Movies Update: A little more Venom

Plus, 30 horror classics to stream
Movies Update

October 25, 2024

Hey, movie fans!

This weekend brings us catty cardinals and saucy superheroes.

Opening in theaters is "Conclave," a heated drama about the selection of a new pope that stars Ralph Fiennes. In her Critic's Pick review, Manohla Dargis calls the movie "quite the journey, and as unpersuasive as it is entertaining." Check out a scene from the film here, then dive deeper into how the movie portrays the papal election process.

In a less reverent setting, Tom Hardy is back playing Eddie Brock, the man possessed by a long-tongued, toothy alien in the latest "Venom" installment, called "The Last Dance." In her review, the critic Amy Nicholson writes that she would "rather watch Eddie and Venom dicker over pizza toppings than team up for something as banal as saving the planet. Yet, this film prefers the latter and the bombastic battle scenes that come with it."

And as Halloween quickly approaches, you have plenty of scary streaming choices to consider. In this video, our horror expert Erik Piepenburg recommends two new haunts and one goopy selection from the archives. Looking for more frights? Try one of these 30 classics.

Enjoy the movies!

CRITICS' PICKS

In a split screen image, on the left is a video game character with muscles in a uniform holding his hand on his chest. On the right is a person in a dark sweatshirt using a wheelchair.

World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment/ Netflix

Critic's Pick

'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin' Review: More Real Than Reality

An unconventional documentary tells the story of a Norwegian gamer — and of how we live life on the internet.

By Alissa Wilkinson

A close-up photograph of Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt singing into a shared microphone onstage.

Hulu

Critic's Pick

'Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band' Review: A Mission

At 75, Springsteen is doggedly committed to live performance. This documentary chronicles how he keeps up on tour, and why.

By Glenn Kenny

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Article Image

Focus Features

Anatomy of a Scene

Watch Ralph Fiennes Deliver a Startling Speech in 'Conclave'

The actor plays a cardinal who expresses doubts about his faith and the church in this drama from the director Edward Berger.

By Mekado Murphy

In a scene from the movie, a teary, frightened-looking Naomi Scott looks directly at the camera.

Paramount Pictures

Anatomy of a Scene

Watch Dancers Haunt Naomi Scott in 'Smile 2'

Parker Finn, the film's writer and director, narrates a scene in which a pop star is chased through her apartment by evil dancers.

By Mekado Murphy

MOVIE REVIEWS

A woman looks off camera while a blurred  person stands in the foreground.

Film Forum

'Black Box Diaries' Review: A Public Face for #MeToo in Japan

In a new documentary, Shiori Ito recounts her yearslong crusade for justice in Japan after accusing a powerful journalist of rape.

By Manohla Dargis

Two small clay figures stand beside a larger clay figure in a wheelchair. Behind them is a carnival of sorts.

IFC

'Memoir of a Snail' Review: Escaping the Spiral

An animated tragicomedy for adults tells the story of a woman breaking out of her shell.

By Alissa Wilkinson

A black and white photo of Alfred Hitchcock, dressed in dark clothes and sitting down.

Cohen Media Group

'My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock' Review: Director's Commentary

A richly detailed essay film imagines Hitchcock commenting on his own oeuvre over a mesmerizing daisy chain of clips.

By Nicolas Rapold

A woman stands in front of a broken mirror with a look of concern.

Rob Baker Ashton/Shout! Studios

'Magpie' Review: An Unhappily Married Woman

Daisy Ridley plays a time bomb with a simmering fuse in this slow yet gripping adultery thriller.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

A black-and-white image of a woman and a man whose foreheads are touching.

Willa

'La Cocina' Review: The Melting Pot Boils Over

This drama by Alonso Ruizpalacios takes a bitter look at the American dream from the perspective of the workers at a fast-paced diner.

By Beatrice Loayza

A woman in bed screams while looking at something off-camera.

Vertical

'Your Monster' Review: Beast Intentions

An aspiring Broadway musical star (Melissa Barrera) taps into her inner anger with some help from the creature who lives in her closet.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Five people stand in an old church, looking shocked.

Stanislav Honzik/Netflix

'Family Pack' Review: Trapped in a Game

The beauty of a game of Werewolf lies in the treachery. In this film adaptation, the director focuses on mild comedy and tedious action instead.

By Calum Marsh

NEWS & FEATURES

In a somber movie scene, Ralph Fiennes, wearing a red cap and robe, is set against the white curtain in a window.

Philippe Antonello/Focus Features

'Conclave': A Fly on the Wall Inside the Secret Process to Elect a Pope

A new drama by Edward Berger draws the audience inside this largely hidden tradition. How accurate is it?

By Elisabetta Povoledo

Margot Robbie on the red carpet for an Oscars event.

Roger Kisby for The New York Times

Netflix Wanted 'Wuthering Heights.' Margot Robbie Wanted a Theatrical Release.

In the end, Ms. Robbie got what she wanted, signing a deal with Warner Bros.

By Nicole Sperling

In a scene from

Barbara Nitke/Paramount Pictures, via Associated Press

Critic's Notebook

In 'Smile 2' and 'Trap,' Pop Stardom Looks Pretty Terrifying

At a time when the business of being Taylor Swift or Beyoncรฉ is booming, these films examine toxic fandom and what can seem like mass hysteria.

By Esther Zuckerman

Armando Iannucci rests his face on his hand while seated in a box seat of a theater.

George Muncey for The New York Times

A Reluctant Satirist Takes On the Bomb

Armando Iannucci, the mastermind behind "Veep," has adapted "Dr. Strangelove" for the theater and insists that laughing at nuclear disaster couldn't be more timely.

By Alex Marshall

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

Article Image

3 Horror Movies to Watch for Halloween

In time for Halloween, Erik Piepenburg, who writes a monthly horror movie streaming column in The New York Times, has three scary movies for you.

By Erik Piepenburg, Gabriel Blanco, Claire Hogan and Ruru Kuo

Two boys, one in an American flag T-shirt, stand behind a counter, smiling, while kids wait in line to buy products from them.

Paramount Pictures

Beyond the Algorithm

'Snack Shack,' 'Red Rocket' and More Streaming Gems

A handful of the year's best comedy-dramas are among your out-of-the-box recommendations from this month's streaming services.

By Jason Bailey

A bearded man in a green T-shirt navigates a boat through wooded water.

Max

Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

This month's picks include a time-travel thriller with Dylan O'Brien and a dystopian comedy with Awkwafina and John Cena.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

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