount Pictures

'Top Gun: Maverick' Review: Will This Stuff Still Fly?

Tom Cruise takes to the air once more in a long-awaited sequel to a much-loved '80s action blockbuster.

By A.O. Scott

BBC Film

Critic's Notebook

In Cannes, Filmmakers Contend With Despair and Beauty, Too

Titles like "Aftersun," "Tori and Lokita" and "EO" offer dark visions that challenge and move viewers.

By Manohla Dargis

Chantal Anderson for The New York Times

Who Is Austin Butler and What Does He Want?

Hollywood thinks he might be the next big star. But with the risky "Elvis" riding on his performance, the magnetic actor is feeling the pressure.

By Brooks Barnes

Akilah Townsend for The New York Times

Jurnee Smollett: 'The Past Few Years Have Been Heartbreaking'

The "Lovecraft Country" star has faced setbacks but emerged with new projects, including the Netflix movie "Spiderhead."

By Robert Ito

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CRITICS' PICKS

20th Century Studios

Critic's Pick

'The Bob's Burgers Movie' Review: A Breezy, Engaging Summer Refreshment

In the movie version of the beloved animated sitcom, a giant sinkhole opens in front of the restaurant and kicks off a murder mystery.

By Glenn Kenny

Film Desk

Critic's Pick

'Vengeance Is Mine' Review: A Tangled Web of Human Impulse

This engrossing, tangled film by Michael Roemer, originally called "Haunted" and released in 1984, finally gets the proper theatrical release it deserves.

By Wesley Morris

Greenwich Entertainment

Critic's Pick

'A Taste of Whale' Review: Blood in the Water

This documentary offers a refreshingly multidimensional take on the practice of whale hunting in the Faroe Islands.

By Claire Shaffer

KimStim

Critic's Pick

'The Tsugua Diaries' Review: Finding Togetherness in a Pandemic

This film possesses both the whimsy and fearlessness of a student project and the technical prowess of a veteran's opus.

By Beandrea July

Neon	critic's pick 'A Chiara' Review: A Mobster's Daughter Dares to Ask Questions In Jonas Carpignano's intense and observant new film, a teenager in southern Italy confronts the truth about her family. By A.O. Scott

MOVIE REVIEWS

Lionsgate

'Zero Contact' Review: A Token of the Times

Rick Dugdale's thriller, shot over Zoom early in the pandemic, stars Anthony Hopkins as an eccentric tech genius. It was previously released as an NFT.

By Amy Nicholson

Film Movement

'Fanny: The Right to Rock' Review: Still Kicking

Started by two Filipino American sisters in California, the influential band is claiming its rightful rank in rock 'n' roll history.

By Teo Bugbee

Hulu	'Look at Me: XXXTentacion' Review: A Life Cut Short A documentary about a rap sensation who was a troubled and incendiary figure. By Glenn Kenny

Saban Films

Review: 'There Are No Saints.' Neither Are There New Plots.

A B-movie that took a decade to get to the screen follows a well-worn trail of cross-border revenge.

By Calum Marsh

Strand Entertainment

'Playlist' Review: A Broken Record of Trials

In this brisk comedy set in Paris, an aspiring cartoonist stumbles through a series of romantic, professional and medical misadventures.

By Beatrice Loayza

Prison Education LLC/Canh Nguyen

'Since I Been Down' Review: Crime and Punishment

The inmates in this documentary offer reasons for rethinking the harsh sentencing of young people in Washington State.

By Lisa Kennedy

Matthew McIntosh/1091 Pictures

'Paulie Go!' Review: Coming of Age, Whimsy Included

A robotics whiz kid road trips to Minnesota on a mission to convince a reclusive professor to take him as an apprentice in this throwback indie comedy.

By Natalia Winkelman

Best and Final Releasing

'Dinner in America' Review: A Punk-Rock Love Story

A rage-fueled rock singer on the run from the police meets and falls in love with a gullible young woman eager to escape her circumstances.

By Concepción de León

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NEWS & FEATURES

Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters

Cannes 2022: David Cronenberg Is Practically Bionic Now

The body-horror auteur talks about aging and his new film 'Crimes of the Future.'

By Kyle Buchanan

Warner Bros/CNN and HBO Max

The Dangerous Challenge of Making a Film About Aleksei Navalny

A documentarian was in the room when the Russian opposition leader made a startling discovery. But it took time to win the politician's trust.

By Nadav Gavrielov

Violette Franchi for The New York Times

George Miller Is at the Cannes Film Festival Making 'Furiosa' (That's Right)

In between screenings and interviews, the 77-year-old director is working on the next film in the "Mad Max" universe, and he seems to be having a ball.

By Manohla Dargis

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Kevin Spacey Facing Sexual Assault Charges in Britain

British prosecutors said that they had authorized criminal charges against Mr. Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault. He cannot be formally charged unless he enters England or Wales.

By Alex Marshall and Julia Jacobs

Warner Bros.

Critic's Notebook

Cannes 2022: 'Elvis,' as Remixed by Baz Luhrmann

The super-splashy biopic presents the story of the King as told by a (fake) colonel, a narratively curious choice.

By Manohla Dargis

Steve Griffith

The All-Female Band Fanny Made History. A New Doc Illuminates It.

The group put out five albums in the '70s and counted David Bowie and Bonnie Raitt as fans. The filmmaker Bobbi Jo Hart, dismayed its story hadn't been told, took action.

By Mark Yarm

Warner Bros.

Critic's Notebook

Ray Liotta in 'Goodfellas': How the Right Actor Turned the Right Part Into a Classic

His performance as Henry Hill includes many touches that weren't in the script. But the producer didn't want to cast him originally.

By Glenn Kenny

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STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

JoJo Whilden/Miramax Films

Beyond the Algorithm

'Last Night,' 'Take This Waltz' and More Streaming Gems

A handful of pointed indie dramas are among the highlights of this month's off-the-radar streaming picks, as well as a funny werewolf movie and a Robin Williams comedy.

By Jason Bailey

Fox	'The Bob's Burgers Movie' Is Coming. Here Are 10 Great Episodes. Need a primer or refresher before the movie debuts? These are the essential "Bob's Burgers" episodes to watch. By Brian Tallerico