New movies this week: Watch ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ stream ‘Nanny,’ chew on Netflix’s ‘Bardo’
“Avatar” movies? We’re all about to find out.
This weekend, James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster (and all-time international box-office champ) finally hits theaters, with his “Titanic” muse Kate Winslet joining original stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña. A couple of films showcase the serious sides of Rebel Wilson and Martin Lawrence, “The Revenant” director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest hits Netflix, and some awards contenders arrive on streaming services for Oscar lovers.
Here’s a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on-demand debuts:
Ranked:The 10 best movies of 2022, from Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘The Whale,’ ‘RRR’
Cameron’s anticipated sci-fi sequel leads a variety of film fare
With the holidays approaching, this weekend offers some things to consider for your Yuletide entertainment:
- “Avatar: The Way of Water” isn’t a great piece of storytelling, but it’s neat to see.
- The horror film “Nanny” is a creep show taking on social issues.
- Netflix’s “Bardo” is a weird experience with touching themes at its core.
If you want to see something really cool: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’
Set more than a decade after the original 2009 movie, the sequel catches up with Jake (Worthington), Neytiri (Saldaña) and their Na’vi family as they’re forced to seek safety when humans return to Pandora. The plot is nominally better than the first film but, really, you go to an “Avatar” movie for the visuals (underwater scenes are a sight to behold), and the combination of kid characters and space whales will win you over.
Where to watch: In theaters
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ review:Prepare for a visually stunning return to Pandora
If you like a horror film that hits close to home: ‘Nanny’
African folklore and parental stresses combine in effective fashion In Nikyatu Jusu’s film, which stars Anna Diop as Aisha, a Senegalese immigrant who takes a job looking after a young girl for a wealthy Manhattan couple. With Aisha’s own son coming for a visit, she begins to have unsettling visions and nightmares involving spiders, mermaids and water that begin to affect her personal and professional lives.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
If you need a complex movie to chew on: ‘Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’
Iñárritu’s surrealist comedy-drama centers on a Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker (Daniel Giménez Cacho) living in LA who’s chosen for a prestigious award by his peers. He returns home to Mexico to face past tragedies, imposter syndrome and family issues in a very weird 2½-hour existential crisis of a movie where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, though at times proves touching if you stick with it.
Where to watch: Netflix
If your kids dig peppy high school musicals: ‘Snow Day’
The song-filled reimagining of the 2000 Chevy Chase comedy centers on a bunch of kids embracing a sense of carpe diem when the white stuff gives them a day off. Ky Baldwin stars as a boy who enlists the help of his BFF (Fabi Aguirre) to approach a crush while his sister (Michaela Russell) takes on a cranky snowplow driver (“iCarly” alum Jerry Trainor) in a cheery teen-friendly tale full of familiar tropes.
Where to watch:Paramount+
If you yearn for a holiday-tinged thriller: ‘The Apology’
Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) stars as recovering alcoholic Darlene, who, 20 years after the disappearance of her daughter, is hosting a family Christmas party with her best friend (Janeane Garofalo). Darlene’s ex-brother-in-law (Linus Roache) shows up uninvited on a stormy Christmas Eve with one whopper of a truth bomb, leading to an ultra-tense flick that starts well but lacks the twisty heft to completely work.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Shudder and AMC+
If you’re curious to see Rebel Wilson’s dramatic side: ‘The Almond the Seahorse’
The sentimental drama follows two people who find solace in each other when dealing with their significant others’ traumatic brain injury: An archaeologist (Wilson) struggles when her husband (writer and co-director Celyn Jones) has a sizable tumor that affects creating new memories, while an architect (Charlotte Gainsbourg) feels the weariness 15 years after an accident caused long-term amnesia in her partner (Trine Dyrholm).
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play
If you’re curious to see Martin Lawrence’s dramatic side: ‘Mindcage’
There are “Silence of the Lambs” vibes galore in this indie thriller. Lawrence and Melissa Roxburgh play cops investigating a series of murders with religious overtones who attempt to gain insight into what seems like copycat killings from an incarcerated, artistically minded kook (John Malkovich). Yet this is a far cry from “Bad Boys”: The most laughable aspect of Lawrence’s latest is the absurd denouement.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play
Also on streaming
- The Banshees of Inisherin,” the dark comedy starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson that scored a slew of Golden Globe nominations this week, is available on HBO Max as well as Apple TV, Vudu and Amazon.
- Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film “The Fabelmans,” featuring Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, is streaming on Apple TV and on-demand platforms.
- Also on demand is “Bones and All,” a cannibal romance road trip starring Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell.