Movies Update: Creativity and the Pandemic

Plus, what to expect from the Oscar nominations.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 12, 2021 By Mekado Murphy Movies Editor Hey, movie fans! As we continue through a delayed and extended awards season, more film organizations have announced their nominees for top prizes. Both the Producers Guild of America and the Directors Guild made picks, as well as BAFTA. It's all leading up to Monday's Oscar nominations, which we will be covering live. Our awards prognosticator, Kyle Buchanan (a.k.a. The Projectionist), wrote about what to expect at that announcement. In other news, a report found that Hollywood loses $10 billion a year because of the lack of diversity in its productions. And with the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, we asked creators across the arts and entertainment spectrum how they managed to be (or not be) productive during lockdown. Out this week is an eclectic bunch of new releases, including a film on the international feature shortlist for the Oscar nominations, "Quo Vadis, Aida?" It's a Critic's Pick. Also out is the family comedy "Yes Day" on Netflix, the Soleil Moon Frye nostalgia documentary "Kid 90" on Hulu, as well as docs about young entrepreneurs, hard rock, a painting that traces a line through a dark history and a summer camp for kids who stutter. Or, if you have 86 seconds to spare, you can check out that bowling alley drone video that Hollywood is buzzing over. Enjoy the movies! Nathaniel Russell, Alex Kalman, Sinna Nasseri 75 Artists, 7 Questions, One Very Bad Year Musicians, authors, directors, comedians, painters and playwrights open up about trying to be creative, and sometimes failing, in quarantine. By The New York Times Super LTD Critic's Pick 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' Review: Life and Death in Srebrenica Bosnia and Herzegovina's Oscar entry is the harrowing and rigorous story of a U.N. translator's fight to save her family from slaughter. By A.O. Scott Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Grasshopper Film Critic's Pick 'The Inheritance' Review: Poetry, Visualized In this feature, a Black collective becomes a site of robust intellectual exchange, inspired artistry, joy and humor. By Lovia Gyarkye Gkids Critic's Pick 'On-Gaku: Our Sound' Review: They Will Rock You The anime film, which took seven years to produce, combines groovy musical vibes with delightfully deadpan humor. By Maya Phillips MOVIE REVIEWS 'Yes Day' Review: It's a Family Affair A sunny family of five agrees to a day where a mother and father must consent to whatever the kids want in this broad Netflix comedy. By Natalia Winkelman 'Own the Room' Review: Chasing Their Entrepreneurial Dreams In this documentary on Disney+, young students compete for $100,000, pitching their ideas, and themselves. By Kyle Turner 'Still Life in Lodz' Review: A Painting Becomes a Window This documentary examines how objects can create through lines across history. By Ben Kenigsberg 'My Beautiful Stutter' Review: Speaking Truth to Power The film is pitched more as a public-service announcement than as a documentary with cinematic ambitions. By Ben Kenigsberg 'Honeydew' Review: Homegrown Horror A camping trip gone wrong lands a tetchy couple at a remote farm in this horror tale. By Glenn Kenny 'Bombay Rose' Review: Nostalgic Ruminations A romance between a refugee and an escaped child bride is at the heart of this animated film. By Amy Nicholson 'Markie in Milwaukee' Review: Acknowledging Painful Transitions This documentary presents a portrait of a transgender woman's life, her faith as an evangelical Christian and her strained relationship with her family. By Teo Bugbee 'Kid 90' Review: Celluloid Dreams Soleil Moon Frye's look back at her life as a child star in the 1990s walks the thin line between diary and documentary. By Devika Girish Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS The 50 Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch on Disney+ Right Now The Disney streaming platform has hundreds of movie and TV titles, drawing from its own deep reservoir classics and from Star Wars, Marvel and more. These are our favorites. By Scott Tobias The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Movies upon movies await, and you don't even have to drill down to find them. By Jason Bailey The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don't have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We'll do the heavy lifting. You press play. By Jason Bailey The Best Movies and Shows on Hulu Right Now We've handpicked the finest movies and television shows currently streaming on Hulu in the United States. Take a look. By Jason Bailey Watch These 13 Titles on Netflix Before They Leave This Month Every month, dozens of movies and TV shows expire from the streaming service. These are the ones not to miss in March. By Jason Bailey NEWS & FEATURES Marvel/Disney Hollywood Loses $10 Billion a Year Due to Lack of Diversity, Study Finds A McKinsey report that combined previous research and new interviews argues that concrete steps like company bonuses tied to improved representation can lead to change. By Nicole Sperling Seacia Pavao/Netflix, via Associated Press Mood Board 'Jackie Brown' and Tangerine Dream: What 'I Care a Lot' Is Made Of The writer-director J Blakeson behind the blade-sharp Netflix thriller shares the films, images and sounds that guided him in crafting the movie. By Elisabeth Vincentelli   A Drone Went Bowling. Hollywood Noticed. A drone video shot in a Minneapolis bowling alley was hailed as an instant classic. One Hollywood veteran said it "adds to the language and vocabulary of cinema." By Mike Ives 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