Movies Update: ‘Project Power,’ ‘Bicycle Thieves’ and More

Plus, a "Jurassic" return to shooting blockbusters.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 14, 2020 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! Still looking for exciting things to watch at home? We’ve got you covered. For something old, our critic A.O. Scott argues that you should still care about the 1949 Italian classic “Bicycle Thieves.” For something new, Netflix is premiering the Jamie Foxx action film “Project Power” (read our review and watch how one combustible scene was made). And for something true, a handful of documentaries are now available, including one about women in politics, another about teenage boys in politics, a look at a journalist chronicling abuses in the Philippines and a look into a race-related killing. And in the news, Hollywood has returned to shooting blockbusters. Let’s hope it all goes well. Enjoy the movies. Skip Bolen/Netflix   ‘Project Power’ Review: Ye Olde Bangs, Scares and Clichés Jamie Foxx heads up this very busy and familiar action movie, which also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dominique Fishback. By Manohla Dargis Produzioni De Sica   Critic’s Notebook Why You Should Still Care About ‘Bicycle Thieves’ On the unforgettable heartbreak and enduring pleasures of an Italian neorealist masterpiece. By A.O. Scott Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS David Bornfriend/A24   The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now We’ve plucked out the 50 best films currently streaming on Netflix in the United States. Take a look. By Jason Bailey ABC   The Best Movies and Shows on Hulu Right Now We’ve hand-picked the finest movies and television shows currently streaming on Hulu in the United States. Take a look. By Jason Bailey Paramount Pictures   The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now We’ve plucked out 100 of the absolute best movies included with a Prime subscription right now. Take a look. By Jason Bailey MOVIE REVIEWS A24   ‘Boys State’ Review: Give Me a Teen and I’ll Show You a Politician The winning if overly eager-to-please documentary “Boys State” looks at an annual educational program for teenage boys. By Manohla Dargis HBO   ‘Storm Over Brooklyn’ Review: A Flash Point of Racial Violence This documentary on the race-related killing of the Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins in 1989 never settles on a satisfying point of view. By Ben Kenigsberg PBS/Frontline   Critic’s Pick ‘A Thousand Cuts’ Review: A Free Press Endures Lacerations This documentary profiles Maria Ressa, a journalist who has fearlessly chronicled abuses in the Philippines under the Duterte government. By Ben Kenigsberg Music Box Films   ‘Represent’ Review: Running for Office, and Seeking More Than Votes In this documentary, three women, driven by a desire to reshape their communities, seek office. By Lovia Gyarkye Oscilloscope Laboratories   ‘Martin Margiela: In His Own Words’ Review: A Visionary’s Handiwork A rather conventional documentary about a fashion designer whose creations were anything but. By Jon Caramanica Vertical Entertainment   ‘The Bay of Silence’ Review: Awash With Secrets This British-Dutch thriller heaps on the supporting characters but doesn’t give them much room to breathe. By Ben Kenigsberg Mikhail Mokrushin/IFC Midnight   ‘Sputnik’ Review: A Return From Space, With a Little Something This Russian sci-fi horror picture strongly advises that what you find in space should stay there. By Glenn Kenny IFC Films   ‘Made in Italy’ Review: Father and Son Reunion The sale of a Tuscan villa forces a grieving widower and his troubled son to reconnect in this trite comic drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Netflix   Anatomy Of A Scene How Jamie Foxx Fights a Man on Fire in ‘Project Power’ The directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman narrate a sequence from their Netflix action film. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES John Wilson/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment   ‘We Are the Guinea Pigs’: Hollywood Restarts Its Blockbuster Machine “Jurassic World: Dominion,” filming in England, is a chance for the movie industry to see if it can move past the financial woes caused by the pandemic. By Nicole Sperling and Brooks Barnes Danielle Scruggs for The New York Times   Second City Is Trying Not to Be Racist. Will It Work This Time? For more than 60 years, the premier home for improv comedy was a bastion of whiteness where performers of color were consistently demeaned. Now it is trying to remake itself entirely. By Melena Ryzik and Jake Malooley Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times   After Agnes Chow Is Arrested in Hong Kong, a ‘Mulan’ Meme Is Born Supporters of Ms. Chow, a 23-year-old activist detained under Hong Kong’s national security law, flooded Twitter with images comparing her to the Chinese folk heroine. By Elaine Yu Searchlight Pictures   Steve McQueen and Chloé Zhao Works Will Play at the New York Film Festival The main slate also includes documentaries by Jia Zhangke and Frederick Wiseman in an event that has been reshaped by the pandemic. By Stephanie Goodman CRITICS’ PICKS Grasshopper Film   Critic’s Pick ‘Change of Life’ Review: A Film From a Portuguese Master, Newly Restored Paulo Rocha’s 1966 triumph is set in a Portuguese fishing village, where residents live hand-to-mouth. By Glenn Kenny Netflix   Critic’s Pick ‘An Easy Girl’ Review: Carnal Knowledge An inexperienced teenager and her more sophisticated cousin experience a transformative summer in this smart and sultry coming-of-age story. By Jeannette Catsoulis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT 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