Movies Update: Oscar Predictions, 'Birds of Prey' and More

Plus, #OscarsSoWhite: an oral history.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 7, 2020

By Kyle Buchanan

Hey, movie fans!

The Oscars are this Sunday, and for as much as I’m curious about them, I think the event I’m most looking forward to comes the day before, when the Independent Spirit Awards are held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

The Indie Spirits are always a joyful, rambunctious affair — the outfits are more outrageous, the speeches are far less practiced, and the day-drinking is quite a thing to behold — but I tend to find them quite moving, too. For a while there, the Indie Spirits angled to be seen as an Oscar predictor, but they’ve been going their own way over the last few years, and that means rewarding new talents who can hardly believe their acknowledgment. When those people win an award for something they struggled so mightily to make, it’s a wonderful thing to witness.

If the Oscars aren’t your thing this weekend, there are still plenty of new films to check out, including “Birds of Prey,” which gives Margot Robbie’s comic-book character Harley Quinn a girl squad instead of a suicide squad, the eerie thriller “The Lodge,” and the romance “And Then We Danced.” On streaming, Netflix is debuting “Horse Girl,” with Alison Brie, and Disney Plus has the newest movie from the director of “Spotlight,” though his family film “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made” is a big swerve away from that best-picture winner.

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François Duhamel/Universal Pictures   The Carpetbagger Oscars 2020 Predictions: Who Will Win Best Picture, Actor and Actress Our expert has been closely tracking the awards races all season. Here are the movies and stars he expects to win. By Kyle Buchanan Warner Bros.   ‘Birds of Prey’ Review: Nihilism for Fun and Profit Margot Robbie stars as the cosplay favorite Harley Quinn in a movie that plays at provocation but declines to provoke anything like a thought. By A.O. Scott

MOVIE REVIEWS Oscilloscope Laboratories   Critic’s Pick ‘Cane River’ Review: A Lost Treasure of Independent Cinema Horace B. Jenkins’s tale of forbidden romance in Louisiana, completed in 1982, opens at last. By A.O. Scott Neon   ‘The Lodge’ Review: Mommy Not-So-Dearest In a remote vacation home, two traumatized children and their soon-to-be stepmother are trapped in an unnerving meet-and-greet. By Jeannette Catsoulis Jamie Leigh Gianopoulos/Saban Films   ‘Come to Daddy’ Review: Father and Son Reunion Elijah Wood gives his all as an abandoned son seeking closure in Ant Timpson’s endearingly nutty comic thriller. By Jeannette Catsoulis Music Box Films   ‘And Then We Danced’ Review: Caught Between Desire and Tradition “There is no sexuality in Georgian dance,” an instructor says. Then things get complicated. By Glenn Kenny Vertical Entertainment   ‘Waiting for Anya’ Review: Saving Jews as a Rite of Passage A boy in Occupied France, with eyes wide open, must choose what to say about what he sees. By Ben Kenigsberg

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE Bernard Walsh/Paramount Pictures   Anatomy Of A Scene Ride With Blake Lively in a Car Chase Scene From ‘The Rhythm Section’ The director Reed Morano narrates a harrowing sequence that has the movie’s lead character navigating narrow roads and fleeing gunfire, all filmed from the passenger’s seat. By Mekado Murphy

NEWS & FEATURES Keith Negley   The Hashtag That Changed the Oscars: An Oral History Five years ago, #OscarsSoWhite rewrote the narrative in an industry with entrenched disparities. Here, Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay and other insiders tell the story as they lived it. By Reggie Ugwu Jack Manning/The New York Times   Kirk Douglas, a Star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Dies at 103 His rugged good looks and muscular intensity made him a commanding presence in films like “Lust for Life,” “Spartacus” and “Paths of Glory.” By Robert Berkvist Clockwise from top left: François Duhamel/Universal Pictures; Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox; 20th Century Fox; Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.; Andrew Cooper/Sony; Netflix. Center: Wilson Webb/Netflix   Dear Oscars, I Love You. But We Need to Talk. The Academy Awards have made mistakes before, our critic writes. But this year’s crop of best-picture nominees may be the breaking point. By Wesley Morris Ralf Hirschberger/DPA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   Hey, Movie Fans, Test Your Knowledge of Oscar Firsts Remember the first superhero nominated for best picture? What about the first EGOT winner? See how you do against other film lovers. By Kathryn Shattuck Netflix   What I Learned About Filmmaking From These Oscar Nominees The right framing, a certain look, a bit of improvisation and some inspiring music all factor into how some of the season’s most interesting scenes came together. By Mekado Murphy Claudette Barius/Warner Bros.   Who Are the Birds of Prey, Exactly? A Guide to Harley Quinn’s Team With the movie “Birds of Prey” in theaters, we offer a character explainer. By Devin Fuller Netflix   I Used to Be a Taylor Swift Fan. ‘Miss Americana’ Reminded Me Why. The Netflix documentary, released Friday, opens a rare, honest window on what makes this star tick. By Nancy Coleman via Sundance Institute   The Carpetbagger Can the Sundance Film Festival Stage an Oscar Comeback? Here are the films and performances from this year’s edition that already have pundits talking. By Kyle Buchanan

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STREAMING streaming movie review ‘Horse Girl’ Review: Facing an Emotionally Taxing World The film, which stars Alison Brie as a psychologically disturbed woman, delves into a troubled mind only to get lost in its oddity. by natalia winkelman streaming movie review ‘Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made’ Review: Kid Sleuth on the Case Tom McCarthy’s new film goes inside a boy’s imagination, but not interestingly or with charm. by kyle turner The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix, Amazon and More in February Every month, subscription streaming services add a new batch of titles to their libraries. Here are our picks for February. by eleanor stanford Where to Stream ‘Spartacus’ and Other Great Kirk Douglas Movies The classic Hollywood star didn’t always play the hero. But whether good guy or heel, he brought a towering presence to the screen. by scott tobias Netflix Spent Big on Oscar-Worthy Films. That May Not Be Enough. The streaming giant has a leading 24 nominations, but forecasters don’t expect it to win many Academy Awards on Sunday. by brooks barnes and nicole sperling Disney Plus Racks Up 28.6 Million Subscribers It’s an astounding number for a streaming service that is less than three months old. by brooks barnes

CRITICS’ PICKS Netflix   Critic’s Pick ‘Taylor Swift: Miss Americana’ Review: A Star, Surprisingly Alone In the Netflix documentary, we see a star that is self-critical, grown up and ready, perhaps, to deliver a message beyond the music. By Wesley Morris Ty Johnson/Bleecker Street   Critic’s Pick ‘The Assistant’ Review: Screaming on the Inside Julia Garner is magnificent as a conflicted staffer to a serial sexual predator in this powerfully muted drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis

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