Movies Update: 'Hamilton,' '13TH' and More

Plus, a look back at summer blockbusters we miss.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story July 3, 2020 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Dear film fans, As we head into the Fourth of July weekend, the movies are giving us a lot to think about at a difficult time for our country. “Hamilton,” the filmed version of the Broadway musical, has finally arrived (on Disney+). You can read all about it here, from its Off Broadway start to the movie shoot. Speaking of which: A.O. Scott says in his film review that it feels “more vital, more challenging then ever,” raising questions about our nation’s founding and how that history has been handed down to us. As the well-known chorus goes, “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” Ava DuVernay, whose Netflix documentary, “13TH,” chronicles the disproportionate incarceration of African-Americans, raised a similar point with us recently: “You have to analyze where the silences in those historical narratives are.” She was taking part in our roundtable with Stanley Nelson (“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution”) and Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis (“Whose Streets?”). In conversation with the writer Salamishah Tillet, the filmmakers spoke about racial justice and the moving image. Though theaters remain largely closed, there’s still a lot going on in the film world. The academy invited more than 800 new members and announced it had met the diversity goals it set after #OscarsSoWhite. Still, as my colleague Kyle Buchanan writes, “only 19 percent of the current members are people of color while just 33 percent of Oscar voters are female.” And if you’re missing summer blockbusters (I know I am), Scott, Manohla Dargis and Mekado Murphy are taking new looks at old favorites, from “Jaws” to superhero hits and cinematic car chases. Have a happy holiday and stay safe! Disney   Critic’s Pick ‘Hamilton’ Review: You Say You Want a Revolution The filmed version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s founding-father Broadway musical arrives just in time — vital and more challenging than ever. By A.O. Scott Ben Giles   Critic’s Notebook A Summer Without Superheroes A real-world catastrophe has forced us to hit pause on enjoying the spectacle of our own domination. Maybe that’s a good thing. By A.O. Scott Ben Giles   Critic’s Notebook ‘Jaws’ Is Still Devouring Us. SOS! In 1975, this thriller freaked out the world, scaring us out of the water and creating the summer-blockbuster template. It was also a warning. By Manohla Dargis Jaimie Trueblood/Universal Pictures   The Fast & Furious Art of the Car Chase Hot pursuits are a staple of summer blockbusters — remember them? — so we asked the director Justin Lin to break down five of our favorites. By Mekado Murphy Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MOVIE REVIEWS IFC Films   Critic’s Pick ‘The Truth’ Review: Being Catherine Deneuve Following his Palme d’Or-winning “Shoplifters,” the Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda visits some of the glories of France. By Manohla Dargis HBO   Critic’s Pick ‘Welcome to Chechnya’ Review: A Vital Indictment of Mass Persecution David France’s documentary follows a group of courageous Russian activists working to rescue victims of an anti-L.G.B.T.Q. crackdown. By Jeannette Catsoulis Yana Blajeva/Screen Media   ‘The Outpost’ Review: At War, in a Worst-Case Scenario U. S. soldiers in Afghanistan fight to defend themselves against the Taliban in this fact-based war drama from Rod Lurie. By Glenn Kenny Magnolia Pictures   ‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ Review: Past Progress, and More to Come A profile of the civil rights leader and longtime Georgia congressman has an urgent message. By Ben Kenigsberg Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group   ‘Viena and the Fantomes’ Review: A Roadie and a Bad Band Dakota Fanning plays a young woman who attaches herself to a pouty punk group in this drama from Gerardo Naranjo. By Glenn Kenny Open Door Productions   ‘Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America’ Review: Embracing a New Home A documentary on L.G.B.T.Q. refugees becomes progressively engaging as its subjects’ paths diverge. By Ben Kenigsberg Gravitas Ventures   ‘Skyman’ Review: Ready for an Alien Reunion Daniel Myrick’s mock documentary about a man’s belief in extraterrestrial contact is a subdued and touching outsider portrait. By Jeannette Catsoulis Lionsgate   ‘Four Kids and It’ Review: A Family-Friendly Magical Beach Troll Andy de Emmony directs this by-the-book adaptation of a children’s novel about a magical creature that can grant wishes. By Kristen Yoonsoo Kim Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Brittainy Newman/The New York Times   Weekend Arts Roundup 8 Things to Do This Fourth of July Weekend Our culture writers offer suggestions for celebrating Independence Day, and what to watch or listen to without leaving your home. Universal Pictures   Carl Reiner: Where to Stream His Best Work Reiner, the creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and director of acclaimed comedies with Steve Martin and others, excelled at spotlighting the unique comic gifts of his collaborators. A24   Stream These 15 Great Titles Before They Leave Netflix in July Movie theaters are still closed. But your TV abides. Check out these movies before they leave, some as soon as the holiday weekend. By Jason Bailey Ron Batzdorff/Disney   Comfort Viewing: Three Reasons I Love ‘The Princess Diaries’ In a world upended by a pandemic, the antics of a catastrophe-prone teenage princess reassure me. By Sarah Bahr NEWS & FEATURES From left: Lucas Alvarado Farrar/Magnolia Pictures; Netflix; Stephen Shames   We Asked Four Documentarians: How Does Film Shape the Fight for Racial Justice? Ava DuVernay, Stanley Nelson, Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis have all made movies that help explain our nation’s current efforts to face hundreds of years of inequity. Here’s what they said. By Salamishah Tillet Elizabeth Viggiano/Netflix   Netflix’s ‘Eurovision Song Contest’: Here’s What You May Have Missed The new film starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams lovingly references many of the competition’s most memorable moments, and features many Eurovision stars. By Scott Bryan HBO   Deepfake Technology Enters the Documentary World A film about persecuted gay and lesbian Chechens uses digital manipulation to guard their identities without losing their humanity. The step raises familiar questions about nonfiction movies. By Joshua Rothkopf Farah Al Qasimi for The New York Times   ‘Wayne’s World’ & Me As a kid, I identified with Garth Algar, the shy sidekick of the 1992 movie, who taught me about how to be a real person in a branded world. By Amanda Hess Next Film   How ‘365 Days’ Became One of Netflix’s Worst-Reviewed Big Hits Critically panned, the steamy Polish flick is a streaming success thanks to TikTok teenagers and curious fans. But there’s also a growing backlash from those who say it glorifies rape culture. By Ashley Spencer Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times   Feature This Profile of Charlie Kaufman Has Changed How do you write about Hollywood’s most self-referential screenwriter at a destabilizing moment in history? It takes more than one draft. By Jon Mooallem Mark Ralston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   After #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy Meets Goal to Diversify Membership The number of Oscar voters of color has tripled in the last four years, while the number of women has doubled. Still, the group skews heavily white and male. By Kyle Buchanan Clockwise from top left: Murray Close/Warner Brothers; Dog Eat Dog Films; Melissa Moseley/New Line Cinema; Joe Lederer/Columbia Pictures   The Box 2004: ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ and a Country at War With Itself In this moment of polarization and racial justice, our critic looks back at Michael Moore’s smash documentary about the Iraq war and ‘The Notebook.’ By Wesley Morris Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS’ PICKS Lena Herzog/MUB   Critic’s Pick ‘Family Romance, LLC’ Review: Werner Herzog’s Comfort for Hire This hybrid work of fiction and documentary begins with a creepy feeling that is eventually replaced by an empathetic fascination. By Glenn Kenny Kino Lorber   Critic’s Pick ‘Denise Ho: Becoming the Song’ Review: Pop With a Message This moving documentary profiles a singer who has become an influential activist in Hong Kong. By Lovia Gyarkye 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018