Movies Update: 'Radioactive,' 'The Kissing Booth 2' and More

Plus, Dave Franco talks about the scary aspects of home sharing.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story July 24, 2020 By Manohla Dargis Chief Film Critic Hey film fans, We’re having another viewing party! For those seeking summertime movie fun, this has been an interminable season of discontent. With many theaters closed and the industry on effective hold, audiences have been streaming and often yawning the hours away. So thank the goddess for Gina Prince-Bythewood, whose Netflix action-adventure “The Old Guard” — with its mysteries, kinetic action, tight set pieces and pensive superheroes — has delivered the transporting pleasures we need. All of which is to say it’s time to revisit “Love & Basketball,” Prince-Bythewood’s debut feature and first screen triumph. Released in 2000, it stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps as childhood friends turned young adults bound by feelings for each other and a shared passion for basketball. Set in Los Angeles (where Prince-Bythewood ran track at the University of California), it uses the intimately personal to memorably open up a larger, richer world. You can stream or buy “Love & Basketball”; here’s a guide. Comments will be open on this article until 6 p.m. Eastern time on Monday — so please swing by, we need everyone off the bench. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Laurie Sparham/Amazon Studios   ‘Radioactive’ Review: Marie Curie and the Science of Autonomy Rosamund Pike plays the pioneering scientist who won two Nobel Prizes while raising two daughters (one won her own Nobel). By Manohla Dargis Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times   Dave Franco Realizes His Worst Vacation Fears in ‘The Rental’ The actor makes his feature directing debut with a horror thriller about two couples who book a home-sharing getaway, but things don’t go as planned. By Erik Piepenburg Aimee Spinks/Netflix   Critic’s Notebook The Pleasure of Watching Charlize Theron Throw a Punch From her debut in “2 Days in the Valley” to “The Old Guard,” the actress has taken action seriously. Her fight scenes have the heft and emotion of a Gene Kelly dance sequence. By Jason Bailey Elizabeth Weinberg for The New York Times   The New ‘Kissing Booth’ Star on ‘Cats,’ Selena and Greased Abs Taylor Zakhar Perez, 28, plays Marco, a new love interest in “The Kissing Booth 2,” Netflix’s sequel to the 2018 high school rom-com. By Nancy Coleman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Samuel Goldwyn Films/Orion Pictures   Beyond The Algorithm 10 Streaming Movies to Keep Your Summer Interesting You may not have considered (or heard of) these out-of-the-box selections. We’ll make you familiar. By Jason Bailey Sony Pictures Animation   Family-Friendly Movies Made by Diverse Filmmakers These 8 movies were written, directed by and star people of color, and depict complex stories that can spark conversation. By Stacy Brick Sidney Baldwin/New Line Cinema   Your Weekend Watch With Tony And Manohla Viewing Party! Let’s All Watch ‘Love & Basketball’ Before she saved the summer with “The Old Guard,” Gina Prince-Bythewood proved that she had cinematic game with her debut feature. By Manohla Dargis Max-o-matic   ‘Almost Famous’: The Oral History of a Golden God’s Acid Trip As the coming-of-age rock tale turns 20, the cast and crew remember how a star’s badly aimed jump and other near-misses became a standout scene. By Ilana Kaplan Criterion Collection   Rewind An African in Paris, Fighting to Preserve His Dignity Long out of distribution and now streaming, Med Hondo’s “Soleil Ô” is an unclassifiable allegory of economic migration and systemic racism as relevant now as it was in 1970. By J. Hoberman MOVIE REVIEWS Marcos Cruz/Netflix   ‘The Kissing Booth 2’ Review: Another Dose of Prep School Drama A high school senior juggles college applications and a slippery, long-distance beau in this Netflix sequel to the popular teen rom-com. By Natalia Winkelman Netflix   ‘Animal Crackers’ Review: Of Hamsters and Men For a movie about magical snack cookies, this animated adventure takes its sweet time laying out a basic premise. By Ben Kenigsberg Samuel Goldwyn Films   ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ Review: A Tale of Unlikely Chart-Toppers This movie about singing seafaring working men hums a familiar tune. By Glenn Kenny Saban Films   ‘Retaliation’ Review: To Suffer Silently or Take Revenge? Orlando Bloom takes on a tough role as an abuse survivor confronting his trauma. By Ben Kenigsberg Kino Lorber   ‘Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful’ Review: Man With a Camera This cheery, chatty overview of the life and work of the photographer Helmut Newton prioritizes gossip over critique. By Jeannette Catsoulis IFC Films   ‘The Rental’ Review: High Infidelity Dave Franco’s directing debut puts four friends in peril at a vacation property. By Jeannette Catsoulis Vertical Entertainment   ‘Yes, God, Yes’ Review: Sin and Sensuality A naïve Catholic teenager explores her sexuality in this gentle indie comedy. By Jeannette Catsoulis Nick Wall/Magnet Releasing   ‘Amulet’ Review: A Man in Dark Times and Deep Trouble In this spooky tale, a soldier discovers a strange female talisman and meets some far more enigmatic women. By Manohla Dargis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Elizabeth Sadegh   The Star of This $70 Million Sci-Fi Film Is a Robot Meet Erica, an android believed to be Hollywood’s first fully autonomous artificially intelligent actor. Can she overcome the uncanny valley? By Sarah Bahr Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images   Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s Courtroom Face-Off: An Explainer The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star is suing a British newspaper for claiming he was violent toward his former wife. It’s a battle in which both stars could lose. By Alex Marshall Kyle Espeleta/Getty Images   Producer Takes Academy to Task in Lawsuit The Oscars’ social media strategy — and by extension their relevance to younger viewers — underlies the action brought by the producer Michael Shamberg. By Brooks Barnes Peter Foley/EPA, via Shutterstock   Clint Eastwood Sues, Says He Has Nothing to Do With CBD Products The Academy Award-winning director filed two lawsuits on Wednesday against retailers, saying they falsely claimed he had endorsed their goods. By Sarah Bahr CRITICS’ PICKS Outsider Pictures   Critic’s Pick ‘Days of the Whale’ Review: A Battle Between Art and Power Teenage graffiti artists have to confront the pleasures and pains of adolescence in this noteworthy new film from Colombia. By Glenn Kenny IFC Midnight   Critic’s Pick ‘Relic’ Review: A Haunted House and a Clouded Mind Natalie Erika James’s arresting debut deftly merges a classic horror genre with an allegory of dementia. By Jeannette Catsoulis 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? 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