Movies Update: ‘Wakanda Forever,’ ‘The Fabelmans’ and More

Plus, a talk with Steven Spielberg.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 11, 2022 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! So many great movies are coming out this weekend that it's hard to know where to start. How about with one about the movies: "The Fabelmans," Steven Spielberg's autobiographical tale of his formative years and the disintegrating marriage of his parents, played by Michelle Williams and Paul Dano. Manohla Dargis made the tale a Critic's Pick, in part because of Williams's "exquisite delicacy," noting that "her open, translucent face with its quicksilver changes speaks more vividly to the story's emotional stakes than any line of dialogue." In an interview with my colleague A.O. Scott, Spielberg said that casting this film was extremely difficult and it wasn't until he saw Williams as the dancer Gwen Verdon in the series "Fosse/Verdon" that he was encouraged to try her in the role. What else is out this weekend? Oh just a little sequel called "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." After the passing of Chadwick Boseman, we all wondered (or heatedly debated) how the new film would treat his death, and in his review, A.O. Scott notes that "the director Ryan Coogler feeds his own and the public's grief into the story, infusing the movie with somber notes of family loss and collective mourning." Still, he writes, it's "a Marvel movie, for sure. But a pretty interesting one," partly because of "the director's signature interplay of genre touchstones, vivid emotions (emphasized by Ludwig Goransson's occasionally tooth-rattling score) and allegorical implications." Whatever you decide to watch, have fun at the movies! Marvel Studios 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review: Women on the Home Front Shadowed by Chadwick Boseman's death, this sequel focuses King T'Challa's mother and the women helping her to contend with a slippery new villain. By A.O. Scott Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment CRITIC'S PICK 'The Fabelmans' Review: Steven Spielberg Phones Home The director's latest movie focuses on a budding filmmaker a lot like himself. But Michelle Williams, as his mother, is the soul of this fractious family drama. By Manohla Dargis Chantal Anderson for The New York Times Steven Spielberg Gets Personal In making his autobiographical film "The Fabelmans," he confronted some painful family secrets, as well as what it means to be Jewish in America today. By A.O. Scott Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Film Forum CRITIC'S PICK 'A Couple' Review: Tolstoy Story In a rare turn to dramatic work, Frederick Wiseman directs a one-woman film about the long-suffering wife of a famous author. By Ben Kenigsberg Arrow Films CRITIC'S PICK 'Incredible but True' Review: Track to the Future A suburban couple makes a life-altering discovery in the basement of their new home in this delightfully odd comedy. By Jeannette Catsoulis MOVIE REVIEWS Claire Folger/Apple TV+ 'Spirited' Review: A Whole Lot of Humbug Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell star in this musical spin on "A Christmas Carol" from Apple TV+. By Maya Phillips Netflix 'Is That Black Enough for You?!?' Review: A Miracle Decade This documentary from Elvis Mitchell looks back at a golden age of daring Black cinema. By Brandon Yu Netflix 'My Father's Dragon' Review: Apocalypse Howl A boy befriends a colorful creature in this animated film that struggles to maintain a consistent tone. By Amy Nicholson Scott Everett White/Netflix 'Falling for Christmas' Review: Tripped Down Memory Lane Lindsay Lohan stars as an amnesiac who falls off a mountain and in love in this Netflix holiday romance that is all too familiar. By Calum Marsh National Geographic 'Retrograde' Review: The U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan This documentary follows one Afghan general, Sami Sadat, to tell an emotional story. By Nicolas Rapold Saban Films 'Paradise City' Review: John Travolta and Bruce Willis Reunite Almost 30 years after "Pulp Fiction," these kings of cool team up for a Hawaii-set action feature that isn't as much fun as it sounds. By Glenn Kenny Vertical Entertainment 'Sam & Kate' Review: It's a Family Affair Darren Le Gallo's drama stars two real-life parent-child duos — Dustin and Jake Hoffman, and Sissy Spacek and Schuyler Fisk — as lonely small-towners looking for love. By Devika Girish Showtime 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Review: Mining the Diamond Myth This documentary positions an intriguing investigation into the rise of synthetic diamonds within a broader excavation of the myths these stones carry. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ALL ABOUT WAKANDA Simone Niamani Thompson for The New York Times FALL PREVIEW The Women of 'Wakanda Forever' For the "Black Panther" sequel, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright and their castmates leaned on each other to get through the grief-stricken shoot. By Salamishah Tillet Marvel Studios 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Is in Theaters. Let's Talk About It. Here is what people are writing about the movie. By Kalia Richardson Eli Adé/Marvel Studios Who Is Namor, the 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Villain? Though he's just making his debut in a Marvel film, he has a history rooted at the very beginning of Marvel Comics. By George Gene Gustines Marvel Studios ALBUM REVIEW 'Wakanda Forever' Forges International Alliances on a Somber Soundtrack Rihanna, Burna Boy, Snow Tha Product and Stormzy perform songs from and inspired by the second "Black Panther" movie. By Jon Pareles NEWS & FEATURES 20th Century Studios A Walk Through the 'Barbarian' Basement With Zach Cregger The writer and director of the twisty horror film "Barbarian" discusses its secrets while addressing some of the online chatter. By Erik Piepenburg Simbarashe Cha for The New York Times For Elvis Mitchell, Critic Turned Filmmaker, a Chance to Show and Tell His new documentary on Netflix, "Is That Black Enough for You?!?," spotlights unsung Black cinema of the 1970s. By Reggie Ugwu Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times D.I.Y. Sci-Fi: A Talk With Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead The filmmaking and acting team discuss their latest low-budget science fiction movie, "Something in the Dirt," and their work on the Marvel Disney+ series "Moon Knight." By Andrew Crump Zipporah Films Examining the Regrettably Modern Marriage of Leo Tolstoy and Sophia Tolstaya Frederick Wiseman set aside the documentaries he's known for to work on "A Couple," a solo drama putting Leo Tolstoy's much-burdened wife at its center. By Nicolas Rapold Jeff Lipsky/ABC Jimmy Kimmel Will Return as Oscars Host It will be the late-night star's third turn in the job, after stints in 2017 and 2018, the last time the show went with just one host. By Stephanie Goodman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Super Ltd Five Horror Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include wicked comedy, gory sci-fi and a demonic drama that will make your eyeballs explode. By Erik Piepenburg Gilles Mingasson/ABC, via Associated Press 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 How are we doing? 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