NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

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