Movies Update: The End of Awards Season and More

Plus, a critic's farewell.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 17, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! The Oscars are now in the rearview mirror, and I can't tell you how relieved I am that there wasn't another slap-like incident. Between the historic wins for Asian performers and emotional acceptance speeches, it was a great ceremony from my perspective. Here are the evening's best and worst moments as the film desk saw them. This year, the end of awards season coincides with the end of another great run: A.O. Scott, our co-chief film critic for more than two decades, is stepping down. (He has written a lovely farewell.) One of my early jobs on the arts desk involved editing letters to the editor, and I'll never forget the sincere response to one of his articles that began, "Dear A.O. Scott — Can I call you A.O.? I feel like I know you." That gets at the relationship readers have with his work: They might agree or disagree, but they often felt a strong connection to him. He isn't going far — he'll be a critic at large for the Books section — but I'll miss his weekly reviews. Speaking of which, his final one is of "Moving On," with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The title is pure coincidence but, alas, it's not a rave. The film "takes refuge in pleasantness, and in the easy charm of its stars," he writes. There are several Critic's Picks this week, though, including Louis Garrel's "The Innocent" (a French heist movie that's frothy, in a good way), "Drylongso" (Cauleen Smith's newly restored 1998 debut, about a photographer in Oakland) and Ulrich Seidl's "Rimini" (about a lounge singer coasting on former glories). Whatever you decide to watch, have fun at the movies! Antoine Maillard CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK And Now Let's Review … A.O. Scott conducts his own exit interview as he moves to a new post after more than two decades of reviewing films. By A.O. Scott Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times THE PROJECTIONIST After Her Oscar Win, Will Michelle Yeoh Get to Lead Again? The historic victory should mean opportunities to star again, but too often after such milestones, Hollywood doesn't find central roles for women of color. By Kyle Buchanan Noel West for The New York Times A24 Achieves Art-House Supremacy With Triumphant Oscar Night The independent studio behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "The Whale" became the first to sweep the acting awards and win best director and best picture in the same year. By Nicole Sperling Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Janus Films CRITIC'S PICK 'Drylongso' Review: Extraordinary Cauleen Smith's 1998 movie, set in Oakland in the mid-90s, remains a vivid and prescient feature debut. By Lisa Kennedy Janus Films CRITIC'S PICK 'The Innocent' Review: A Heist With a French Accent A light, enjoyable confection of a film that is built upon an amusingly absurd premise. By Claire Shaffer Big World Pictures CRITIC'S PICK 'Rimini' Review: Just an Austrian Gigolo The director Ulrich Seidl's unsettling drama tracks the exploitative behaviors of an aging lounge singer, his fans and family members. By Beatrice Loayza MOVIE REVIEWS Warner Bros. Pictures 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' Review: Yells Like Teen Spirit The problem with this sequel is that the character used up his best ideas in the first movie. By Amy Nicholson Aaron Epstein/Roadside Attractions 'Moving On' Review: Cracking Jokes and Settling Scores Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda team up in an awkward comedy about two women contemplating the murder of a predatory man. By A.O. Scott Wolfgang Ennenbach/Focus Features 'Inside' Review: Tortured Artist, Meet Tortured Man Willem Dafoe stars as an art thief who gets trapped in a penthouse in this drama. By Amy Nicholson Hulu/20th Century Studios 'Boston Strangler' Review: Chasing a Killer (and a Byline) Keira Knightley plays a dogged journalist in this colorless true-crime drama streaming on Hulu. By Jeannette Catsoulis Film Movement 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' Review: Hit and Run, Sleight of Hand Wen Shipei's first feature is a twisty and sophisticated debut whose best trick of misdirection is convincing us we're watching a different kind of movie. By Austin Considine Netflix 'Money Shot: The Pornhub Story' Review: A Clear Eye on an Industry This documentary looks at the offenses of the pornography industry through interviews with performers and activists. By Natalia Winkelman Niuvision Media 'Full River Red' Review: A Song Dynasty Blockbuster The latest film from Zhang Yimou weaves slapstick fun into an investigation of a 12th-century political murder. By Brandon Yu Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Focus Features 'Tár' | Anatomy of a Scene The writer and director Todd Field narrates a sequence from his film starring Cate Blanchett. By Mekado Murphy AWARDS SEASON Todd Heisler/The New York Times CRITICS' NOTEBOOK This Year, a Plain Old Ordinary Oscars Was Something to Savor After breathing a sigh of relief that the night went smoothly, our critics examine the acting wins as well as the track records of studios and Netflix. By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis Todd Heisler/The New York Times Best and Worst Moments From the 2023 Oscars Michelle Yeoh made history, Ke Huy Quan made us tear up and Cocaine Bear made us cringe. These were just some of the highs and lows. By Stephanie Goodman A24 Where to Stream 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and More 2023 Oscar Winners Most of the night's winners can be watched at home. Here's a guide to help you find the honorees. By Scott Tobias Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times Our Favorite Photos From the Oscars Red* Carpet *Yeah, yeah, champagne. By Sinna Nasseri Todd Heisler/The New York Times Oscars Draw 18.7 Million Viewers The viewership rose a second consecutive year, but was still the third-least-watched Oscars on record. By John Koblin and Brooks Barnes Summit Entertainment When Best Picture Winners Overcome a Release Early in the Year "Everything Everywhere All at Once" isn't the first top film to have its debut long before awards season. But it is one of the few to go the distance. By Sarah Bahr Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK Can Oscar Fashion Be More Than Marketing? Rihanna's belly, Florence Pugh's shorts and Cate Blanchett's archival velvet brought new relevance to awards show dressing. By Vanessa Friedman Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times Inside the Governors Ball 2023 Oscars Party Ke Huy Quan, Ruth Carter and Darren Aronofsky were among the stars and filmmakers celebrating at the academy's big post-Oscars party. By Nicole Sperling, Kyle Buchanan and Sinna Nasseri Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Fabio Lovino/Netflix Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now In this month's picks, a man lives life in fast-forward, teenagers die in a time loop and someone named Searcher finds a strange world. By Elisabeth Vincentelli 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. Continue reading the main story Need help? 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