Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Jeffrey Wolf
Blues, silhouettes, two-dimensional figures at play. This artist created mystical experiences from whatever scraps he could find.

The artist Bill Traylor as seen in “Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts,” a documentary by Jeffrey Wolf.
By GLENN KENNY

Hope
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama, Romance | Directed by Maria Sødahl
In this raw Norwegian drama, a cancer diagnosis forces a longstanding couple to face the fissures in their relationship.

Andrea Braein Hovig and Stellan Skarsgard in “Hope.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Shiva Baby
NYT Critic’s Pick | Comedy | Directed by Emma Seligman
The potential land mines of a young woman’s life are set to explode simultaneously in this tense comedy from Emma Seligman.

Rachel Sennott in “Shiva Baby.”
By JASON BAILEY

— Of Possible Interest —

Voyagers
PG-13 | Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Neil Burger
Emotional anarchy derails a space mission in this insipid sci-fi drama.

Tye Sheridan in “Voyagers.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

The Tunnel
Drama, Thriller | Directed by Pål Øie
Painfully cliché but sufficiently diverting, this is the latest in a string of disaster movies from Norway.

Ylva Fuglerud and Thorbjorn Harr in “The Tunnel.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Moffie
Drama, Romance, War | Directed by Oliver Hermanus
This grueling film about the South African military going to war with Angola is replete with vicious, stark depictions of racism and homophobia.

Kai Luke Brummer, center, in “Moffie.”
By GLENN KENNY

The Human Voice
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Short, Drama | Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
The first English-language film from the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar stars Tilda Swinton and adapts Jean Cocteau to sublime results.

Tilda Swinton in “The Human Voice.”
By GLENN KENNY

Malni-Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Sky Hopinka
This ethereal experimental documentary by Sky Hopinka is an essential portrait of contemporary Indigenous life.

Sweetwater Sahme in “Malni — Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama | Directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
In this drama, a widow rises out of grief to protest a threat to her village.

Mary Twala Mhlongo in “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection.”
By NICOLAS RAPOLD

— Of Possible Interest —

2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation
Directed by Michael Govier, Gísli Darri Halldórsson, Will McCormack, Adrien Merigeau, Erick Oh, Madeline Sharafian
From social justice themes to stories about grief and reckoning with the past, this year’s nominated shorts get serious.
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS AND MAYA PHILLIPS AND BEN KENIGSBERG

2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary
Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison, Kris Bowers, Skye Fitzgerald, Anthony Giacchino, Anders Hammer, Ben Proudfoot
From social justice themes to stories about grief and reckoning with the past, this year’s nominated shorts get serious.
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS AND MAYA PHILLIPS AND BEN KENIGSBERG

2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action
Directed by Travon Free, Elvira Lind, Farah Nabulsi, Martin Desmond Roe, Doug Roland, Tomer Shushan
From social justice themes to stories about grief and reckoning with the past, this year’s nominated shorts get serious.
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS AND MAYA PHILLIPS AND BEN KENIGSBERG

Godzilla vs. Kong
PG-13 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Adam Wingard
Ape and lizard go toe-to-toe, with a cast of talented humans to comment on the action.

Godzilla on the rampage in “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
By A.O. SCOTT

Concrete Cowboy
R | Drama | Directed by Ricky Staub
Idris Elba leads us through the long-buried heritage of America’s Black cowboys, manifested in their modern-day urban descendants.

From left, Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin riding the Mid-Atlantic range in “Concrete Cowboy.”
By GLENN KENNY

Miracle Fishing: Kidnapped Abroad
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Miles Hargrove, Christopher Birge
The documentary is a unique record of the abduction that inspired the Hollywood thriller “Proof of Life.”

Miles Hargrove in the documentary “Miracle Fishing: Kidnapped Abroad.”
By BEN KENIGSBERG

Tina
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary, Biography, Music | Directed by Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin
The documentary about Tina Turner, who is now in her 80s, is not just a summing up of her life, but a kind of farewell.

Tina Turner in 1973 in a scene from the documentary “Tina.”
By GLENN KENNY

Nina Wu
NYT Critic’s Pick | Unrated | Drama | Directed by Midi Z
An actress loses her mind in this haunting portrait of exploitation in the film industry from the Taiwanese director Midi Z.

Wu Ke-Xi in “Nina Wu.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Violation
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama, Horror | Directed by Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer
In this thriller, a woman exacts revenge against those who betrayed her and soon discovers the cost of answering violence with more violence.

Madeleine Sims-Fewer in “Violation.”
By LENA WILSON

— Of Possible Interest —

Retaliation review – Orlando Bloom gives it his all in lacerating sexual-abuse drama
Retaliation is released on 26 March on digital platforms.

By Cath Clarke

Wojnarowicz
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Chris McKim
A documentary on the artist David Wojnarowicz shows the ways that the rebel was a prophet, and honors him appropriately.

A still from “Wojnarowicz,” a documentary from Chris McKim.
Watch on Kino Marquee.
By GLENN KENNY

Before the Dying of the Light
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Ali Essafi
This Ali Essafi documentary presents an inspiring view of the roiling visual-arts scene in 1970s Morocco.

A still from “Before the Dying of the Light,” a documentary from Ali Essafi.
Watch through MoMA’s Virtual Cinema.
By GLENN KENNY

The Fever
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | Directed by Maya Da-Rin
Maya Da-Rin’s extraordinary film details the intimate life of an Indigenous family in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

Regis Myrupu in “The Fever.”
In virtual cinemas, including Film at Lincoln Center.
By DEVIKA GIRISH

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Documentary, Crime, Drama | Directed by Chris Smith
Chris Smith’s gripping documentary looks deeper into the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.

William Singer, a central figure in the college admissions scandal that is the subject of “Operation Varsity Blues.”
Watch on Netflix.
By AMY NICHOLSON

— Of Possible Interest —

LUZ
Crime, Drama, Romance | Directed by Jon Garcia
In this romantic drama from Jon Garcia, two men find love in prison, then try to make it work on the outside.

Jesse Tayeh and Ernesto Reyes in “Luz.”
In theaters and on Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema.
By TEO BUGBEE

Zack Snyder’s Justice League
R | Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Directed by Zack Snyder
Snyder’s marathon cut of his film for HBO Max doesn’t add much to be happy about.

From left, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher and Ezra Miller in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”
Watch on HBO Max starting March 18.
By MAYA PHILLIPS

Quo vadis, Aida?
NYT Critic’s Pick | Approved | Drama, History, War | Directed by Jasmila Zbanic
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.

Jasna Djuricic is Aida, a high school teacher turned U.N. translator, in Jasmila Zbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
By A.O. SCOTT

The Inheritance
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama | Directed by Ephraim Asili
In this feature, a Black collective becomes a site of robust intellectual exchange, inspired artistry, joy and humor.

From left, Chris Jarrell, Nozipho Mclean and Eric Lockley in “The Inheritance.”
By LOVIA GYARKYE

On-Gaku: Our Sound
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Animation, Drama, Musical | Directed by Kenji Iwaisawa
The anime film, which took seven years to produce, combines groovy musical vibes with delightfully deadpan humor.

“On-Gaku: Our Sound” is a quirky homage to classic animation and 1960s-70s rock.
By MAYA PHILLIPS

The Truffle Hunters
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Documentary | Directed by Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
An enchanting documentary about men and their best friends combing the northern Italian forests for an unlikely delicacy.

Aurelio Conterno and Birba in Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s documentary “The Truffle Hunters.”
By A.O. SCOTT

Lost Course
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Jill Li
A 2011 revolt in Wukan, China, is the subject of a sobering, sprawling documentary.

A protest in the documentary “Lost Course.”
By BEN KENIGSBERG

— Of Possible Interest —

Coming 2 America
PG-13 | Comedy | Directed by Craig Brewer
More than 30 years later, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reunite for a return trip from Zamunda to New York.

Eddie Murphy returns as Akeem in the genial sequel “Coming 2 America.”
By A.O. SCOTT

Raya and the Last Dragon
PG | Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy | Directed by Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa
A new Disney princess from Southeast Asia battles factionalism and her own trust issues.

A scene from “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | Directed by Tim Hill
This new franchise installment, “Sponge on the Run,” wants to be clever in nodding toward genre conventions. But its execution is poor.

SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) in “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.”
By MAYA PHILLIPS

Chaos Walking
PG-13 | Adventure, Sci-Fi | Directed by Doug Liman
Daisy Ridley plays the only woman to arrive on a planet full of men, whose thoughts are visibly on display, in this sci-fi thriller.

Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland and his thoughts in “Chaos Walking.”
By GLENN KENNY

Boss Level
Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Joe Carnahan
Frank Grillo gets to die another day — again and again and again — in the time-loop action comedy.

Frank Grillo and Naomi Watts in “Boss Level.”
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

The Father
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama | Directed by Florian Zeller
Anthony Hopkins gives a scalding performance as a man stricken by dementia in this clever drama.

Anthony Hopkins in “The Father.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

A Dramatic Film
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Eric Baudelaire
This documentary gives middle school children a chance to show their experiences.

Mohammed Samassa, left, and Fatimata Sarr in the documentary “Un Film Dramatique.”
By TEO BUGBEE

This Is the Life
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay’s 2008 documentary, now streaming on Netflix, is a personal love letter to a slice of Los Angeles’s 1990s hip-hop scene.

Medusa is one of the hip-hop artists featured in Ava DuVernay’s 2008 documentary “This Is the Life.”
By ROBERT DANIELS

— Of Possible Interest —

The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Biography, Drama, Music | Directed by Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels’s hectic biopic portrays the singer as a victim of abuse, addiction and government persecution.

Andra Day as Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
By A.O. SCOTT

Tom and Jerry
PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | Directed by Tim Story
This feature-length expansion of the popular cartoon is too brainless for adults, but its kid-friendly title characters are barely supporting players.

The animated characters Tom and Jerry navigate New York City streets in “Tom & Jerry.”
By JASON BAILEY

Nomadland
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama | Directed by Chloé Zhao
Frances McDormand hits the road in Chloé Zhao’s intimate, expansive portrait of itinerant lives.

Frances McDormand in Chloé Zhao’s film “Nomadland,” in which she shares the screen with several nonprofessional actors and real-life van travelers.
By A.O. SCOTT

Flora & Ulysses
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG | Adventure, Comedy, Family | Directed by Lena Khan
A 10-year-old cynic, a bushy-tailed superhero and a cast stacked with beloved comic actors make this lovable Disney film something to see.

Matilda Lawler as Flora in “Flora and Ulysses.”
By MAYA PHILLIPS

I Care a Lot
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Crime, Thriller | Directed by J Blakeson
Nasty people do terrible things in this wildly entertaining Netflix caper about guardianship fraud.

Rosamund Pike in “I Care a Lot.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Minari
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama | Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Steven Yeun plays the patriarch of an immigrant family adjusting to American rural life in Lee Isaac Chung’s lovely new film

Yeri Han and Steven Yeun in “Minari,” about a Korean-American family that moves to the Ozarks.
By A.O. SCOTT

Judas and the Black Messiah
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Biography, Drama, History | Directed by Shaka King
In Shaka King’s historical drama, Daniel Kaluuya plays the radical leader Fred Hampton, with Lakeith Stanfield as the informer who betrayed him.

A Marxist-Leninist messiah: Daniel Kaluuya (second from left) as Fred Hampton, with, from left, Dominque Thorne, Darrell Britt-Gibson and Caleb Eberhardt.
By A.O. SCOTT

Land
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama | Directed by Robin Wright
In her feature directing debut, Robin Wright plays a woman who moves alone to the mountains.

Robin Wright in “Land,” which she also directed.
By GLENN KENNY

The World to Come
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama | Directed by Mona Fastvold
Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby play two women who share a gradually recognized love in upstate New York in 1856.

Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby in “The World to Come.”
By BEN KENIGSBERG

— Of Possible Interest —

To All the Boys: Always and Forever
Comedy, Drama, Romance | Directed by Michael Fimognari
This final installment of the Netflix rom-com trilogy is earnest, bright-eyed and without a hint of cynicism.

Noah Centineo and Lana Condor in “To All the Boys: Always and Forever.”
By MAYA PHILLIPS

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
PG-13 | Comedy | Directed by Josh Greenbaum
The “Bridesmaids” writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo nix the raunch for an absurdist adventure complete with musical numbers, an evil underground lair, and a talking crab.

Kristen Wig as Star and Annie Mumolo as Barb in “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Lapsis
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Noah Hutton
Noah Hutton’s good-humored sci-fi movie takes aim at corporate greed and worker exploitation.

Dean Imperial in “Lapsis.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

There Is No I in Threesome
TV-MA | Documentary | Directed by Jan Oliver Lucks
A director and his fiancée chronicle their yearlong open relationship in this documentary that offers a clever examination of perspective.

Jan Oliver Lucks, right, with Zoe in the documentary “There Is No ‘I’ In Threesome.”
By NATALIA WINKELMAN