Movies Update: 'Do the Right Thing' Viewing Party and More

Plus, “The Half of It,” and other new films stream this weekend.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 1, 2020

By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

Looking ahead to the long, hot, socially distanced summer and to the new Spike Lee joint (“Da 5 Bloods”) coming to Netflix, we found ourselves thinking about “Do the Right Thing.” When Lee’s once-incendiary, now-classic fourth feature was released in 1989, it caused some hand-wringing among critics and commentators, who worried that its unflinching portrayal of violent racial tension might lead to riots. Those fears looked silly then (still do), but the nerves that the movie touched are as raw as ever.

What does “Do the Right Thing” look like now? Does it still have the power to provoke? Does it make you angry and, if so, at what or whom? Are you struck by Lee’s fury or by his fondness for Brooklyn and its diverse inhabitants? If you haven’t seen the movie in a while, has your impression changed? And if you’re watching for the first time, does it live up to the hype?

Here’s a guide to where it’s streaming. Watch over the weekend and let us know what you think in the comments section of this article. The cutoff for feedback is 6 p.m. Monday. We’ll return with our reactions to your comments on Tuesday.

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Columbia Pictures, via Criterion Collection   Gateway Movies Want to Be an Instant Expert on Film Noir? Watch This Drama For a crash course on a category that can be hard to pin down, Nicholas Ray’s psychologically complex “In a Lonely Place” has it all, starting with a sneering Bogart. By Ben Kenigsberg Tristan Aurouet   Now Playing: The South by Southwest Film Festival, Sort of Two critics look at highlights from the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection, available to view on Amazon Prime Video. By Amy Nicholson and Jason Bailey Associated Press   This Weekend’s Livestreaming Events: Oprah Joins 200 Stars for a 24-Hour Benefit Appointment viewing is back. Find out what online events to look for today, and when to tune in. By Maya Salam From left: Fox Searchlight Pictures; MGM; Magnolia Pictures   Critic’s Notebook Films to Heal a Broken Moment These characters find reasons to carry on in the face of hardship or crisis — examples that can help in our own difficult time. By Joshua Rothkopf

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE Matt Kennedy/Nettflix   Anatomy Of A Scene How ‘All Day and a Night’ Dazzles With a Street Scene Joe Robert Cole, the writer and director of a new Oakland-set Netflix drama discusses a high-energy sequence that takes place at a party-car-stunt display called a sideshow. By Mekado Murphy

MOVIE REVIEWS KC Bailey/Netflix   Critic’s Pick ‘The Half of It’ Review: Being Yourself (and That Person, Too) In this comedy from Alice Wu, love letters reveal everything about a person, except their identity. By Kyle Turner Greenwich Entertainment   ‘Deerskin’ Review: Swayed by Suede Jean Dujardin convincingly plays a man whose love for his jacket becomes a dark and dangerous obsession. By Jeannette Catsoulis Oscilloscope Laboratories   ‘The Infiltrators’ Review: Immigrant Activists Slip Into Detention Re-enactments are combined with documentary footage to tell the story of people who get detained on purpose, to help immigrants on the inside. By Teo Bugbee Matt Kennedy/Netflix   ‘All Day and a Night’ Review: Growth Behind Bars In this drama from one of the screenwriters of “Black Panther,” a young man embarks on a journey of belated self-discovery. By Lovia Gyarkye IFC Midnight   ‘The Wretched’ Review: Don’t Go Into the Basement A teenager suspects that the woman next door has supernatural origins in this atmospheric chiller. By Jeannette Catsoulis Samuel Goldwyn Films   ‘Bull’ Review: A Lot to Wrangle With A worn-out bull rider and a troubled teenager form an improbable connection in this low-key, naturalistic drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis Netflix   ‘A Secret Love’ Review: A Lesbian Couple’s Enduring Affection This tender film explores the partnership between two women who lived, in public and to kin, as dear friends for six decades. By Natalia Winkelman Shudder   ‘Blood Quantum’ Review: Inspired Splatter This Canadian zombie movie is more notable for its cultural backdrop and moody vibe than for its gore. By Elisabeth Vincentelli

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NEWS & FEATURES Universal Pictures   Critic’s Notebook 2002: When the Rock Went Hollywood and Movie Stars Still Ruled Two decades ago, the box office glittered with Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, Jodie Foster and a certain pro wrestler. Now it’s all about the franchise. By Wesley Morris Erik Tanner for The New York Times   Ava DuVernay and Patty Jenkins Get the Funko Pops Treatment The collectible figurines have long included directors, but until now they were always male. A plea for inclusion changed that. By Robert Ito Damien Maloney for The New York Times   Alice Wu’s Lesbian Rom-Com Was Influential, but Her Follow-Up Wasn’t Easy When she made “Saving Face,” Wu didn’t expect to influence a generation of Asian-American actresses and directors. Her new Netflix movie arrives in a much different time. By Robert Ito Columbia Pictures, via Everett Collection   Critic’s Notebook A Father’s Love, Whether He Says Too Much or Not Enough In “A River Runs Through It,” a loving patriarch can’t find the words to rescue his wayward boy. Years later, another dad sees words as the best way to help his son. By Anthony Tommasini Vic Micolucci/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   AMC Theaters and Universal Brawl After ‘Trolls World Tour’ Is Online Hit AMC said Universal’s films were no longer welcome in its cineplexes. By Brooks Barnes Emily Berl for The New York Times   Edward James Olmos on Hollywood’s View of Latino Actors Whether in his new movie “Windows on the World” or his work with children, the actor aims to give voice to the marginalized, something he thinks the film world should consider. By Carlos Aguilar

CRITICS’ PICKS Netflix   Critic’s Pick ‘Murder to Mercy’ Review: Rethinking a Life Sentence Daniel H. Birman’s documentary about Cyntoia Brown is a moving reflection of what criminal justice reform means in personal terms. By Bilal Qureshi KimStim   Critic’s Pick ‘Until the Birds Return’ Review: Algerian Life, and Nothing More This tender, ruminative drama about contemporary life traces the singular moments that form the nodes of a shared national history. By Devika Girish

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