Movies Update: Oscar Nominations, ‘KIMI’ and More

Plus a Jennifer Lopez rom-com.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 11, 2022 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, movie fans! We hit an inflection point in awards season this week: the Oscar nominations were unveiled on Tuesday, and now the races begin in earnest. The Projectionist, Kyle Buchanan, prepared us well for what to expect, but even so, there were still some surprises. We thought voters would recognize Lady Gaga or Jared Leto for "House of Gucci," even if critics weren't enamored of the drama. But those stars were ignored. And we didn't see the love for the Japanese drama "Drive My Car" coming (with four major nominations), though surely A.O. Scott approves. By the way, Buchanan says every one of the 10 best-picture nominees has a path to win at least one trophy, if not the top trophy. If you're still catching up with the Oscar news, I recommend this story, from Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling, a great overview of the nominations, and candid interviews with newly minted nominees Will Smith, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Garfield and Ariana DeBose. For the movies themselves, here's a streaming guide. If you're completely over it and looking for a new film to watch, Manohla Dargis suggests "KIMI," a "lean and tense nerve-shredder" from Steven Soderbergh. The drama, streaming on HBO Max, involves the rational and irrational fears of life during a pandemic. "I haven't felt so seen by a movie in ages," Dargis writes. Have a good film-filled weekend! Rob Youngson/Focus Features The Projectionist Here's How Each Best-Picture Nominee Could Win an Oscar "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" will probably face off for the top prize, but each contender has a path to other statuettes. We explain. By Kyle Buchanan Fabio Lovino/MGM The Projectionist 2022 Oscars Nominations: Snubs and Surprises for Lady Gaga and Jared Leto Kristen Stewart was a surprise best actress nominee after being shut out of other precursor awards. And the academy likes not one but two acting couples. By Kyle Buchanan Rob Youngson/Focus Features Where to Stream 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Belfast' and More 2022 Oscar Nominees Most of the top contenders can be watched at home. Here's a guide to help you get a jump on the field. By Scott Tobias Chiabella James/Warner Bros. 2022 Oscars Nominees List The complete list of Academy Award nominees for 2022. By Gabe Cohn Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Claudette Barius/HBO Max Critic's Pick 'KIMI' Review: Sure She's Paranoid, but Something Really Is Out There Zoë Kravitz stars in the latest from Steven Soderbergh, a story that plays with genre, triggers your anxieties and shreds your nerves. By Manohla Dargis Film Movement Critic's Pick 'Playground' Review: A Creation Story In this stunning Belgian drama, a little girl and her brother go to school, read, write, fight and learn some brutal lessons about life. By Manohla Dargis Apple TV+ Critic's Pick 'The Sky Is Everywhere' Review: Amid Grief, Blossoms of Joy Josephine Decker unlooses a slipstream of adolescent passion and anguish in this radiant drama about a musician grieving the loss of her big sister. By Natalia Winkelman MOVIE REVIEWS IFC Films 'Catch the Fair One' Review: The Fight of Her Life The real-life boxer Kali Reis plays a pugilist in search of revenge. By A.O. Scott Universal Pictures 'Marry Me' Review: Putting 'I Do' on the To-Do List As a pop star who weds a math teacher in a stunt wedding, Jennifer Lopez is all business. But the original songs shine. By Wesley Morris Amazon Studios 'I Want You Back' Review: Scheming Hearts Jenny Slate and Charlie Day play strangers who team up to win back their exes in this pleasantly run-of-the-mill rom-com. By Beatrice Loayza Gunpowder & Sky 'Worst to First: The True Story of Z100 New York' Review: An FM Radio Sensation A look back at a time when "excellence in broadcasting" was taken seriously, including interviews with Joan Jett, Jon Bon Jovi and other stars. By Glenn Kenny Ben King/Open Road Films 'Blacklight' Review: He's Off the Books (But You've Read This One Before) Liam Neeson plays a top-secret operative in an action movie that teeters between subverting the genre and obeying convention. By Amy Nicholson Netflix 'Bigbug' Review: Rise of the Machines A squabbling family is locked in its home by robots in this overlong artificial-intelligence comedy on Netflix. By Jeannette Catsoulis Curtis Baker/Paramount+ 'The In Between' Review: Love Never Dies A teenage girl thinks that her dead boyfriend's spirit is reaching out from the Great Beyond. By Lena Wilson Magnet Releasing 'Indemnity' Review: Fires Everywhere This South African thriller trades plausibility and originality for a worthy substitute: a great deal of fun. By Devika Girish Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Chantal Anderson for The New York Times John Williams, Hollywood's Maestro, Looks Beyond the Movies The composer of "Star Wars" and "Jaws," who turned 90 this week, says he will soon step away from film. But he has no intention of slowing down. By Javier C. Hernández Kirsty Griffin/Netflix, via Associated Press Study Finds Sustained Progress for Female Directors and Filmmakers of Color But women of color are still not getting feature directing jobs in Hollywood, the annual report on top-grossing movies finds. By Nicole Sperling Richard Shotwell/Invision, Associated Press Lin-Manuel Miranda on Writing Lyrics in Spanish and the Heartbreak of 'Dos Oruguitas' The singer-songwriter and director is up for an Oscar for best song for his work on "Encanto." If he wins, he would join the select EGOT club. By Laura Zornosa Robbie Lawrence for The New York Times Benedict Cumberbatch Has Heard Your Confusion About 'The Power of the Dog' The actor, who just earned his second Oscar nomination, says a little ambiguity is "a good thing." By Kathryn Shattuck Erik Carter for The New York Times Ariana DeBose on Her First Oscar Nomination: 'This Role Embodies Every Facet of Me' The 31-year-old actress was nominated for her turn as Anita in "West Side Story" — a part she fought to ensure reflected her Afro-Latina identity. By Sarah Bahr STREAMING Hardeep Singh Sachdev/Sony Pictures Classics Hear Lata Mangeshkar in These Four Streaming Films Because Mangeshkar lent her voice to several generations of Bollywood stars, these movies double as a highlight reel for Hindi cinema. By Siddhant Adlakha Icarus Films Five International Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include an intimate Belgian-Cameroonian documentary portrait, a film about the uprooting of massive trees and a newly released 2004 feature by Hirokazu Kore-eda. By Devika Girish 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