Movies Update: ‘The Green Knight,’ ‘Stillwater’ and More

Plus, Scarlett Johansson sues Disney.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story July 30, 2021 By Mekado Murphy Hey, movie fans! This week's movie offerings range from medieval legend to modern crises. Dev Patel stars in "The Green Knight," David Lowery's adaptation of the 14th-century poem that tracks Gawain on a deadly countryside quest. In his Critic's Pick review, A.O. Scott calls the movie "sumptuous, ragged and inventive." Read an interview with Patel and watch Lowery break down a key scene. Matt Damon heads up the contemporary thriller "Stillwater," about an Oklahoma man with a daughter in a Marseille prison and a quest to the find the truth behind how she got there. In her review, Manohla Dargis calls it "ponderously earnest." Both of those films are opening only in theaters, which is how Scarlett Johansson would have liked "Black Widow" to have debuted. She's suing Disney, saying that the movie's simultaneous premiere in theaters and on Disney+ was a breach of her contract and cost her millions in pay. (Disney's latest movie, "Jungle Cruise," is also opening both in theaters and on its streaming service this week). For those looking for home-viewing options, we recommend five new international streaming discoveries. And Netflix has new releases this week, including a Jean-Claude Van Damme action comedy and a resort-set rom-com starring Christina Milian. Eric Zachanowich/A24 critic's pick 'The Green Knight' Review: Monty Python and the Seventh Seal Dev Patel plays a medieval hero on a mysterious quest in David Lowery's adaptation of the 14th-century Arthurian romance. By A.O. Scott Jessica Forde/Focus Features, via Associated Press 'Stillwater' Review: Another American Tragedy Matt Damon plays a father determined to free his daughter from prison in the latest from Tom McCarthy, the director of "Spotlight." By Manohla Dargis Disney 'Jungle Cruise' Review: Amazon Subprime Not even Emily Blunt, doing her best Katharine Hepburn impression, can keep this leaky boat ride afloat. By Jeannette Catsoulis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS IFC Films Critic's Pick 'Enemies of the State' Review: Seeking Proof Shrouded in Shadows This documentary on the strange case of Matt DeHart weaves uncertainty into its structure. By Ben Kenigsberg Film at Lincoln Center Critic's Pick 'Fauna' Review: Narcomythologies This lean meta-drama tackles the fictions typically associated with Mexican culture with droll humor and bold conceptual play. By Beatrice Loayza MTV Documentary Films Critic's Pick 'Sabaya' Review: Light Breaking Through Darkness This intrepid, immersive documentary follows the men and women who rescue Yazidi girls kidnapped and held by Islamic State fighters in a Syrian refugee camp. By Devika Girish ANATOMY OF A SCENE Eric Zachanowich/A24 Films Anatomy of a Scene Take a Journey With Dev Patel in 'The Green Knight' The director David Lowery narrates a sequence from the film, featuring the actor and Erin Kellyman. By Mekado Murphy MOVIE REVIEWS Michael Coles/Sony Pictures Classics 'Nine Days' Review: Belief in the Beforelife In this drama featuring Winston Duke and Zazie Beetz, unborn souls are given a chance at life on Earth. By Glenn Kenny Alois Maillet 'The Last Mercenary' Review: Still Kicking In this diverting action comedy, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a former secret agent forced back into action to save his estranged son. By Jeannette Catsoulis Shudder 'The Boy Behind the Door' Review: Best Friends in Peril Tween boys attempt to escape mysterious abductors in this thriller borrowing from the slasher-horror genre. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Pief Weyman/Film Movement 'Tailgate' Review: Retribution for Road Rage In this Dutch thriller, a man puts his family in danger by refusing to apologize to a serial killer with a pious streak. By Lena Wilson Strand Releasing 'The Evening Hour' Review: Heart of the Country In this drama, a wholesome young man in an Appalachian town tries to do right by friends and family but gets caught up in a side hustle dealing pills. By Nicolas Rapold David Bloomer/Netflix 'Resort to Love' Review: A Struggling Singer in Paradise In this romantic comedy, a woman reeling from a failed engagement and a flailing career escapes to a glamorous island resort. By Concepción de León Decal 'Ride the Eagle' Review: A Nontoxic Bro Faces Midlife Lessons A conga-playing, marijuana-smoking man approaches middle age — and romance — with help from a video from his mother. By Glenn Kenny Kino Lorber 'Never Gonna Snow Again' Review: You're Getting Warmer There's a stranger in town, and his touch is hypnotic, which is just what these icy, disaffected people needed. By Beatrice Loayza Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times The Projectionist Dev Patel, Starry Knight "The Green Knight" offered the actor a movie-star moment unlike anything he's done before. Could he conquer his insecurities and take the lead? By Kyle Buchanan Disney No Lion, the Skipper Is the Real King of the Jungle Cruise Bad jokes and puns are part of a Disneyland job that has been immortalized in a new film. Those who've held the role at the theme park never really leave it behind. By Kathryn Shattuck John Locher/Associated Press Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney Over 'Black Widow' Release The star said making the film available on Disney+ at the same time it opened in theaters "dramatically" lowered box office revenue, which could cost her tens of millions of dollars. By Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling Julien Mignot for The New York Times Vicky Krieps Gave Hollywood One More Try. It Wasn't So Bad. The "Phantom Thread" actress, burned by the experience of promoting the movie in the United States, retreated to art-house obscurity. Now, she's back in the M. Night Shyamalan blockbuster "Old." By Thomas Rogers Disney/Pixar Study Shows More Disability Stories Onscreen, but Few Disabled Actors The study published Wednesday also showed that television is far behind film when it comes to representation of characters with disabilities. By Sarah Bahr STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Mubi Stream These Five International Films Now This month's picks include a deadpan Moroccan comedy, a Polish film about an influencer, a nail-biting Indian crime thriller and more. By Devika Girish Loris T. Zambelli/Netflix Five Horror Movies to Stream Now From gross to grisly, this month's horror movie picks coat the globe in gore. By Erik Piepenburg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT 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. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. 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