The Holdovers
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne’s jaunt to the past, with Paul Giamatti playing a curmudgeonly instructor at a 1970s boarding school, is crackling with pungent life.

From left, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti in “The Holdovers,” | Directed by Alexander Payne.
By WESLEY MORRIS

Deep Rising
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Matthieu Rytz
Matthieu Rytz’s documentary about the bounty at the bottom of the sea examines the fight over whether to reap these riches or preserve them.

An undersea glass sponge, one example of ocean life seen in “Deep Rising.”
By LISA KENNEDY

Priscilla
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Biography, Drama, Music | Directed by Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola re-examines Elvis Presley from the perspective of the woman he married.

By BEN KENIGSBERG

Milli Vanilli
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Biography, Music | Directed by Luke Korem
Luke Korem’s documentary retraces the manufactured pop duo’s rise and fall, while asking pertinent questions about the price of stardom.

Rob Pilatus, left, and Fab Morvan in “Milli Vanilli,” a documentary | Directed by Luke Korem.
By CHRIS AZZOPARDI