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Movies Update: 'Destroyer,' 'On the Basis of Sex' and More

Plus, how Christian Bale became Dick Cheney.

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Mekado Murphy Senior Staff Editor, Movies Greetings, movie fans! Decisions, decisions. Which John C. Reilly movie should you catch this holiday season? "Stan & Ollie" with Steve Coogan? Or "Holmes & Watson" with Will Ferrell? Despite an ocean of negative reviews for the latter, our critic Ben Kenigsberg writes that there is "intermittent joy to be found" in it. And Jason Zinoman calls the former "observant and genial." If you're looking for women-led options instead, the thriller "Destroyer," with a transformative performance by Nicole Kidman, is a way to go. Manohla Dargis writes that Kidman is "superbly unbound" in the role of a weathered cop. Or you could choose the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic "On the Basis of Sex," which stars Felicity Jones as the young Supreme Court justice-to-be. A. O. Scott writes that it "does a brisk, coherent job of articulating what Ginsburg accomplished and why it mattered." Or you can opt for any of the one-word films that opened around Christmas, like the box office leader "Aquaman," the softer, gentler Transformers movie "Bumblebee" or the Dick Cheney biopic "Vice." Enjoy yourself at the movies, and have a happy New Year.

Movie Reviews Annapurna Pictures Critic's Pick 'Destroyer': A Very Good Nicole Kidman Plays a Very Bad Woman By MANOHLA DARGIS In the latest from Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight"), a corrupt female cop searches for a killer and possible redemption in the land of sunshine and noir. Jonathan Wenk/Focus Features 'On the Basis of Sex': How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Became 'Notorious' By A.O. SCOTT This brisk biopic shows how the future Supreme Court justice made history, from her days at Harvard Law School to a decisive early case.

'Holmes & Watson': Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and the Dull Routine of Bromance By BEN KENIGSBERG The distributor deep-sixed this chapter in Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly's partnership, yet there are intermittent laughs to be found in the film. 'Stan & Ollie': Laurel and Hardy, a Double Act as Romance By JASON ZINOMAN This portrait of the comedians features the comic bits, but the focus never strays far from the men's prickly friendship. 'The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows': A Charming, Safe Collection By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS The 15 short films here are mostly well-executed, our critic writes. But only a few push boundaries.

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Anatomy of a Scene Watch Emily Blunt Sing With Animated Birds in 'Mary Poppins Returns' By MEKADO MURPHY The director Rob Marshall discusses how this scene, which combines live action and hand-drawn animation, came to be.

News & Features Bringing to Life the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Only Her Family Knows By MELENA RYZIK Her nephew wrote the new biopic about her, "On the Basis of Sex." Her grandson has a part. And the justice and her daughter reviewed draft after draft. How Christian Bale Became Dick Cheney (and Other Tales of Transformation) By ANDREW R. CHOW The Hollywood prosthetics industry has evolved from making monsters to creating startling likenesses. Now Playing: The Movies Before the Movies By JASON BAILEY Theaters like Nitehawk Cinema and Alamo Drafthouse don't just play trailers before their features. Audiences get a more elaborate preshow. Mary Poppins: The Peculiar Challenge of Animating Her World By CHARLES SOLOMON Rob Marshall was thrilled and anxious to be asked to direct the sequel to "Mary Poppins," which was the first movie he ever saw. 'Aquaman' Through History: The Stuff That Memes Are Made Of By DEVIN FULLER Before Jason Momoa made him into a box-office beefcake, the seahorse-riding Aquaman was something of a punch line. Here's a look at his onscreen evolution. Critic's Notebook How #MeToo Changes 'If Beale Street Could Talk' By AISHA HARRIS In 2018, the rape accusation at the center of Barry Jenkins's film became more complicated than James Baldwin could have imagined.

Streaming Movie Reviews 'Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski': A Sharp Look at a Tangled Legacy By KAREN HAN This intimate portrait of the Polish artist Stanislaw Szukalski wrestles with questions about whether and how art can be separated from the artist. 'Bad Seeds': A Scam Artist Teaches From the School of Life By SCOTT TOBIAS Catherine Deneuve graciously cedes the spotlight to Kheiron, the writer and director of this sweet-and-salty redemption tale from France.

Critics' Picks 'Cold War' By MANOHLA DARGIS In post-World War II Poland, a singer and a piano player find each other, fall in love and soon end up on opposite sides of history. 'Bumblebee' By GLENN KENNY The actress Hailee Steinfeld and the director Travis Knight make this the most appealing film in the "Transformers" series. 'If Beale Street Could Talk' By MANOHLA DARGIS The couple in this adaptation of James Baldwin's novel are loving while black, an existential truth that is turned into a nightmare. 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' By A.O. SCOTT This lively, diverse comic-book movie brings some fun to a genre that often takes itself too seriously.

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