Movies Update: Holiday Movie Preview and More

Plus, a chat with Kurt and Goldie

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 20, 2020 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! The holiday season has almost begun. And we’re looking ahead to some of the big movies coming to your screens. Anthony Hopkins is set to return with a towering performance in “The Father.” Kyle Buchanan spoke with the veteran performer who claimed for this role, “No acting required.” Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn were interviewed by Ashley Spencer about playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus again in a sequel to their Netflix movie “The Christmas Chronicles.” Christopher Guly took a look at a Canadian location that stands in for small-town America in many holiday movies. I asked the filmmaker Eugene Ashe about the inspirations behind his sweeping romance “Sylvie’s Love.” And Ben Kenigsberg provided a list of some of the best streaming options coming your way. Among the many films out this week is “Mangrove,” the first film in an Amazon streaming series called “Small Axe,” from the acclaimed British director Steve McQueen. A chilling Romanian documentary called “Collective” revisits a 2015 tragedy that exposed political corruption. And the thriller “Run,” on Hulu, features Sarah Paulson as a menacing mother to a wheelchair-using teen (Kiera Allen). Enjoy the movies! Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, a.k.a. Mr. and Mrs. Claus Together 37 years but rarely paired onscreen, the real-life couple’s new Netflix holiday movie is an indication of how they — and Hollywood — have changed. By Ashley Spencer Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times Anthony Hopkins Makes It Look Simple. (And Maybe It Should Be.) In the dementia drama “The Father,” the 82-year-old actor turns in a career-capping performance and yet claims, “No acting required.” By Kyle Buchanan Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS The Best Films and TV Shows to Stream Over the Holidays Hollywood history (“Mank”), jazz (“Soul”) and romance (“Happiest Season”) all have a chance to shine in your living room as the year comes to an end. By Ben Kenigsberg 10 French Movies That Can Transport You to Paris With trans-Atlantic travel all but suspended, the closest you can get to Paris may be onscreen. These movies will take you there. By Jason Farago CRITICS’ PICKS Des Willie/Amazon Prime Video Critic’s Pick ‘Mangrove’ Review: A Restaurant’s Radicalism The first episode in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology dramatizes protest and police brutality in 1960s London. By A.O. Scott Magnolia Pictures Critic’s Pick ‘Collective’ Review: When Tragedy Consumes a Nation The shocking Romanian documentary “Collective” revisits a 2015 fire that killed scores of people and brought down the government. By Manohla Dargis Amazon Studios Critic’s Pick ‘Sound of Metal’ Review: When the Music Stops, the Healing Begins Riz Ahmed is touchingly credible as a musician who loses his hearing in this unusual drama. By Jeannette Catsoulis MOVIE REVIEWS ‘Run’ Review: Bad Medicine Sarah Paulson plays a menacing parent in this enjoyably ludicrous thriller. By Jeannette Catsoulis ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again’ Review: A Who’s Who of Hudgens A holiday game of musical thrones keeps Vanessa Hudgens whirling through costumes and accents. By Helen T. Verongos ‘Embattled’ Review: Hitting Back This macho drama concerns a mixed martial arts fighter and the son he continues to abuse — in the cage. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Soros’ Review: A Philanthropist in the Spotlight This documentary on the Holocaust survivor and successful investor isn’t an objective portrait and doesn’t aspire to be. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Vanguard’ Review: Jackie Chan, More Avuncular Than Action This Time Playing a chief executive, Chan mostly observes rather than takes part in this movie’s death-defying stunts. By Glenn Kenny ‘69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez’ Review: A SoundCloud-Rap Rat The rise and fall of the provocative rapper Tekashi69 is chronicled in this Hulu documentary. By Calum Marsh ‘Ainu Mosir’ Review: A Crisis of Cultural Identity This quietly observed drama follows a teenager living in a community of Ainu people in Hokkaido, Japan struggling to preserve their culture. By Natalia Winkelman ‘Belushi’ Review: A Comic in Full R.J. Cutler’s biographical documentary about the comedy legend hits home hardest as a kind of love story, thanks to candid letters and audio interviews with colleagues. By Nic Rapold Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE Allen Fraser/Hulu and Lionsgate Anatomy of a Scene Watch a Harrowing Escape in ‘Run’ The director Aneesh Chaganty narrates a sequence featuring Kiera Allen, who plays a wheelchair-using teenager with a secretive mother. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES A Canadian Town Is a Festive Anywhere, U.S.A., Onscreen With its mix of 19th-century historic buildings and a ’50s diner, Almonte in Ontario has been the go-to location for holiday movies set in Vermont, Alaska and even Milwaukee. By Christopher Guly Feature David Fincher’s Impossible Eye With ‘Mank,’ America’s most famously exacting director tackles the movie he’s been waiting his entire career to make. By Jonah Weiner With ‘Sylvie’s Love,’ Eugene Ashe Returns With a Big Hollywood Romance For his second feature, Ashe, the writer and director of the Amazon film, was influenced by the photographer Gordon Parks and the singer Nancy Wilson. By Mekado Murphy ‘Belushi’ Finds the Sensitive Man Inside the Wild Persona The new Showtime documentary aims to present a more complex view of John Belushi, the tragically fated star of “Animal House,” “The Blues Brothers” and “S.N.L.,” beyond the stunts and hard partying. By Stuart Miller Spike Lee’s Next Project: A Viagra Musical Lee and Kwame Kwei-Armah will write the movie musical, about the invention of the little blue pill, which will feature music by Stew Stewart and Heidi Rodewald. By Sarah Bahr 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. 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