Movies Update: Tom Cruise at Cannes and the secrets of “Thunderbolts*”
Plus, another “Final Destination” arrives.
Movies Update
May 16, 2025

Hey, movie fans!

It’s the middle of May, which means the French Riviera is awash with celebs, gorgeous gowns, lavish parties and, yes, movies, for the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Our columnist Kyle Buchanan is keeping an eye on the big moments of the fest, including Tom Cruise on the red carpet (and all over) for the premiere of “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” (Our critic Manohla Dargis has an early review of the film, which opens next week.) Kyle also has a report on one of the early front-runners for the Palme d’Or.

Back in the U.S., there are plenty of movies to see as well. The blockbuster “Sinners” is returning to a few premium IMAX screens, so you can see it really big (check out our chat with one of its stars, Wunmi Mosaku), plus the latest Marvel movie “Thunderbolts*” continues its hit run. (We had a spoiler-heavy talk with the director about the film and the future of the M.C.U.)

And for you “Final Destination” fans out there, rejoice: A new film in that franchise, “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” is on the big screen, and it’s a Critic’s Pick. In her review, Beatrice Loayza writes, “‘Bloodlines,’ gleefully directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, offers a compelling tweak on its predecessors by introducing — with a wink and a shove — the element of inherited trauma.”

Enjoy the movies!

CRITICS’ PICKS

A woman in a dress stands in a room filled with overturned furniture and flames, looking over her shoulder as fire blazes through large windows in the background.

Eric Milner/Warner Bros.

Critic’s Pick

‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Review: Born to Die

The sixth installment in the horror franchise might be the most self-consciously silly of the bunch — and it’s all the better for it.

By Beatrice Loayza

A bearded man in a coat and hat stands in a snowy forest, looking upward as snow covers his face and beard. Snow falls heavily around him, creating a wintry scene.

Grasshopper Film

Critic’s Pick

‘The Damned’ Review: Unfortunate Sons

In Roberto Minervini’s intimate and impressionistic drama, a group of Civil War scouts faces the harsh realities of the uncharted Montana territory.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

A woman with short black hair and a neutral expression wears a white shirt and wireless earbuds, standing against a vibrant pink background with the tops of two white lamps showing.

Kani Releasing

Critic’s Pick

‘Desert of Namibia’ Review: Ups and Downs

Yoko Yamanaka’s film is a brilliantly observed portrait of a young woman simmering with frustrations and coming to terms with her relationships and place in the world.

By Nicolas Rapold

MOVIE REVIEWS

An archival black-and-white image shows four people marching with their arms around each other. Behind them is a large banner reading "The Board Busters."

Apple TV+

Documentary Lens

‘Deaf President Now!’ and the Biases of a Hearing World

The documentary recalls the 1988 protests that erupted at Gallaudet University when trustees rejected deaf candidates to lead it.

By Alissa Wilkinson

Two men are reflected in a lit dressing room mirror. One man, wearing a patterned cardigan, leans in to speak to the other, who is dressed in black with arms crossed and a serious expression.

Andrew Cooper/Lionsgate

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Review: The Shadow Cast by Blinding Lights

A filmic companion to the Weeknd’s latest album, this meta psychological thriller is all style and no substance.

By Brandon Yu

A couple lying in bed together under a plaid blanket, smiling at each other in a cozy, sunlit bedroom with artwork on the walls and a large window overlooking a body of water and distant hills.

Motlys

‘Love’ Review: Connection, Oslo Style

A poetic drama weaves together the lives of Norwegians as they pursue connection in their own ways.

By Alissa Wilkinson

A woman in traditional Indian attire and jewelry adjusts her headpiece while looking anxiously out of a barred window. Light casts shadows on her face, highlighting her concerned expression.

Magnolia

‘Sister Midnight’ Review: The Feminine Mystique, but Make It Macabre

A housewife’s domestic distresses take a horrifying turn in this dark comedy set in the slums of Mumbai.

By Natalia Winkelman

A woman, seated, looks tenderly upon the face of a man, standing above her, and she is cupping his face in her hands.

Christian Geisnæs/Juno Films

‘The Kiss’ Review: A Romance Without Love?

A young military man asks a woman to dance, but they’re in for a bumpy ride in this story adapted from a novel by Stefan Zweig.

By Glenn Kenny

NEWS & FEATURES

Two men stand outdoors in a wooded area. One wears a tan puffer coat and holds a drink, while the other, in a blue and red jacket, holds a mushroom, appearing to explain or demonstrate something.

Spencer Pazer/A24

Critic’s Notebook

In Dark Comedies Like ‘Friendship,’ Bad Bromance Brews

A spate of recent indie films provide a complicated, sometimes solemn take on male friendship.

By Carlos Aguilar

In a film scene, a woman in old-fashioned clothing is seen from behind as she raises her top and looks into a three-part mirror.

Fabian Gamper/Studio Zentral

Palme d’Or Projections: Has Cannes Found Its Early Front-runner?

“Sound of Falling,” which tracks four German girls over the course of a century, drew early raves. But it might not go the distance.

By Kyle Buchanan

Gérard Depardieu, wearing a black suit and smoking a cigarette, stands in front of a group of photographers.

Loïc Venance/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Cannes Reacts to Gérard Depardieu Verdict With Soul-Searching and Shrugs

The actor, who was found guilty of sexual assault on Tuesday, was a festival stalwart and had brought nearly 30 movies to the event.

By Esther Zuckerman

A black-and-white photo of Mr. Benton, seen in profile leaning forward, sitting in a director’s chair with the film title “Kramer vs. Kramer” on the back. He has a salt-and-pepper beard and wears glasses with large frames.

Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

Robert Benton, Influential Director and Screenwriter, Dies at 92

After collaborating on the script for “Bonnie and Clyde,” he went on to write and direct “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “Places in the Heart.”

By Douglas Martin

A dark-haired woman holds a child, who is wearing dinosaur pajamas and has a cast on his arm, while looking toward a blonde woman.

Maxence Dedry