Movies Update: 'Like a Boss' and More

Plus, Hoffa vs. Hoffa, how two actors found their character.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 10, 2020

By Kyle Buchanan

Hey, movie fans!

The twists and turns of awards season have given us much to mull over this week, but I confess I’ve mostly been thinking a lot about Patricia Arquette in a viking helmet. That was the most memorable thing I saw at the Golden Globes after-parties, which included Joaquin Phoenix canoodling with Rooney Mara, Tiffany Haddish leaping behind the DJ booth at two separate parties, and Al Pacino doing a little shimmy on the dance floor.

But what can beat the sight of Globe-winner Patricia Arquette sitting at a banquette after midnight, wearing sunglasses, couture and a party helmet with two giant horns? Some of the stars don completely different outfits in between the main show and the after-parties, but Arquette was like, “You know what? All I need is a viking helmet and I’m good to go.” It’s the most fun thing I saw all night. Hollywood starlets, take her picture to your stylists.

With awards-season holdovers like “1917” and “Just Mercy” finally entering wide release, there aren’t a lot of notable new movies in the marketplace this weekend: You’ve got the Kristen Stewart thriller “Underwater,” the Tiffany Haddish/Rose Byrne comedy “Like a Boss,” and documentaries “System K” and “Earth.” Will you be watching something brand-new, or catching up on big awards contenders in advance of the Oscar nominations this Monday?

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Eli Joshua Ade/Paramount Pictures   ‘Like a Boss’ Review: Tiffany & Rose’s Very Unfortunate Adventure No, just no. By Manohla Dargis Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox   ‘Underwater’ Review: Wobbly Sea Legs Kristen Stewart is lean, intense and taciturn in this aquatic “Alien” attempt. But the movie is more boring than horrific. By Glenn Kenny

MOVIE REVIEWS Francois Duhamel/Universal Pictures   ‘1917’ Review: Paths of Technical Glory Sam Mendes directs this visually extravagant drama about young British soldiers on a perilous mission in World War I. By Manohla Dargis Lionsgate   ‘Inherit the Viper’ Review: Hard Times in a Hard Town A family of opioid dealers in a poverty-stricken town faces the end of the line in this tough, tight crime thriller. By Glenn Kenny Screen Media Films   ‘The Sonata’ Review: A Little Fright Music A young violinist inherits a cursed piece of music in this slow-moving ghost story. By Jeannette Catsoulis Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber   ‘The Woman Who Loves Giraffes’ Review: Crackers for Animals This warm documentary uses one woman’s singular passion to fuel a tale of zoological discovery, blatant sexism and environmental alarm. By Jeannette Catsoulis IFC Films   ‘Three Christs’ Review: Exploring the Mysteries of the Mind The film is based on a book by a social psychologist who studied schizophrenia in the late 1950s. By Ben Kenigsberg Camille Lotteau   Review: Two Battle Diaries From Iraq In the documentaries “Peshmerga” and “The Battle of Mosul,” Bernard-Henri Lévy offers a portrait of the fighters trying to repel the Islamic State. By Ben Kenigsberg Fox Star Studios   Chhapaak Review: Life and Activism After an Acid Attack The movie is based on the life of Laxmi Agarwal, who was burned with acid in New Delhi 2005. By Teo Bugbee Alex Stikich/Abramorama   ‘Afterward’ Review: Asking for Opinions of Jews and Israel A documentary seeks to find out what people think of Jews, the Holocaust and history. By Ken Jaworowski

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE Jake Netter/Warner Bros   Anatomy Of A Scene How ‘Just Mercy’ Gets Close to Its Characters The director Destin Daniel Cretton narrates a scene from his drama featuring Jamie Foxx as a man on death row who asserts his innocence. By Mekado Murphy

NEWS & FEATURES François Duhamel/Sygma, via Getty Images; Netflix   Critic’s Notebook Hoffa vs. Hoffa: How Two Actors Found Their Character Al Pacino’s portrayal of the union leader in “The Irishman” differs markedly from Jack Nicholson’s take in a 1992 movie. By Jason Bailey Jingyu Lin for The New York Times   Florence Pugh’s True Hollywood Fairy Tale The 24-year-old, chameleonlike star of “Little Women” and “Midsommar” can make you believe in the impossible. By Reggie Ugwu Joel C. Ryan/Invision, via Associated Press   The Carpetbagger After Oscar Season’s Wildest Week, a Troubling Takeaway As the field continues to narrow, female filmmakers and actors of color appear increasingly sidelined. By Kyle Buchanan Brian Guido for The New York Times   These Composers Are Maestros of Menace They call themselves the Newton Brothers, and they create deeply creepy scores for horror flicks like “The Grudge” and “Doctor Sleep.” By Darryn King Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   Meet Mary Steenburgen, Songwriter The actress has quietly been working in music for the last dozen years, and a tune she helped write for “Wild Rose” has made the Oscar shortlist. By Bruce Fretts Neon, via Associated Press   The Carpetbagger P.G.A. and D.G.A. Nominations Favor ‘Parasite,’ ‘1917,’ ‘The Irishman’ The path to a best-picture nomination often runs through these two guilds, but who got left out? By Kyle Buchanan

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STREAMING Clockwise from top left, Peter Mountain/Paramount Pictures, HBO, Pixar   The Best Movies and TV Shows New to Netflix, Amazon and More in January Every month, subscription streaming services add a new batch of titles to their libraries. Here are the ones we think are most interesting for January. By Jennifer Vineyard

CRITICS’ PICKS KimStim   Critic’s Pick ‘Earth’ Review: Humanity Is Digging Its Own Grave In this sobering documentary, Nikolaus Geyrhalter looks at how humans are changing the planet one backhoe at a time. By Manohla Dargis Artification   CRITIC’S PICK ‘System K’ Review: Art in the Streets of Desperation The poverty and chaos of Kinshasa drive an art scene that’s vivid, unrelenting and genuinely dangerous. By Glenn Kenny

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