Movies Update: A quiet blockbuster season

Plus, Dev Patel and other serious actors muscle in on action flicks.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 5, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Hi, movie fans! Remember last year when pundits talking about the lengthy Hollywood strikes said we wouldn't see the fallout until 2024? Welp, that's where we are today. Usually when the calendar hits April, I'm scrambling to set coverage for Cannes and multiple potential blockbusters. But this year the schedule looks thin. To be sure, there are potentially big box office moments ahead — like "Furiosa," the stuntman picture "The Fall Guy" and the sequel "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," all in May — but normally we'd be seeing big movies lined up each week through midsummer and that's not the case. Of course, there are a bunch of smaller films of great interest, starting this weekend with the action flick "Monkey Man," which Dev Patel directed, starred in and co-wrote. Reviewing the film, Manohla Dargis says he "does some fine work" even if the fight sequences "rarely pop, flow or impress." Still, Patel's turn to action is unexpected for the Oscar nominee ("Lion"), and he's not the first actor known for drama to take that turn this season. See Jake Gyllenhaal, the star of "Road House." The writer Esther Zuckerman looked into the mini-trend and found that, as one producer put it, "A lot of actors have always wanted to do action, but I think they always felt like they couldn't or we could never lift a movie with them in it." If "Monkey Man" clicks with audiences, we may be seeing more punches fly from stars better known for monologues. Whether you're checking out an action picture or other fare, enjoy the movies! Universal Pictures 'Monkey Man' Review: Vengeance Is His Dev Patel stars as Kid, a human punching bag who comes up with a plan to avenge a past wrong. The hits keep coming and the hero keeps taking them in this rapid-fire film. By Manohla Dargis Film Forum Critic's Pick 'The Old Oak' Review: The Audacity of Hope A family of Syrian refugees connects with a once-thriving mining town in Ken Loach's moving drama. By Alissa Wilkinson Taborlake 'Coup de Chance' Review: Woody Allen's Usual With a French Twist Despite its Parisian setting, the setup is familiar from any of Allen's New York movies: An act of infidelity presents a dilemma. Some of the jokes are funny. By Manohla Dargis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Amazon Studios Critic's Pick 'Música' Review: What He Hears Is What We Get Rudy Mancuso stars in and directs an inventive debut feature about a man with synesthesia who tries to manage his complicated life and relationships. By Amy Nicholson Moris Puccio/20th Century Studios Critic's Pick 'The First Omen' Review: The Days Before Damien A prequel to the original franchise, this debut feature from Arkasha Stevenson is a thrilling mash-up of horror tropes that gives the story new life. By Brandon Yu Carole Bethuel/Janus Films Critic's pick 'The Beast' Review: Master of Puppets Bertrand Bonello's latest film, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as lovers in three different eras, is an audacious sci-fi romance. By Beatrice Loayza Mubi Critic's Pick 'Yannick' Review: First Act Problems Audience members revolting against bad art isn't a new thing, but Quentin Dupieux puts a fresh twist on that theme in his surreal new comedy. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Focus Features Critic's Pick 'Housekeeping for Beginners' Review: Daddy Nearest Sad news forces a diverse group of friends to take unorthodox action in this volatile, affecting drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis GKids Critic's Pick 'Chicken for Linda!' Review: A Comedy That Cooks In this madcap film, a mother's apology leads to a delightful misadventure that begins with mourning and ends with a father's favorite recipe. By Lisa Kennedy ANATOMY OF A SCENE Amazon Studios Anatomy of a Scene Watch an Elaborate One-Shot Montage in 'Música' Rudy Mancuso, the film's director, composer, co-writer and star, narrates this sequence, which plays out in real time with movable sets. By Mekado Murphy Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MOVIE REVIEWS Peter Mountain/Netflix 'Scoop' Review: The Story Behind That Prince Andrew Interview In 2019, the prince went on air to respond to accusations involving Jeffery Epstein. The drama here is in how the BBC convinced him to do it. By Ben Kenigsberg Apple TV+ 'Girls State' Review: One Nation, Under Girls Balancing confidence with broad smiles, the high school students in this documentary understand that camaraderie goes hand in hand with political ambition. By Natalia Winkelman Drafthouse Films 'Kim's Video' Review: Following the Tapes to Italy This documentary details how the coolest video collection in downtown New York ended up in a small Italian town. By Glenn Kenny Altered Innocence 'The People's Joker' Review: A Wild Card Pure chaos is at play in a scrappy and unauthorized new parody about a character who looks a lot like the Joker. It's a daring slice of queer cinema. By Erik Piepenburg NEWS & FEATURES Justin J Wee for The New York Times How Does Dev Patel Become an Action Star? By Directing Himself. With his feature filmmaking debut, "Monkey Man," Dev Patel joins a list of performers known for dramas taking on unlikely parts. By Esther Zuckerman Ricardo Nagaoka for The New York Times Making Films About Outsiders, Increasingly in the Mainstream Goran Stolevski, who is from North Macedonia and grew up partly in Australia, has made three features in three years, all teeming with unruly emotion. By Carlos Aguilar Enric Fontcuberta/EPA, via Shutterstock Woody Allen, Reputation Bruised, Finds Muted Reception to 50th Film "Coup de Chance," a milestone, is being released in the United States after opening in Europe months ago. By Marc Tracy Laylah Amatullah Barrayn for The New York Times A 'Taxi Driver' Remake: Why Arthur Jafa Recast the Scorsese Ending The artist has gone back to his filmmaking roots, re-examining what he sees as racial undertones in Martin Scorsese's classic 1976 movie. By Aruna D'Souza Peter Mountain/Netflix What to Know About 'Scoop' and Prince Andrew's Explosive TV Interview A new Netflix film dramatizes the 2019 BBC conversation that led to the royal stepping back from public life. By Simran Hans Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Disney 5 Children's Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a true story of hope and persistence, and Timothée Chalamet's recent turn as Willy Wonka. By Dina Gachman Alan Roskyn/Netflix Five International Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a twisty Argentine thriller, a gutting Syrian documentary, a movie about a queer club in China and more. By Devika Girish Apple TV+ 'Girls State,' 'Boys State' and Democracy Through the Eyes of Teenagers Though both documentaries follow programs for rising high school seniors, their differences speak volumes about the challenges the participants face. By Alissa Wilkinson Prime Video The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Amazon, Disney+, Apple TV+ and More in April "Fallout," "Girls State" and a "Bluey" special are streaming. By Noel Murray 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? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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