Movies Update: ‘The Prom’ and More

Plus, the great performances of 2020.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 11, 2020 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! We’re continuing to look back at the year that was. The critic Salamishah Tillet wrote about how 2020 was the year culture really began to reckon with white privilege. And The New York Times Magazine made its picks for the year’s best performances. But before the year is up, there are plenty of new movies to choose from, including this week’s robust batch. The Ryan Murphy film adaptation of the Broadway musical “The Prom” is out on Netflix. Steve McQueen’s films in the “Small Axe” anthology are continuing to roll out on Amazon. HBO Max has the new Meryl Streep-starring film “Let Them All Talk.” And Disney+ has a new football drama, “Safety.” (And looking ahead, Disney has announced many, many more streaming projects). Enjoy the movies! Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix ‘The Prom’ Review: Showbiz Sanctimony, and All That Zazz Ryan Murphy takes on the Broadway hit “The Prom,” with help from Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Keegan-Michael Key. By Manohla Dargis Gareth McConnell for The New York Times The Best Actors of 2020 In a year of tragedy and isolation, screens were more important than ever before. These film, TV and TikTok stars gave us more than just diversion. By Wesley Morris and A.O. Scott CRITICS’ PICKS Neon Critic’s Pick ‘Gunda’ Review: A Remarkable Pig’s-Eye View of the World This astonishing documentary offers an intimate look at the lives of a sow, her rambunctious piglets, a one-legged chicken and a herd of cows. By Manohla Dargis Parisa Taghizadeh/Amazon Prime Video, via Associated Press Critic’s Pick ‘Small Axe’ Review: The Agonies and Ecstasies of Black British Lives Steve McQueen’s anthology of five films is a revelatory look at Afro-Caribbean neighborhoods in Britain from the 1960s to the ’80s. By Jeannette Catsoulis Netflix Critic’s Pick ‘Giving Voice’ Review: August Wilson Is Uplifting a New Generation Netflix’s inspirational documentary follows talented theater kids who are devoting themselves to Wilson’s writing. By Robert Daniels KimStim Critic’s Pick ‘To the Ends of the Earth’ Review: Seeking a Big Fish, and More A Japanese TV host is lost in and out of translation in Uzbekistan. By Glenn Kenny Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS ‘Mank’ and More Movies With Screenwriters as Main Characters What makes a writer interesting as a movie character? These films seek to answer that question. By Alexander Huls Catch These 15 Titles Before They Leave Netflix in December The year’s end means a ton of licenses are expiring. Stream these movies and bingeable TV series while you can. By Jason Bailey The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Amazon, HBO Max, Hulu and More in December Every month, subscription streaming services add a new batch of titles to their libraries. Here are our picks for December. By Noel Murray MOVIE REVIEWS ‘Let Them All Talk’ Review: That Ship Has Sailed Meryl Streep plays an author trying to reconnect with college friends in Steven Soderbergh’s film. By Maya Phillips ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ Review: Finding Love Down on the Farm John Patrick Shanley adapts his play “Outside Mullingar” into a movie. (Don’t worry about the accents.) By Glenn Kenny ‘The Bee Gees’ Review: Night Fever, for Decades The documentary “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” from Frank Marshall, strives to paint a wider picture of the band often associated with its disco hits. By Natalia Winkelman ‘Funny Boy’ Review: Coming Out During Civil War Deepa Mehta’s sprawling coming-of-age drama follows a boy who realizes he is gay in a country that criminalizes homosexuality. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Safety’ Review: It Takes a University to Raise a Child This Disney+ film isn’t your typical sports or adversity movie; it asks questions of what educational institutions owe to their community. By Kyle Turner ‘Assassins’ Review: Duped Into an International Murder Plot A documentary tries to explain how two women were able to cause the death of the North Korean leader’s half brother. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Finding Yingying’ Review: Vanishing Point This documentary about the search for a missing student in Illinois takes a compassionate approach to grim material. By Ben Kenigsberg ‘Farewell Amor’ Review: Alone Together Ekwa Msangi’s tender drama shows us that goodbyes haunt immigrants wherever they go. By Devika Girish Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Hanna Barczyk The Best Worst Year When Culture Really Began to Reckon With White Privilege Black artists didn’t wait around for institutional change. They are making it happen. By Salamishah Tillet Da'Shaunae Marisa for The New York Times New Star of ‘The Prom’ Sees a Chance to Make L.G.B.T.Q. Characters Visible Like her character, Jo Ellen Pellman identifies as queer, and she is making her film debut in the Netflix musical alongside A-listers like Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. By Sarah Bahr Hulton Archive/Getty Images Watched ‘Mank’ but Never Seen ‘Citizen Kane’? Here’s a Primer Why does the new Netflix film revisit a drama from 1941? To many, the older movie is still considered the greatest ever made. By Ben Kenigsberg Disney+, via Associated Press ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Pinocchio’ and More as Disney Leans Sharply Into Streaming A blitz of new projects includes 10 series from the “Star Wars” universe for Disney+, which now has 87 million subscribers. Hulu will also get a major content boost. By Brooks Barnes How are we doing? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? 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