Movies Update: A little something “Wicked”

Plus. a sequel that was not built in a day.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 22, 2024 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! You've been hearing about it for months on end. You've been seeing its stars everywhere in the lead-up. And you've been singing the songs in anticipation. Finally, the film version of the Broadway musical "Wicked" (or at least part one of it) has arrived in just about every theater near you. What did our critic think? She's mostly drawn to Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo. "Both the character and the actress are the strongest draws in this splashy, largely diverting, tonally discordant and unconscionably long movie," Manohla Dargis writes in her review. We spoke to the two stars of the movie (Erivo and Ariana Grande), as well as the director (Jon M. Chu), and reflected on whether the Wicked Witch of the West is the heroine for our time. Oh, there's another movie coming out this week that maybe you've heard something about: "Gladiator II." The splashy, bloody, sharks-in-the-Colosseum sequel to Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning feature from 2000 brings Scott back as the director and hurls Paul Mescal into the arena. Plus, Denzel Washington wreaks havoc in gorgeous robes along the way. It's a Critic's Pick, with Dargis writing in her review, "Scott clearly had a blast making this movie and so did Washington, and they're inviting you to have one, too, which proves easy." Make it a "Glicked" weekend and check out both films. Or you have plenty of other options in both the narrative and documentary categories to choose from this week. Enjoy the movies! Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures 'Wicked' Review: We're Off to See the Witches Cynthia Erivo is the strongest draw in this splashy, overly long movie, which is the first installment in a two-part adaptation of the Broadway show. By Manohla Dargis Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures Critic's Pick 'Gladiator II' Review: Thumb's Up! Denzel Washington's performance shows skill, intensity and absolute confidence in Ridley Scott's pleasurably immersive epic about ancient Roman fighters. By Manohla Dargis David Lee/Netflix 'The Piano Lesson' Review: Ghosts in the Instrument This film adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play falters in some specifics, but is still vital viewing. By Alissa Wilkinson HBO Documentary Lens The Complexities of Fighting for Democracy "Night Is Not Eternal," which follows the Cuban activist Rosa María Payá, is the rare nuanced political documentary that is likely to challenge every viewer's perspective. By Alissa Wilkinson CRITICS' PICKS Capariva Films Critic's Pick 'A Photographic Memory' Review: The Imperfect Past A daughter hunts for the mother she never knew in an extraordinary, elegiac documentary. By Alissa Wilkinson Simcha Leib Productions/Roco Films Critic's Pick 'Sabbath Queen' Review: Capturing the Act of Questioning Sandi DuBowski's documentary about Rabbi Amichai Lau-Levie observes the making of a Jewish identity. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Sideshow/Janus Films Critic's Pick 'Flow' Review: A Cat's Life A cat, a dog and a capybara embark on an epic adventure in this earnest and refreshingly unconventional animated film. By Calum Marsh Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures Critic's Pick 'Ernest Cole: Lost and Found' Review: Chronicling Apartheid and Beyond Raoul Peck looks at the compelling South African photographer, who died in 1990, whose work gets a second life onscreen. By Lisa Kennedy MOVIE REVIEWS Skydance Animation/Netflix 'Spellbound' Review: Borrowed Wonder Any magic this animated musical has feels distinctly, almost insultingly poached. By Ben Kenigsberg Mubi 'Witches' Review: Redeeming the Wicked Witch The director Elizabeth Sankey's experience with postpartum depression anchors this documentary about the pop-cultural representation of witches. By Beatrice Loayza Metrograph Pictures 'The Black Sea' Review: Bulgarian Dreams In this quietly sweet indie, a Black Brooklynite finds himself stranded in a Bulgarian seaside town, where he finds unlikely redemption By Brandon Yu Apple Original Films 'Bread & Roses' Review: A Spirit of Resistance Three Afghan women struggle for rights in Sahra Mani's documentary of life under Taliban rule today. By Natalia Winkelman Kerry Brown/Netflix 'Joy' Review: The Humans Behind I.V.F. Thomasin McKenzie plays an unheralded pioneer of in vitro fertilization in a new biography. By Glenn Kenny Michael Gibson/Disney 'Out of My Mind' Review: Schooling a Teacher In this film adaptation of Sharon M. Draper's novel, a nonverbal sixth-grader with cerebral palsy holds her own. By Sheri Linden Porcelain War/Picturehouse 'Porcelain War' Review: A Defiant Dispatch From Ukraine A new documentary follows artists in wartime, on and off the battlefield. By Nicolas Rapold Cinema Guild 'A Traveler's Needs' Review: Language Lessons Iris (Isabelle Huppert), a stranger who teaches French in Seoul, is at the center of an enigmatic film by Hong Sang-soo. By Ben Kenigsberg NEWS & FEATURES Thea Traff for The New York Times The Projectionist The Reintroduction of Daniel Craig His vulnerable performance in "Queer" may surprise fans of the former Bond star, but it's a return to the sexually daring films he used to make. By Kyle Buchanan and Thea Traff Trevor Shin Critic's Notebook The Fleeting Comforts of the Celebrity Look-Alike Contest The culture-wide search for doubles of famous men is an election-season gift: an apolitical democratic event where — for a brief moment — everybody wins. By Amanda Hess Adali Schell for The New York Times Jon M. Chu Waited 20 Years for the Chance to Direct 'Wicked' He never doubted it would work as a movie. He just hoped he would be the one to film it: "I have my own experiences with being green." By Robert Ito Sideshow/Janus Films Creating New Cinematic Languages, Without Words "Flow" is the latest dialogue-free animated film to look to movement and sound to express its characters' emotions. By Carlos Aguilar Joseph Michael Lopez for The New York Times To Finish His Most Daring Film Yet, He Had to Escape Iran Facing an eight-year prison sentence, Mohammad Rasoulof had to make the most difficult decision of his life. By Amir Ahmadi Arian Julia Marszewska Alec Baldwin's 'Rust,' Marked by Tragedy, Holds Premiere in Poland The film, whose cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was killed in a shooting on the set, was screened at a festival devoted to cinematography. By Alex Marshall and Julia Jacobs Mario Anzuoni/Reuters The Projectionist Quincy Jones Receives Posthumous Oscar, and Daughter Gives His Speech At the Governors Awards, Rashida Jones spoke on behalf of her father, who died earlier this month at the age of 91. By Kyle Buchanan 6 Minutes. 62 People. 1 Epic 'Sunset Boulevard' Sequence. Down the stairs, out the doors and onto the sidewalk, a Broadway show hits the street. Here's how they pull it off. By Sarah Bahr and Brian Karlsson STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Cínemaláya Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a heart-wrenching animated Filipino film, a yeasty savior and the return of Carrie-Anne Moss. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Disney/Hulu The Best True Crime to Stream: The Fame Monster Across television, film and podcasting, here are four picks that explore lesser-discussed crimes involving celebrities. By Maya Salam Kevin Baker/A24 Beyond the Algorithm 'Tuesday,' 'The Killer' and More Streaming Gems This month's under-the-radar streaming recommendations include an underrated horror-comedy, an action thrill ride, and two vehicles each for two of our most talented actresses. By Jason Bailey 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. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving Movies Update, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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