“Cocaine Bear” and the Problem of High-Concept Plots

Plus: "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is prefab Marvel.

View in browser | Update your preferences The Front Row "Suzhou River," Reviewed: Gangland Romance as Political Critique The Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye's daring drama, from 2000, eludes censorship by means of intricate storytelling. By Richard Brody The Front Row "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" Is Prefab Marvel The loopy humor and style of the first two "Ant-Man" movies have been flattened by the M.C.U.'s franchise formatting. By Richard Brody The Current Cinema "Cocaine Bear" and the Problem of High-Concept Plots Like "Snakes on a Plane" and "We Bought a Zoo," Elizabeth Banks's film provides exactly what the title promises. Then what? By Anthony Lane The Front Row "Full Time," Reviewed: A Hectic Thriller of Everyday Life Éric Gravel's drama of a French commuter's tight scheduling probes the political and emotional essence of work. By Richard Brody Now Playing "Bless Their Little Hearts" (streaming on the Criterion Channel, OVID, Kino Now, and other services): Billy Woodberry's only dramatic feature to date, from 1983, looks deeply into the life of one family in Watts and plots its crisis in three dimensions—race, money, and gender. Charlie Banks (Nate Hardman), first seen in an employment office, has been jobless for a decade and does day labor when he can get it. His wife, Andais (Kaycee Moore), is the family's main support, but, when it's time to give their children their allowance, she slips the coins to Charlie, for him to dole out as the nominal head of the household. Working with a script and cinematography by Charles Burnett, Woodberry crafts a passionately pensive realism. Read more. "A Woman Under the Influence" (streaming on the Criterion Channel, Prime Video, HBO Max, and other services): The love and hate that bind men and women have rarely been evoked as plausibly or intensely as in this 1974 drama, directed by John Cassavetes. It stars his wife, Gena Rowlands, as Mabel, a California housewife whose loopy mannerisms and unstable behavior embarrass and infuriate her workingman husband, Nick (Peter Falk), who morphs into an ugly household martinet. The initial poignancy and whimsy of Mabel's ways shift to a psychodramatic horror show, featuring some of the most fearsome domestic confrontations ever filmed. In Cassavetes's world, the rough solidarity of husbands, forged through the rigors of work, keeps order—but at a terrible price. Read more. "Jethica" (streaming on Prime Video, Vudu, and other services): With its stark action and its clever techniques, the director Pete Ohs's off-kilter ghost story has an old-fashioned, downbeat allure. Much of the delight is in the sheer audacity of the plot: a young woman named Elena (Callie Hernandez) confesses to a killing, and most of the film is a flashback to the event and its aftermath. Hiding out in her late grandmother's trailer on a huge, empty spread of land in New Mexico, Elena has a chance encounter with Jessica (Ashley Denise Robinson), a friend from high school who is fleeing a stalker and who accepts Elena's invitation to move in with her. Don't look for character development; the foregrounded world of taut, moody action features simple but astounding special effects and concludes with a wink that's as absurd as it is cinematically astute. Read more. More from The New Yorker Our Local Correspondents Evenings in the Park with Flaco The Eurasian eagle-owl, apparently let loose from the Central Park Zoo by a vandal, three weeks ago, is making new fans every day. By Naaman Zhou Profiles Randall Park Breaks Out of Character The "Fresh Off the Boat" star made his career in amiable roles, but his directorial début, "Shortcomings," is full of characters who are, in his word, "shitty" people. By Hua Hsu The New Yorker Interview The End of "Succession" Is Near The show's creator, Jesse Armstrong, explains why he has chosen to conclude the drama of the Roy family in its fourth season. By Rebecca Mead Culture Desk A Big-Tent Party at Madison Square Garden Dance music is full of divisions. But a recent show with Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again.. felt like a big coming together. By Kelefa Sanneh You're receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the New Yorker Movie Club newsletter. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up.   Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our privacy policy    Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.