Movies Update: ‘Nomadland’ and More

Plus, telling the story of Billie Holiday

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 19, 2021 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! You've been hearing about "Nomadland" for months, since its emergence last fall at film festivals like Toronto and Venice. It has been honored by critics' groups and this month was nominated for four Golden Globes. Now, you can finally watch it yourself. The movie, starring Frances McDormand, is streaming on Hulu. Read A.O. Scott's Critic's Pick review and watch its director, Chloé Zhao, narrate a scene. Is "Judas and the Black Messiah" (on HBO Max) the most radial film ever produced by Hollywood? Lawrence Ware argues that it might be. And Kyle Buchanan talks to one of the film's stars, Dominique Fishback. New to Netflix is the icy thriller "I Care a Lot," about a scammer who traps unsuspecting retirees into conservatorships. Read our Critic's Pick review and an interview with the movie's star, Rosamund Pike. And over on Disney+ is the family adventure "Flora & Ulysses," about a girl who teams up with a superhero squirrel. It's also a Critic's Pick. Check out more of our reviews and news below, and enjoy the movies. Joshua Richards/Searchlight Pictures Critic's Pick 'Nomadland' Review: The Unsettled Americans Frances McDormand hits the road in Chloé Zhao's intimate, expansive portrait of itinerant lives. By A.O. Scott Takashi Seida/Paramount Pictures/Hulu Billie Holiday's Story Depends on Who's Telling It There are almost as many interpretations of her short life and enormous legacy as there are books and films about her, including the new biopic starring Andra Day. By Robert Ito Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Disney Critic's Pick 'Flora & Ulysses' Review: A Hero Tale That Lets the Fur Fly A 10-year-old cynic, a bushy-tailed superhero and a cast stacked with beloved comic actors make this lovable Disney film something to see. By Maya Phillips Seacia Pavao/Netfilx Critic's Pick 'I Care a Lot' Review: The Art of the Steal Nasty people do terrible things in this wildly entertaining Netflix caper about guardianship fraud. By Jeannette Catsoulis MOVIE REVIEWS 'The Violent Heart' Review: Secrets and Lies A man who witnessed the murder of his sister tries to rebound in this subtle melodrama. By Teo Bugbee 'Days of the Bagnold Summer' Review: Adapted from a graphic novel, this comedy pits a teen against his mother in a battle to get through a long summer together. By Glenn Kenny 'Silk Road' Review: A Digital Drug Kingpin's Undoing Tiller Russell's new fact-based thriller about Ross W. Ulbricht could have been a nail-biter, but ended up a limp snooze. By Glenn Kenny 'Sin' Review: Man of Marble The second feature in recent months from the Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky is a grimy, austere Michelangelo biopic. By Ben Kenigsberg 'Test Pattern' Review: Refocusing the Lens on Race and Gender Shatara Michelle Ford's lean, smart debut feature confronts us with our presumptions about what rape and victimhood look like — onscreen and in life. By Devika Girish 'Blithe Spirit' Review: Dead, but Not Loving It Dan Stevens stars as a writer taunted by the ghost of his dead wife in this grating adaptation of the 1941 play. By Jeannette Catsoulis 'Mafia Inc' Review: The Business They Have Chosen This Montreal crime saga is never dull despite a sense of déjà vu. By Ben Kenigsberg 'Shook' Review: Unliked and Followed A killer with a mysterious agenda hunts down social-media influencers in this horror movie. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Searchlight Pictures Anatomy of a Scene Watch Frances McDormand Explore Nature in 'Nomadland' The director Chloé Zhao narrates a sequence from her film featuring the actress and David Strathairn. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Glen Wilson/Warner Bros. Pictures, via Associated Press Critic's Notebook Is This the Most Radical Film Ever Produced by Hollywood? "Judas and the Black Messiah" is the rare Hollywood film to explore a vision of Blackness that has nothing to do with white audiences. By Lawrence Ware Seacia Pavao/Netflix Rosamund Pike Is Delighted to Appall You Best known for her titular role in "Gone Girl," the British actress stars as another seductively dangerous character in the new Netflix film "I Care a Lot." By Roslyn Sulcas Heather Sten for The New York Times The Projectionist Dominique Fishback Gave Her Heart to 'Judas and the Black Messiah' Cast opposite Daniel Kaluuya, the actress was given a Black Panther love story that she had been manifesting for a really long time. By Kyle Buchanan Tracy Nguyen for The New York Times A Pakistani-American Tale Upends Expectations Onscreen and in Life Iram Parveen Bilal's "I'll Meet You There" depicts a parent who supports his daughter's dream. The filmmaker's own parents weren't as sure about her passion. By Sopan Deb STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS The 50 Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch on Disney+ Right Now The Disney streaming platform has hundreds of movie and TV titles, drawing from its own deep reservoir classics and from Star Wars, Marvel and more. These are our favorites. By Scott Tobias 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 Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT How are we doing? 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