Movies Update: ‘Soul,’ ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and More

Plus, more movie recommendations for the holidays.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 25, 2020 By Susanna Timmons Hey, movie fans! The holiday weekend is here, so it’s time to settle in on the couch, grab the remote — and maybe a cup of hot chocolate — and indulge in the highly anticipated films now available for streaming. Pixar’s new feature, “Soul” — on Disney+ — “is a movie about death, about jazz, about longing and limitation,” writes A.O. Scott. It’s a critic’s pick. “Wonder Woman 1984” brings Gal Gadot back as the bracelet-wearing superhero in this sequel to the 2017 blockbuster. Manohla Dargis writes that while the film’s title suggests juicy Orwellian intrigue, “the year mostly proves an excuse to pile on side ponytails, fanny packs and nostalgic nods to the kind of Hollywood blowouts that feature cartoonish violence and hard-bodied macho types.” It’s streaming on HBO Max. Kyle Buchanan caught up with George Clooney, who has been quarantining in Los Angeles with his wife and 3-year-old twins. Clooney talks about “The Midnight Sky,” which he directed and stars in. And, he had a few words about our outgoing president. Kyle also spoke with Carey Mulligan, who shed her usual period costumes for “Promising Young Woman,” a black comedy about consent and revenge. “The film is a tonal tightrope walk, and Mulligan is astonishing in it,” he writes. In The Lives They Lived, The New York Times Magazine remembers some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year. Not to be missed is Ismail Muhammad’s essay on Chadwick Boseman. And, finally, photographers for The Times reflect on the unusual photo shoots this year, which include portraits of Amanda Seyfried, Jesse Plemons, Francis Ford Coppola and more. See you next year! Disney/Pixar Critic’s pick ‘Soul’ Review: Pixar’s New Feature Gets Musical, and Metaphysical This inventive tale stars Jamie Foxx as a jazz musician caught in a world that human souls pass through on their way into and out of life. By A.O. Scott Clay Enos/Warner Bros ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Review: It’s Not About What We Deserve The sequel to the 2017 hit finds Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, pining for love and saddled with a movie unworthy of her. By Manohla Dargis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MOVIE REVIEWS Universal Pictures ‘News of the World’ Review: Tom Hanks Does the Strong, Silent Type The star can’t help but bring decency to Paul Greengrass’s lean, efficient western set in 1870s Texas. By A.O. Scott Focus Features ‘Promising Young Woman’ Review: Courting Dangerous Liaisons Carey Mulligan stars in this feminist revenge thriller that too often backs away from its potentially searing setup. By Jeannette Catsoulis Philippe Antonello/Netflix, via Associated Press ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: It’s the End of the World, in the Arctic George Clooney takes on his biggest challenge, as both actor and director, yet: Saving humanity itself. By Glenn Kenny Briarcliff Entertainment ‘The Dissident’ Review: A Murder for Power Bryan Fogel’s new documentary about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi underlines the disregard for human rights when money and geopolitics are at play. By Devika Girish Netflix ‘Your Name Engraved Herein’ Review: When Love Is All You Can See The filmmaker Patrick Liu keeps the focus on the two young men in this Taiwanese drama and blurs the rest. By Teo Bugbee Greta De Lazzaris/Roadside Attractions ‘Pinocchio’ Review: An Enchanting Yet Befuddling Adaptation Matteo Garrone, who directed the searing true-crime drama “Gomorrah,” takes a whack at Carlo Collodi’s classic tale. By Glenn Kenny Malgosia Abramowska/Netflix ‘DNA’ Review: Digging for Roots After her immigrant grandfather dies, a woman wants to reclaim her ethnicity. By Jeannette Catsoulis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS What to Watch: Sci-Fi Movies Led by Women Aliens aren't all these heroes have to contend with. Check out these films with women at the forefront. By David Renard The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Movies upon movies await, and you don't even have to drill down to find them. By Jason Bailey The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don’t have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We’ll do the heavy lifting. You press play. By Jason Bailey NEWS & FEATURES Danny Kasirye for The New York Times The Projectionist Carey Mulligan Won’t Let Hollywood Off the Hook The actress delivered the performance of her career in the dark comedy “Promising Young Woman.” Then came those with their tired views of women. By Kyle Buchanan Disney/Pixar ‘Soul’ Features Pixar’s First Black Lead Character. Here’s How It Happened. Mindful of animation’s history of racist imagery, the studio aimed to make the jazz pianist at the center of the film as specific as possible. By Charles Solomon Magdalena Wosinska for The New York Times George Clooney on ‘The Midnight Sky’ and Donald Trump His new movie is on Netflix, but the actor-director says theaters won’t go away and Hollywood will be fine. He’s not so sure about Washington. By Kyle Buchanan Natalia Mantini for The New York Times Patty Jenkins on ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and the Future of Theaters Jenkins made history with a lucrative deal to direct this sequel. With Warner Bros. opting to debut it on HBO Max, will she come back for a third film? “We’ll see.” By Kyle Buchanan Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS’ PICKS Amazon Studios Critic’s Pick ‘Sylvie’s Love’ Review: In the Mood for Romance, Sighs and Tears Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha star in a swoony love story that wonderfully rethinks the classic Hollywood melodrama. By Manohla Dargis Sasha Gusov/Neon Critic’s Pick ‘Dear Comrades!’ Review: When the Party Line Becomes a Tightrope With a bureaucrat as the central character, the film at times takes on a bleakly comic tone as it fills in the circumstances surrounding a massacre. By Ben Kenigsberg David Lee/Netflix Critic’s pick ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Review: All the Blues That’s Fit to Sing Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman star in a potent adaptation of August Wilson’s play. By A.O. Scott Sign up for the Louder Newsletter Stay on top of the latest in pop and jazz with reviews, interviews, podcasts and more from The New York Times music critics. Sign up 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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