Movies Update: Why Beyoncé should be considered an auteur

Plus, the oddball movie "Poor Things" hits the big screen.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 8, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, movie fans! This is both my favorite month on the release calendar and the hardest: So many terrific films! So many stories to edit about good films — gah! But it's a good problem to have. The bounty has included "Origin," Ava DuVernay's fictionalized take on the Isabel Wilkerson best seller "Caste." It's a tough-minded drama about history and systematic suffering that our chief critic Manohla Dargis said is "as audacious as it is ambitious." There's also "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," a Critic's Pick for Wesley Morris and the focus of Salamishah Tillet's argument that the star, who directed the documentary, should be considered an auteur. And don't overlook "Anselm," a Wim Wenders documentary about the artist Anselm Kiefer that uses 3-D so effectively, writes our critic Alissa Wilkinson, that "you feel the heat of the torch, the texture of the paint, the straw, the stone. I saved "Poor Things" for last. That offbeat Yorgos Lanthimos film starring Emma Stone as a kind of Frankenstein's monster exploring independence, has been making waves since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in the summer. It's gone on to win over many critics and there's a lot of Oscar talk, but in her review, Dargis wasn't convinced, writing of Stone's character, "Her pleasure in her own liberation sustains your interest even as all the fussing and strained eccentricity wears on you." Whatever you end up watching, enjoy the movies! Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures 'Poor Things' Review: Monster Mash Emma Stone runs amok with Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe in Yorgos Lanthimos's off-key Victorian-era riff on "Frankenstein." By Manohla Dargis Sideshow/Janus Films Critic's Pick 'Anselm' Review: An Artist Contemplates the Cosmos, in 3-D The history and thought of the artist Anselm Kiefer is threaded throughout this exceptional documentary from Wim Wenders. By Alissa Wilkinson The New York Times Critic's Notebook Beyoncé the Auteur Takes Center Stage in 'Renaissance' She is essentially one on the new film, but she has also demonstrated throughout her career just who is in charge of her art. By Salamishah Tillet Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Neon Critic's Pick 'Origin' Review: The Roots of Our Racism Ava DuVernay's new feature film, adapted from the Isabel Wilkerson book "Caste," turns the journalist into a character who examines oppression. By Manohla Dargis The New York Times Critic's Pick 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé' Review: Peak Performance The concert film offers a comprehensive look at a world-conquering tour and rare insight into the process of one of the world's biggest stars. By Wesley Morris 815 Pictures and Lotte Entertainment Critic's Pick 'Concrete Utopia' Review: Housing Insecurity Love thy neighbor is far from mind when disaster strikes a Seoul apartment complex in this blackhearted social satire. By Jeannette Catsoulis ANATOMY OF A SCENE Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures Anatomy of a Scene Watch Emma Stone Do a Carefree Dance in 'Poor Things' The director Yorgos Lanthimos narrates this sequence that puts the star and Mark Ruffalo awkwardly on the dance floor. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS JoJo Whilden/Netflix 'Leave the World Behind' Review: It's the End of the World, I Guess This film about the apocalypse, directed by Sam Esmail and adapted from Rumaan Alam's novel, leaves little room for imagination. By Alissa Wilkinson Bleecker Street 'Waitress: The Musical' Review: A Big-Screen Helping of a Broadway Hit Sara Bareilles is the heart and soul of this live capture of her musical. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Shout! Studios 'Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer' Review: A Guide to the Filmmaker's Work This documentary examines Herzog's oeuvre and celebrity influence. By Glenn Kenny Supriya Kantak/ Netflix 'The Archies' Review: A Masala Milkshake at Pop's, Anyone? Archie and pals get radicalized when their hometown, now conveniently relocated in India, is threatened by corporate overlords. By Amy Nicholson Film Forum 'Total Trust' Review: Under Surveillance Jialing Zhang's documentary follows a journalist and two families fighting for rights while dealing with invasive surveillance tactics from Chinese authorities. By Natalia Winkelman Amy Mayes/Vertical 'Our Son' Review: The Right to Break Up A simple yet engaging melodrama, starring Billy Porter and Luke Evans, explores what it means for two fathers to divorce. By Beatrice Loayza Film Movement 'Into the Weeds' Review: Man Versus Monsanto This documentary by Jennifer Baichwal recounts a legal battle in which a groundskeeper in California took on a multibillion-dollar company. By Ben Kenigsberg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Studio Ghibli/Gkids Critic's Notebook How Hayao Miyazaki's Films Continue to Take Us to the Skies When characters take flight in the films of the master animator, there is always a deeper meaning. By Maya Phillips Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times The Projectionist With Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, It's All About Chemistry After "Fleabag" and "Normal People" made them romantic idols, the two actors forge their own tender bond in "All of Us Strangers." By Kyle Buchanan Sundance Film Festival Sundance Lineup Features a Steven Soderbergh Film and a Sasquatch Family Also headed to Park City, Utah, in January are a Richard Linklater documentary series and a movie about a buoy and a satellite in love. By Nicole Sperling CBS, via Getty Images Rob Reiner Remembers Norman Lear: We've Lost 'a Real Champion of America' With "All in the Family," Lear "tapped into something that nobody had ever done before or even since," the star of the hit sitcom said. By Maya Salam Melinda Sue Gordon/Apple TV+, via Associated Press What to Read After Watching 'Killers of the Flower Moon' Now that the Scorsese epic is on demand, you can catch up with the drama from home, then go down a rabbit hole with our guides. By Stephanie Goodman STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS RKO Radio Pictures 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'Die Hard' and Other Classic Christmas Movies 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 20th Century Studios 5 Children's Movies to Stream Now This month's picks embrace the holiday season, including an installment of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" franchise and a remake of "The Velveteen Rabbit." By Dina Gachman Gravitas Ventures Five Horror Movies to Stream Now Eerie found footage, limited sunlight and unlimited zombies in this month's horror picks. 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