Cinema News

August 5, 2022

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

Another summer weekend, another blockbuster release. Brad Pitt stars in this week's big-budget entry, "Bullet Train," where he plays a man on a high-speed train with plenty of murder and mayhem on board with him. In her review, the critic Manohla Dargis called it "jokey, sometimes funny and predictably stupid."

If you want to get nostalgic for the blockbusters of yesteryear, check out our look back at the summer of 1982, which included "Blade Runner," "E.T.," "Tron" and more. Also, we asked four young stars of the present to watch influential sci-fi movies and give us their reactions.

This week, we also had our streaming columnists select their favorite genre movies about summer. They include big '90s hits and off-the-beaten-path sleepers.

Have fun at the movies.

Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures

'Bullet Train' Review: Ride and Die

Brad Pitt plays an amiable assassin who gets stuck on a Japanese high-speed train with a motley crew of other killers and no easy way out.

By Manohla Dargis

Five Sci-Fi Classics, One Summer: How 1982 Shaped Our Present

"Blade Runner," "E.T.," "Tron," "The Wrath of Khan" and "The Thing" all arrived that one season 40 years ago to become indelible and influential.

By Adam Nayman and Sinna Nasseri

Vince Valitutti/Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/Amazon Prime Video

'Thirteen Lives' Review: Dramatizing the Near Impossible

The harrowing rescue of a Thai youth soccer team is the subject of Ron Howard's latest drama.

By Amy Nicholson

CRITICS' PICKS

Film Movement

Critic's Pick

'Faith' Review: Training to Fight Demons at a Monastery

Valentina Pedicini's final documentary tracks the "Warriors of Light" — their leader, and their monks and mothers, in Italy.

By Glenn Kenny

Luisa Conlon/Disney

Critic's Pick

'Mija' Review: Hitting the Notes

In this documentary, a new generation of Mexican American musicians reflect the nuances of their realities on both sides of the border.

By Beandrea July

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Universal Pictures

Anatomy of a Scene

Watch Daniel Kaluuya Face a U.F.O. in 'Nope'

The writer-director Jordan Peele narrates a harrowing sequence from his film.

By Mekado Murphy

MOVIE REVIEWS

Universal Pictures

'Easter Sunday' Review: A Feel-Good Filipino Family Comedy

Jo Koy stars as a struggling comedian who is balancing his acting career with the demands of his son and mother.

By Concepción de León

Eric Chakeen/A24

'Bodies Bodies Bodies' Review: 'Euphoria' With Knives

In this film from Halina Reijn, a group of rich Gen Z friends fear that a killer is stalking their inner circle.

By Lena Wilson

Netflix

'Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Review: More Turtle Power

This continuation of the half-shelled foursome's saga is rendered in snappy and brightly-colored animation.

By Claire Shaffer

Ken Woroner/Netflix

'Wedding Season' Review: Much 'I Do' About Nothing

To appease their moms, a pair of Indian American entrepreneurs pretend at romance over a spate of nuptials in this soulless romantic comedy on Netflix.

By Natalia Winkelman

Apple TV+

'Luck' Review: Bad Day at the Fortune Factory

A young woman seeking a lucky penny for a child in foster care finds an entire magical world where luck is manufactured.

By Teo Bugbee

20th Century Studios/Hulu

'Prey' Review: Alien vs. Warrior

The "Predator" franchise gets a prequel and the Comanche Nation gets a space invader in this unremarkable adventure.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Magnolia

'I Love My Dad' Review: A Father Catfishes His Son

This comedy is a daddy-issues movie with a queasy premise truly made for these times.

By Glenn Kenny

Josh Stringer/Blumhouse/Peacock

'They/Them' Review: Scared Straight

A masked ax-murderer runs amok at a gay conversion camp in this flimsy, Kevin Bacon-starring slasher flick.

By Calum Marsh

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NEWS & FEATURES

Clockwise from top left: CBS, Netflix, Marvel/Disney, Tina Rowden/Netflix

It Came From the '80s

We asked four young stars of the present to watch the influential sci-fi films that seemed futuristic back in the day. Here's what they thought.

By Dave Itzkoff

Universal Pictures

Critic's Notebook

Pregnant Men Were a Movie Punchline. Now They're Horror Villains.

The idea of the pregnant man has long been mined for Hollywood comedy. This summer, he becomes a menace.

By Amanda Hess

DVV Entertainment

How the Indian Action Spectacular 'RRR' Became a Smash in America

The unusual decision to rerelease the film a few weeks after its initial run has drawn enthusiastic audiences even though it's available on Netflix.

By Simon Abrams

via BlackStar Projects

Critic's Notebook

At the BlackStar Film Festival, a Revelatory Understanding of Cinema

Specializing in work by Black, brown and Indigenous directors, the annual Philadelphia event showcases experimental work from around the world.

By Salamishah Tillet

Jennelle Fong for The New York Times

She's the Secret Weapon in a Film About the Thai Cave Rescue

For Ron Howard's retelling of the 2018 ordeal, Pattrakorn Tungsupakul not only played the mother of a stranded boy, she also made key script contributions.

By Nicole Sperling

David McNew/Reuters

Pixar's Ousted Founder Returns With Apple and 'Luck'

John Lasseter was toppled five years ago by allegations about his workplace behavior. He's back with an animated film and a studio that could be Pixar 2.0.

By Brooks Barnes

Simone Niamani Thompson for The New York Times

Amber Midthunder Has a New Action Hero for You

She is gaining a reputation for such roles with films like "The Ice Road" and her latest, "Prey." She's the rare Native American actress to star in the genre.

By Nicolas Rapold

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