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Clockwise from top left: Inside Out 2 , Thelma , Twisters , Hit Man , Fancy Dance and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F . Disney/Pixar, Magnolia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Netflix, Apple TV+, Netflix hide caption

These are the 19 movies we're most excited about this summer

June 10, 2024 • Comedies, action-adventures, coming-of-age tales, animation — plus that sweet, sweet movie theater air conditioning. There's something for everyone at the multiplex; our critics can help you choose.

Prince on the custom motorcycle featured in Purple Rain. Cinematic/Alamy hide caption

40 years after 'Purple Rain,' Prince’s band remembers how the movie came together

July 26, 2024 • Before social media, the film Purple Rain gave audiences a peak into Prince’s musical life. Band members say the true genesis of the title song was much less combative than the version presented in the film.

Prince's band The Revolution talks about the legacy of 'Purple Rain' after 40 years

Ryan Reynolds stars as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in an odd-couple action hero pairing. Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios hide caption

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a self-cannibalizing slog

July 26, 2024 • Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have good, thorny chemistry in this odd-couple action hero flick. But brand extension disguised as a satire of brand extension is still just ... brand extension.

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a self-cannibalizing slog

There's been a lot of online chatter about Denzel Washington and his accent in the upcoming movie Gladiator II. There are longstanding conventions around using a posh-sounding British accent for ancient characters ... but why? Nobody spoke English in Rome. Cuba Scott/Paramount Pictures hide caption

So how do you 'accurately' speak English in ancient Rome?

July 26, 2024 • Many studios and viewers cling to longstanding conventions around using a posh-sounding British accent for ancient characters — even though this defies logic. Absolutely no one spoke English in Rome.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine . Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/Marvel hide caption

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'deadpool & wolverine' is a feast of inside jokes.

July 26, 2024 • In the highly meta Deadpool & Wolverine , Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally meet up for their own big movie. Deadpool is still smarmy, Wolverine is still tragic, and they have to get together to save the world. Along the way, Deadpool continues his usual routine of endless wisecracking. The movie is jam-packed with fan service and Easter eggs. But how will casual Marvel fans like the movie?

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a feast of inside jokes

Jon M. Chu directs Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on the set of Wicked . Universal hide caption

'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu says creativity isn't magic — it's hard work

July 24, 2024 • Chu takes his inspiration from his dad, a Chinese immigrant who worked both the front room and the kitchen of their family-run restaurant: "The guy that in the back of the kitchen, that was my hero."

Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) prepare to hear the verdict in Rusty's trial in the finale of Presumed Innocent . Apple TV+ hide caption

'Presumed Innocent' finale: And the murderer is ...

July 24, 2024 • The verdict is in, and the ending is a dud: Rather than wriggling out of the original story’s sexism, the Apple TV+ series just makes the same mistakes in a new way.

Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman in the action movie The Fall Guy. Universal Studios hide caption

Stunt performer turned director walks away mostly unscathed from fights, flipped cars

July 22, 2024 • Filmmaker David Leitch says it's easier to do stunts himself than direct his stunt performer friends. "You are responsible for their safety," he explains. "Your heart goes through your chest."

David Leitch

Visitors watch Jesus VR: The Story of Christ during the 73rd Venice Film Festival in 2016. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images hide caption

This could be the way we watch movies in the future

July 22, 2024 • Watching a movie is all about kicking back in a comfy chair with a bucket of popcorn and letting the story unfold. But that might change thanks to virtual reality.

IMPACT OF VR ON TV AND FILM

Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate in the new movie Twisters. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures hide caption

Consider This from NPR

'twister,' 'twisters' and the actual practice of storm chasing.

July 21, 2024 • A plucky meteorology heroine; a male rival with no shortage of hubris; and some very, very big storms: that's the basic formula behind the new disaster action movie Twisters , which follows storm chasers around Oklahoma amid a tornado outbreak.

Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones play rival storm chasers in Twisters . Universal Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures & Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures & Amblin Entertainment hide caption

'Twisters' swirls an old-fashioned rom-com into an effects-happy action movie

July 19, 2024 • This follow-up to the 1996 blockbuster Twister updates the original by making its heroine — not its hero — the center of gravity, but alas, the script doesn’t let her be a whole lot of fun.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles in Bad Boys: Ride or Die - a return to their star-solidifying roles as Miami cops. Sony Pictures hide caption

It's Been a Minute

The rise of the ar-15; plus, why do comedians play so many cops.

July 19, 2024 • Last Saturday, former president Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania when a gunman shot at him – killing one spectator and clipping Trump in the ear. The response? Outrage, condemnations, and prayers on all sides... but there's been less chatter about the gun that shot at him. And this gun has a lot of symbolism: The AR-15. Host Brittany Luse is joined by The Wall Street Journal 's Zusha Elinson, co-author of the book American Gun , and Jennifer Mascia, senior news writer and founding staffer at The Trace , a nonpartisan nonprofit newsroom that covers guns. Together, they discuss how the AR-15 style rifle went from an outcast in the gun world to the one of the biggest pro-gun symbols and why that actually reflects bigger cultural shifts.

Glen Powell in Twisters. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal hide caption

'Twisters' has us spiraling

July 19, 2024 • Twiste r was one of the biggest disaster movies of the '90s. Now, it's finally got a sequel — one with an all-new cast, state-of-the-art effects, and a whole lot of tornadoes. The new film stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones as rival storm-chasers who have a habit of running into tornadoes while everyone else is fleeing. Twisters was directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who also directed the Oscar-nominated Minari .

Lauren Acala plays a girl who encounters the satanic serial killer known as "Longlegs." Neon hide caption

'Longlegs' is a terrifying serial killer — who never touches his victims

July 18, 2024 • Nicolas Cage plays a satanic murderer, and Maika Monroe is the clairvoyant FBI agent on his trail, in this tense and frightening horror movie.

'Longlegs' is a terrifying serial killer -- who never touches his victims

Maika Monroe in a scene from Longlegs . Neon hide caption

'Longlegs' is a (satanic) panic

July 15, 2024 • They're calling it the scariest movie of the year. The new horror film Longlegs follows FBI special agent Lee Harker (Mika Monroe) tracking a serial killer in the 1990s. If that sounds like familiar ground, consider this – the clues she follows hint at the involvement of the occult in general and Satanism in particular. And the killer in question: Nicolas Cage, uncaged.

Louis C.K. photographed in 2017. Angela Lewis/for the New York Times hide caption

Has Hollywood forgotten #MeToo? ‘Sorry/Not Sorry’ examines Louis C.K.’s return

July 13, 2024 • The documentary produced by the New York Times tracks Louis C.K.’s professional success since admitting to misconduct in 2017.

Actor Alec Baldwin hugs his attorney Alex Spiro. Ramsay de Give/AP hide caption

In a stunning turn, judge throws out case against Alec Baldwin

July 12, 2024 • Baldwin and his family broke down in tears in the courtroom.

Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing. A24 hide caption

‘Sing Sing’ tenderly probes the joys – and limits – of art in prison

July 12, 2024 • Colman Domingo leads a dynamic ensemble in a stirring dramatization of Sing Sing prison's arts rehabilitation program.

Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon . Apple TV+ hide caption

'Fly Me to the Moon' soft launches Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum

July 12, 2024 • The cheeky new romantic dramedy Fly Me to the Moon stars Scarlett Johansson as a NASA publicist at the height of the space race. She must stage a top-secret fake version of the moon landing as backup, just in case the real attempt fails. No one else at NASA can know about it — especially the upstanding launch director, played by Channing Tatum. The pair clash (and flirt) as they prepare for Apollo 11 to launch.

Alessandro Pietta of Pietta Firearms, which made the gun that went off on the set of Rust . Ramsay de Give/Reuters hide caption

Testimony continues Friday in Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' trial

July 11, 2024 • Testimony is underway in the involuntary manslaughter case against the actor.

Actor Maika Monroe plays FBI agent Lee Harker in the new film Longlegs. NEON hide caption

'Longlegs' draws from 'Silence of the Lambs,' but stands on its own terrifying feet

July 11, 2024 • In the new Nicolas Cage horror film Longlegs , an FBI agent is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult.

The plot of 'Longlegs' may sound familiar but it stands on its own 2 terrifying feet

Lance Armstrong celebrates during the Tour de France in 2004. He is the subject of the documentary The Armstrong Lie . Doug Pensinger/Getty Images hide caption

We recommend three great sports documentaries

July 11, 2024 • Sports aren't just games. They're intertwined with epic stories about struggle, human behavior, historic greatness and grand emotions. In other words, sports make for great documentaries. And if you're looking for some good ones, we've got recommendations: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks , The Armstrong Lie , and Athlete A .

Corky (Gina Gershon) and Violet (Jennifer Tilly) in Bound . AJ Pics/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

Before Hollywood handled sex with care, this lesbian neo-noir focused on authenticity

July 10, 2024 • Before making The Matrix , the Wachowskis enlisted a sex educator to help with their 1996 thriller . Bound 's place in the queer canon has been redefined, and is now part of the Criterion Collection.

Years before intimacy coordinators on Hollywood sets, there was the 1996 film Bound

Steve Carell voices Gru in Despicable Me 4. Universal Pictures hide caption

'Despicable Me 4' serves up 90 minutes of bankable mayhem

July 10, 2024 • Despicable Me 4 is the latest film in an animation franchise that made household names of reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carrell) and his army of nattering Minions. The franchise has grossed billions of dollars, and the latest movie topped the weekend box office. But are these films growing up with their audience, or continuing to cater to young kids? And does that matter?

Film Reviews

‘deadpool & wolverine’ review: a sarky, time-skipping superhero send-up, ‘victory’ review: put pep in your step with this cute cheerleading romp, ‘twisters’ review: ‘90s-style blockbuster sweeps in to save the day, ‘longlegs’ review: nicolas cage brings the batshit in seriously creepy serial killer movie, ‘eno’ review: a solid narrative structure underpins this wilfully random documentary, ‘maxxxine’ review: mia goth gives one of horror’s great performances, ‘beverly hills cop: axel f’ review: eddie murphy’s boyish wit is missing, ‘kinds of kindness’ review: darkly comic drama with a cruel streak, ‘horizon: an american saga – chapter 1’ review: kevin costner goes west (again), ‘a quiet place: day one’ review: back-to-basics prequel feels smaller but still scream-worthy.

'Deadpool & Wolverine,' 'Dìdi,' and This Week’s Best New Releases, Reviewed and Ranked

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The boys are back, and they’re in the same universe. Yes, this week marks the sole Marvel release of the summer with Deadpool & Wolverine . Will this be the MCU ’s salvation or just another example of superhero slop? Not only do we have a review of this attempt at giving Marvel new life, but we’ve rounded up all our coverage of the other big releases you can see this week. From the festival darling Dìdi to the summer smash hit Bad Boys: Ride or Die , we’ve got reviews of what you can see in theaters and at home, ranked by what we thought of them.

5 Dìdi

Directed by sean wang.

If you grew up with MySpace, Dìdi is a personal attack. A charming feature debut from writer-director Sean Wang based on his own childhood, it’s one that we reviewed back at its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival . It made a splash, with some hailing it as a new coming-of-age classic, though our review was a little cooler on the film. In her review , Features Editor Therese Lacson wrote it "presents some interesting concepts with a talented cast" though "there is just not enough depth for [this] directorial debut to make its mark."

Sean Wang's coming-of-age directorial debut doesn't live up to its full potential.

• The film plays with early 2000s nostalgia well, utilizing the technology of the time to help the story.
• Izaac Wang is the perfect casting for the character of Chris.
• There is too much going on in the film as far as storylines go.
• There is not enough focus paid to the most important relationships in the movie.

READ OUR REVIEW

4 Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Directed by adil el arbi and bilall fallah.

The fourth action comedy in the franchise proves stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence still have it. Made up of classic Bad Boys bits while also bringing plenty of fresh ideas to play around with, it may even do Michael Bay better than Michael Bay himself could do right now. For those into that sort of thing, it’s proof that brains-free enjoyment can still reign supreme in what has been a tough movie sesason. In his review , contributor Matt Donato wrote that it "swerves expectations and socks us with another worthy sequel, one that shouldn’t work as well as it does, but hey, tell that to the big stupid grin on your face after the movie’s over."

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a film that does so much right, it may even do Michael Bay better than Michael Bay.

• This is yet another Bad Boys sequel that's best when it keeps things in the family.
• Smith and Lawrence haven't lost a step, but are also offered a chance to play outside their normal roles.
• The action scenes are high-intensity and beautifully shot.
• Putting DJ Khaled in a scene immediately after Tiffany Haddish's character talks about that thing he refuses to do is pure gold.
• The film has too many characters to honor all arcs.
• Everything is frequently a little too offbeat for its own good.
• We could have used more of that country song to be honest.

3 Deadpool & Wolverine

Directed by shawn levy.

Speaking of brains-free entertainment, Deadpool & Wolverine is here to see the titular Merc With a Mouth smash the cerebral matter out of his enemies, himself, and the audience. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman , it throws their beloved characters into their biggest sandbox yet. In his review , Senior Film Editor Ross Bonaime wrote " Deadpool & Wolverine is the shot of adrenaline that this cinematic universe has needed for some time, and an exciting reminder of how amusing and exciting this world can be when it just has fun."

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine is a shot in the arm that the MCU needed, and finally shows the full potential of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool

• 'Deadpool & Wolverine' excels as a celebration of 20th Century Fox-era Marvel films.
• Both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are giving us new sides to these tried-and-true superheroes.
• 'Deadpool & Wolverine' knows how to use references and cameos, never feeling like unnecessary fan service.
• Some of the action sequences are more muddled than they probably should be.

2 The Vourdalak

Directed by adrien beau.

No Nosferatu yet got you down? Don’t you fret, there is already a great vampire movie this year in Adrien Beau ’s feature debut The Vourdalak . It's not only the perfect film to hold you over until Robert Eggers ' latest, but it's a really fun time all on its own that also looks absolutely beautiful. In my review , I wrote "it goes to some delightfully dark places that all look great in the eye of David Chizallet who shoots in 16mm to menacing and magical effect."

The Vourdalak

The Vourdalak is a gem of a feature debut from Adrien Beau that presents a visceral and vibrant vision of a vampire unlike anything you've ever seen before.

• The film is fascinating in so many ways, from the design of the vampire to the tonal swings, proving to be a work that feels like it's flown under the radar.
• David Chizallet's beautiful cinematography creates a menacing and magical effect, sweeping you up in the experience.
• The ending brings with it a surprising emotional impact, sending you into freefall just as it lands one last ziner.

1 The Beast

Directed by bertrand bonello.

Now we arrive at what is not just the best movie you can see this week but one of the best of the year . A monumental and menacing science fiction epic starring an astounding Léa Seydoux , Bertrand Bonello ’s The Beast is a journey through time you won’t want to miss. It already blew audiences away in theaters. Now, rather fittingly given its reflections on technology, it’s streaming straight to your screen on The Criterion Channel . Trust us when we say that this is truly appointment viewing. In my rave review from the Toronto International Film Festival , I wrote that "when it comes together in one of the most striking conclusions of the year, the final echoes you hear may just continue to ring out through time once more."

The Beast (2024)

The Beast is a monumental and menacing sci-fi film with an astounding performance by Léa Seydoux that you won't soon forget.

• Writer-director Bertrand Bonello has made what is his best film yet, making everything come viscerally alive.
• Léa Seydoux is brilliant once more, ensuring we feel every moment even as the film itself is quite unwieldy.
• The ending providing a spectacular and striking conclusion that is certain to be among the most formidable you see for some time.
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100 Best Movies on Netflix Ranked by Tomatometer (July 2024)

In our world of massive entertainment options, who’s got time to waste on the below-average? You’ve got a subscription, you’re ready for a marathon, and you want only the best movies no Netflix to watch. With thousands of choices on the platform, both original and acquired, we’ve found the 100 top Netflix movies with the highest Tomatometer scores! Time to get comfy on the couch!

New top movies this month: Easy A , Back to the Future , Spider-Man 2 , Captain Phillips , Call Me By Your Name

His House (2020) 100%

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Movie Review: A new generation drives into the storm in rousing ‘Twisters’

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell, right, and Daisy Edgar-Jones in a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Daisy Edgar-Jones, left, and Anthony Ramos in a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell, left, and Daisy Edgar-Jones in a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Brandon Perea, from left, Harry Hadden-Paton and Glen Powell in a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell, left, and Harry Hadden-Paton in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell, left, and Daisy Edgar-Jones in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell, from left, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Maura Tierney in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Daisy Edgar-Jones in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Daisy Edgar-Jones, from left, Anthony Ramos and Glen Powell in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Sasha Lane, left, and Glen Powell in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Glen Powell in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

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We have a complex relationship with disaster movies. Just look at the discussion about a “ Twisters ” poster, which became a perfect encapsulation of our love-hate tendencies.

In the promo for the film, in theaters Thursday, actors Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos are standing in front a massive, menacing cyclone. It not only contains various objects swirling in mid-air, from houses to trucks, but also appears to be on fire. Some people wondered why the stars weren’t looking at said tornado. Others said if you’re asking questions like why the tornado is on fire, this movie isn’t for you.

Both lines of thought can be true though. Maybe their coexistence is essential. This makes no sense! Also, sign me up immediately! Disaster movies are almost required to be graded on a curve. And filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung’s entry into the canon is perfectly paradoxical.

It might not be fair, or rational, but there is something about the genre that inspires otherwise reasonable moviegoers to giddily give themselves over to a wild premise — the more ridiculous and illogical the better. There is something to be said about the joy of collective laughter where there wasn’t an intentional joke, or a spirited post-movie debate about the flawed logistics of a plan and exactly how many people have died from being sucked into a tornado. These are the movies that are hard to see clearly the first time but tend to become sneaky favorites over the years.

Such is the case with “Twister,” Jan de Bont’s film about storm chasing and remarriage. The modern collective love for it would probably surprise even the critics who reviewed it favorably in 1996. Part of that is certainly the fact that in the 28 years since it was released we lost both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Paxton. But it’s also just fun to watch with fresh eyes, to see the internet remember (or realize for the first time) that one of the storm chasers was played by Todd Field, the man who would go on to write and direct “Tár.” I re-watched it recently on plane and had a blast. I’d forgotten the insane opening but remembered Dusty’s impassioned foot chant .

There’s been a lot of cautious optimism surrounding “Twisters” that’s felt different from a lot of the reboots and “new chapters” (anything to avoid calling it a sequel) that have come and gone in recent years. Audiences are craving something big and fun, but worried that it won’t live up to their idea of what it should be. This is inherently flawed because “Twister” has earned its reputation, its quotability, across many viewings and many years. “Twisters” we’re just meeting. It’s hard to get too excited about a first date.

But Chung, a filmmaker best known for the comparatively small “Minari,” has made a solid film with escalating action sequences that look great on the big screen. There is once again a crazy opening that gives Edgar-Jones’ tornado-obsessed Kate a trauma origin story. Her hubris in thinking she could “tame” a tornado with science backfired and people died; But five years later her old friend Javi (Ramos) convinces her to come back to Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley to attempt a different kind of study.

The story is credited to Joseph Kosinski (who was once going to direct) and the screenplay to Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”) and none of them can get the original out of their heads. Yes, these are all new characters (including Powell’s YouTube star storm wrangler Tyler) and the only real connection to the first movie is that the Dorothy technology exists. But it is so referential as to be distracting: Literal lines of dialogue (“I’m not back”); An attempt to make Tyler’s crew a gang of Dustys (which underserves actors like Sasha Lane and Katy O’Brian); Making David Corenswet wear what’s essentially a recreation of Carey Elwes’ baseball cap and earpiece. Don’t they want us to think of “Twisters” on its own terms?

But Chung clearly also had a vision, attempting to ground the insanity in a real place with regionally appropriate styles and music, and deeper characterization. The supporting players were thoughtfully cast. Its leads, Powell and Edgar-Jones, are endlessly watchable with palpable chemistry, even as they’re monologuing about sodium polyacrylate.

I wish I had the ability to know how “Twisters” will play 28 years from now, in 2052. Will the 12-year-olds seeing it this weekend go back to it as a comfort watch? Will it feel like it was part of the good old days of big studio movie making? Right now, it doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s destined for that kind of longevity. And I’d love nothing more than to be wrong about that.

“Twisters,” a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “intense action and peril, injury images, some language.” Running time: 122 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Movies Coming Out This Week

All of this week's Movie releases.

Deadpool & Wolverine R

Dìdi R

For Prophet NR

Knox Goes Away R

Mothers’ Instinct

Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa

Starve Acre

The Arctic Convoy

The Beast Within R

The Fabulous Four R

The Girl in the Pool NR

The Last Breath R

Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps

A Quiet Place: Day One PG-13

The Abandon

BLACKPINK’s BORN PINK World Tour

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Dìdi

Fly Me to the Moon

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Despicable Me 4

Get the latest on upcoming movies before everyone else!

A summer trip to Italy with ‘Vera,’ plus more of the week’s best movies in L.A.

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Hello! I’m Mark Olsen . Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

It has been an incredible time for going to the movies in Los Angeles, but the revitalized scene took a hit this week with the closing of the Westwood Village and Bruin theaters. The Westwood Village has long been a location for glitzy movie premieres, while the Bruin may be best remembered for its indelible appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s ”Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” when Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate goes there to see a movie starring herself.

Meg James reported that Thursday was the last day for both venues. Regency Theaters, which has managed the two houses for the last 14 years, saw their contracts come to an end on July 25.

The Village Theatre which opened in 1931, is expected to reopen under the ownership of a consortium of filmmakers spearheaded by Jason Reitman. The exact timeline and details of that reopening are uncertain.

“We have an exciting vision that includes dining, drinking, moviegoing, gallery viewing and programming of new and old films, and we cannot wait to share that with everybody,” Reitman said in a February interview with The Times.

The fate of the Bruin, which opened in 1937, is unknown.

Summertime in Italy, a visit with ‘Vera’

This time of year, most everyone longs to get away, to put life on hold and just travel somewhere else. Not everyone can actually make such a luxury happen and so the American Cinematheque has put together the series “How I Spent the Summer in Italy ”

The series includes such films as David Lean’s 1955 “Summertime,” starring Katherine Hepburn, Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 “Call Me by Your Name,” starring Timothée Chalamet, Roberto Rossellini’s 1954 “Journey to Italy” and 1950 “Stromboli” and Anthony Minghella’s 1999 “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

The series opens tonight with Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel’s “Vera” which won the directing and actress prizes in the Horizons sidebar of the 2022 Venice Film Festival. (The film was also Austria’s submission to this year’s Academy Awards for the international feature Oscar.)

The fictionalized docudrama follows Vera Gemma, daughter of famed Italian spaghetti Western actor Giuliano Gemma, as she drifts through her life. What begins as a portrait of an aging party girl takes a turn to something more emotional and vulnerable when, after Gemma’s driver accidentally hits a small boy and his father, she finds herself increasingly entangled in their lives.

Highlights of the film are scenes in which Gemma visits with her real-life friend Asia Argento, daughter of director Dario Argento , as the two talk of the struggles of growing up in the shadow of a famous father. They visit Rome’s famed Cimitero Acattolico (non-Catholic cemetery) to stand before a grave marked as Goethe’s son, with no name of his own.

I spoke to Gemma earlier this week while she was in Los Angeles. When the filmmakers first approached her about doing a project, she assumed they were looking for money, not that they had written something for her to star in.

The notion of beauty becomes a running theme throughout the film, as Gemma struggles to see herself outside of her father‘s on-screen image.

“It’s a nightmare in my life, the idea of beauty, because my father was very beautiful,” Gemma said. “He was one of the most beautiful European actors. So I never felt enough, compared to him. And in Italy, they are still very bad with me. They told me all the time, ‘Oh, the father was so beautiful. She’s not beautiful.’ And I really think I am very beautiful now and I don’t understand how people can’t see my beauty.”

Gemma is rarely seen without a cowboy hat, a seeming nod to her father, but it also comes to make her seem like some sort of Western hero, a lone figure moving through the landscape, determined to press on.

“Life is not always perfect, but never give up, never stop believing,” Gemma said. “I told this to the directors. I said I wanted this to be a Western. And they were more into the mood of Fellini’s ‘Giulietta degli spiriti’ [‘Juliet of the Spirits’], then they realize that with me, automatically, the movie was becoming a Western. And not just for the hat, I think for an attitude.

“I have Westerns in my blood. I grew up in a Western movie, so this belonged to me in some way,” Gemma said. “I wear the hat not because it is fashion, but because this is my story of my family.”

The “Vera” screening is being hosted by screenwriter Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Sean Baker , followed by a Q&A with Gemma moderated by Baker. Via email, Smith noted her immediate response after first seeing the movie.

“I didn’t know anything about Vera before seeing Tizza and Rainer’s movie,” Smith said. “I was captivated by the movie and by Vera. She’s so witty and funny and vulnerable and honest and unique. Her essence made an impact on me the way Madonna or Courtney Love made an impact on me when I first saw them interviewed. I was just like, Who is this woman?! I was instantly obsessed with her.”

Tsai Ming-liang and Lee Kang-sheng land in L.A.

The American Cinematheque is launching a 14-film retrospective of the Taiwan-based director Tsai Ming-liang with the filmmaker in attendance, as well as his signature star Lee Kang-sheng. Simply seeing these films in a theater is exciting enough; to have Tsai and Lee there too is something else.

The series starts Wednesday with a 30th anniversary screening of “Vive L’Amour,” which finds three characters intersecting in a supposedly empty apartment. The series’ centerpiece will be a screening at the Egyptian of Tsai’s melancholy and mystical 2003 film “Goodbye, Dragon Inn,” about the goings-on at a movie theater showing King Hsu’s wuxia classic “Dragon Inn” on the last day before it closes for good.

In a review of Tsai’s 2002 film “What Time Is It There?” The Times’ Kevin Thomas wrote: “Tsai’s films are studies of loneliness and isolation set in Taipei, which has become a modern, impersonal metropolis in a nation that has undergone wrenching social changes with rapid economic expansion and the end of martial law. Those who have not seen any of Tsai’s previous films, all of which are austere and demanding, would be surprised to know that ‘What Time’ is actually his lightest work, its open ending offering a ray of hope. The dark absurdist humor that runs through Tsai’s films is stronger here than in any of his previous pictures.”

For a rerelease of his 1992 debut feature “Rebels of the Neon God,” I interviewed Tsai via email. Regarding his evolution as a filmmaker and storyteller, Tsai said: “Why do we always assume that shooting a film is to tell a story? ‘Rebels of the Neon God’ apparently is not about telling a story. Even now, I still don’t think it is conventional. My works have always been about expressing life experiences and sensations. In terms of the format, I am not passionate about ‘storytelling,’ but rather I approach movies more in the prosaic or poetic way. ‘Rebels of the Neon God’ has been just like this. When I was shooting a film, I would constantly remind myself that ‘I am shooting a film, but not telling a story.’ With this approach, I have been freer.”

Points of interest

‘Eno’ is never the same movie twice

Gary Hustwit’s documentary “Eno,” a portrait of the musician, artist and producer Brian Eno, will play at Vidiots on Friday and Saturday. A bespoke generative AI program created by Hustwit and his collaborator Brendan Dawes makes it so the film never plays the same way twice, shuffling some 500 hours of footage from Eno’s own archives along with original interviews, while maintaining an overall sense of shape and control.

“The generative approach was something that was really organic to what [Eno has] done,” Hustwit said in an interview prior to the film’s premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. “He’s been very much an early adopter to new technology and ways to integrate it into the creative process. So approaching a movie about him that way made sense.”

Eno had long resisted the idea of having a documentary made about him exactly because he didn’t want a film that would take a singular line through his career.

“I thought, well, this sounds like a better approach — to actually make a generative piece where it will be different every time,” Eno said. “Which is of course how it is in memory as well. It’s only if you keep a diary regularly, which I do, that you realize how fallible your memory is. You have a memory of a time in your life and then you look back to the diary and you realize you had a completely different experience from what you later imagined you were having.”

One of the freshest films I saw at Sundance this year was Sean Wang’s “Dìdi,” a film that endearingly captures the awkwardness of adolescence. Set in the summer of 2008, the film follows 13-year-old Chris (Izaac Wang) as he gets ready to start high school. The film has the same wild energy as someone who hasn’t yet learned the restrictions of worrying about being cool, as Wang’s performance conveys a sense of playfulness, imagination and freedom.

Sean Wang’s documentary short “Nai Nai and Wài Pó,” about his two grandmothers, was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year and is streaming on Disney+.

In a review of “Dìdi” for The Times, Katie Walsh wrote: “Sean Wang’s commitment to realism means that some of the storylines don’t feel entirely finished — just as storylines in life often don’t. Chris messes up, he wallows, he does his best to make things right and they don’t always wrap up neatly. He keeps moving forward, trying to figure out who he is, what he wants and to feel secure enough to savor those short, blissful moments of connection and freedom. Friends come and go, but family remains. We watch his journey to arriving at that simple but profound realization and, well, I guess this is growing up.”

Two tellings of Watergate

In what may be one of the best double-bill pairings of the year , on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the New Beverly will play Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 “All the President’s Men” along with Andrew Fleming’s 1999 “Dick.”

“All the President’s Men” is, of course, the story of how Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) relentlessly chased down the story of a burglary at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and uncovered a scandal that led to the resignation of President Nixon. The film won four Academy Awards, including supporting actor for Jason Robards as editor Ben Bradlee and adapted screenplay for William Goldman.

“Dick,” on the other hand, is the fanciful tale of how two 1972 D.C. high schoolers (Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams) inadvertently land themselves in the middle of the emerging Watergate scandal. Here Woodward and Bernstein are played by Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch, while Dan Hedaya’s portrayal of Nixon may be the venerable character actor’s finest turn.

In his original review, Kevin Thomas wrote: “At the heart of the film is the transformation of two perfectly normal teenagers, who intuitively sense that the Vietnam War is wrong but who are momentarily charmed by their president, who assures them that he is laying the groundwork for peace as he speaks. Their inadvertent firsthand experiences, however, leave them as disillusioned with Nixon and his administration as the American public would soon be. … Dunst and Williams are a constant delight, making clear that the girls’ naivete does not mean that they are in any way stupid.”

In an interview at the time, Fleming said: “How do you make a satire out of a farce? There were so many shenanigans and so many kooky characters, we kind of felt freer to be more broad. These people were being so irreverent with the public trust, we didn’t feel we were being irreverent to them.”

Also in the news

TIFF takes shape

The Toronto International Film Festival has begun to unveil larger sections of the programming for this year’s event, which runs Sept. 5 to 15. Among the titles in the Gala and Special Presentations sections will be the world premieres of Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood,” Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl,” starring Pamela Anderson, and Sydney Freeland’s Rez Ball,” co-written with “Reservation Dogs’” co-creator Sterlin Harjo .

Other notable titles include Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” Morgan Neville’s animated doc “Piece by Piece, and Michael Gracey’s “Better Man.”

Later in the the week it was revealed that the Discovery section will include the world premiere of Durga Chew-Bose’s adaptation of “Bonjour Tristesse” starring Chloë Sevigny, Lily McInerny and Claes Bang, while the Midnight Madness section will open with the North American premiere of Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

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8 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an avid buff, our reviewers think these films are worth knowing about even if you’re not planning to see them.

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By The New York Times

A vampire flick with a familiar bite.

A group of bumbling criminals kidnap a young girl and hold her for ransom, but the titular 12-year-old ballerina turns out to have more than just tulle up her sleeve.

From our review:

A cheerfully obvious splatterthon, the new horror movie “Abigail” follows a simple, time-tested recipe that calls for a minimal amount of ingredients. Total time: 109 minutes. Take a mysterious child, one suave fixer and six logic-challenged criminals. Place them in an extra-large pot with a few rats, creaking floorboards and ominous shadows. Stir. Simmer and continue stirring, letting the stew come to a near-boil. After an hour, crank the heat until some of the meat falls off the bone and the whole mix turns deep red. Enjoy!

In theaters. Read the full review .

Less-than-glorious “basterds.”

‘the ministry of ungentlemanly warfare’.

Based on a true story of an (until recently) unknown World War II operation, this film features some ungentlemanly types who are tasked with cutting off Germany’s resources by sinking their supply ships.

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” the latest offering from the director Guy Ritchie, is a perfect airplane movie. That is not a compliment, but it’s not exactly a dis. Some movies shouldn’t be watched on planes — slow artful dramas, or movies that demand concentration and good sound (please do not watch “ The Zone of Interest ” on your next flight). But you’ve got to watch something, and for that, we have movies like this one.

Like if Dorothy Gale was your Uber driver.

‘the stranger’.

In this thriller, originally released as 13 short-form episodes on the streaming service Quibi, the indie-film scream queen Maika Monroe plays a Los Angeles transplant fresh from Kansas who works as a ride-hail driver who must face off against a murderous passenger.

The recut version (on Hulu) bears little trace of its earlier form, although its life span across algorithm-driven streaming companies does cast the villain’s tech preoccupations — “whoever figures out the mathematical formula determining the losers and the winners in life will rule” the world, he declares — in a new, meta light.

Watch on Hulu . Read the full review .

A queer period piece — but the period is summer 2020.

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The Olympic opening ceremony on NBC, as grand as it was, was a little, well … weird

Nbc’s emphasis on celebrity during these games backfired..

By Chad Finn

The opening ceremony for the Paris Summer Games Friday was weird (what was going on behind that closed door?), inspired (a death-metal band? Sure, why not), and spectacular ( Celine Dion , in her first performance in years, closing it down like Keith Foulke in ‘04).

Unfortunately, only one of those three adjectives applied to NBC’s coverage: weird. Mike Tirico — who is undeniably the highest-profile multi-sport play-by-play broadcaster working today — was reliable as ever as the emcee. He could obviously host the “Today” show or programming of that ilk with the same ease that comes across when he’s calling “Sunday Night Football” or myriad other sporting events.

But NBC’s emphasis on celebrity during these Games backfired during the Opening Ceremony. Singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson spoke in exclamation points and empty platitudes (“Cool! … Wow! … Amazing!”).

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning spoke early on about as often as Bob Uecker’s severely understated color analyst in “Major League’’ before chiming in a little more as the ceremonies proceeded. Manning has tremendous comic timing, but he was miscast here. Maybe he missed Eli.

Of course, the ceremonies, as grand as they are, still remain the opening act to the competition. Here’s what I’m looking forward to watching from a Boston media observer’s perspective among NBCUniversal’s more than 7,000 hours of coverage (including streaming) across its assortment of networks …

3-on-3 basketball: The @FIBA3x3 account on X/Twitter (slogan: #FromTheStreetsToTheOlympics) has long been a fun follow for highlights of this surprisingly fast-paced, rapid-fire style of basketball . Noah Eagle , who called the 3-on-3 basketball in Tokyo, has elevated to the play-by-play voice of the much-anticipated conventional basketball competition, with Krista Blunk and analyst Kyle Montgomery calling the half-court game in Paris. If you’ve been wondering what Team USA’s Jimmer Fredette — the record-setting Brigham Young sharpshooter taken ahead of Klay Thompson in the 2011 NBA Draft, here’s your chance to get reacquainted. Men’s and women’s play begins July 30.

Sean Grande calling boxing: Fresh off calling the second Celtics championship since he became the team’s radio play-by-play voice in 2001-02, Grande will make his Olympic broadcasting debut while providing a reminder that he’s a versatile play-by-play voice who has called a smorgasbord of sports, including Premier Boxing Champions and Top Rank Boxing bouts. Boxing got underway Saturday.

Handball: Does anyone else remember this sport generating some of that unique-to-the-Olympics, “I have no idea what the rules are, but this is cool” buzz way back in the 2012 London games, when Mike Gorman was on the call? I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with it again, with Eric Frede — always a steady pro during his Boston assignments over the years, including as a Red Sox sideline reporter on NESN — handling the play-by-play. The handball competition also started Saturday.

The Gold Zone: This whip-around show, designed to bring you to the most interesting moments across various competitions in real time, mirrors the NFL’s highly successful “Red Zone” so much that it even features not one but its two hosts from its separate incarnations over the years. Scott Hanson , who has hosted the NFL Network’s version of “Red Zone” since 2009, and Andrew Siciliano , who hosted the DirecTV “Sunday Ticket” version through 2023, will serve as Gold Zone anchors. It’s cool to see two people who were very good at the same job now on the same team. The Gold Zone can be found via Peacock.

And because we’re not handing out gold medals for everything here, two things I don’t like:

The presence of Jimmy Fallon: NBC’s decision to become more celebrity-focused pretty much guaranteed that Fallon, host of the “Tonight Show” for the past decade, would have a role in Olympic coverage for the first time. And, sadly, he does. Hollywood’s preeminent insincere laugher — think of how much of a suck-up you have to be to claim that title — will be part of the Closing Ceremony. I’d almost rather watch “Fever Pitch” again than listen to his phony platitudes during the cérémonie de clôture. I said almost.

A.I. Al.: Call me a geezer, call me unrealistic, heck, go ahead and call me Shirley if you want, but I am of the unwavering belief that society began its acceleration to Hades in a handbasket with the invention of smartphones, if not the internet itself. So you can probably guess my stance on A.I., and in this particular instance, NBCUniversal’s decision to use Al Michaels’s A.I.-generated voice to provide “personalized recaps” for fans on Peacock. Ugh. Love hearing Al. Don’t need Fake Al. Dreadful. Just dreadful. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go to my bunker and watch his “Do you believe in Miracles? YES!” call another 100 times on YouTube. Fine, on the internet. But not on my smartphone, because that would be extra hypocritical.

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