{"id":771002,"date":"2026-07-18T22:38:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T22:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/771002\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T22:38:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T22:38:08","slug":"5-new-movies-our-critics-are-talking-about-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/771002\/","title":{"rendered":"5 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018The Odyssey\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Directed by Christopher Nolan, this adaptation of the Greek epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, a troubled hero finding his way home.<\/p>\n

From our review:<\/p>\n

Nolan\u2019s love of movies and commitment to them \u2014 to what they can do, what they can be, what they should be \u2014 runs like an electric current through his filmography, lighting it, and oftentimes you, up. That passion is in every frame of his monumental adaptation of \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d one of the most Nolan of Nolan spectacles in its thematic concerns, formal playfulness, kinetic thrills and unabashed showmanship. Few directors close the divide between the art film and the blockbuster like Nolan does; fewer still give the audience something to not simply look forward to but also be excited by.<\/p>\n

In theaters. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An adolescent romance grows up.<\/p>\n

\u2018Heartstopper Forever\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Continuing the Netflix series \u201cHeartstopper,\u201d based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman, this romance film sees the central couple move from high school into adulthood.<\/p>\n

From our review:<\/p>\n

With a script by Oseman that is less idyllic than the series, the director Wash Westmoreland likewise guides their maturation with a gentle hand: Once-bright colors deepen, the series\u2019 signature slide transitions feel more sophisticated. Kit Connor brings profound emotional weight to Nick\u2019s anxious devotion, while Joe Locke imbues Charlie with a quiet resilience. Together, they create a bond so convincing that it survives even the script and score\u2019s occasional habit of overexplaining what their faces already reveal.<\/p>\n

Watch on Netflix<\/a>. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Horsing around gets serious.<\/p>\n

\u2018Horsegirls\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

In this coming-of-age film directed by Lauren Meyerin, an autistic woman named Margarita (Lillian Carrier) finds independence in a competitive hobbyhorse team.<\/p>\n

From our review:<\/p>\n

Bursts of fantasy and flurried, slowed-down visuals of Margarita\u2019s workout routine \u2014 like trotting on a treadmill \u2014 give an enchanted quality to her evolution. It\u2019s a bit corny and cute, but the film balances out these feel-good elements with harder truths that contrast the heroine\u2019s silliness and sincerity to create a weirdly dark and touching sense of humor.<\/p>\n

In theaters. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Kidnapping of Arabella\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

A troubled young woman kidnaps a rebellious child whom she believes is her younger self and takes her on the road.<\/p>\n

From our review:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kidnapping of Arabella\u201d plays like a comedy, though comedies about mental illness are, understandably, few and far between. It helps, though, that this sophomore feature by Carolina Cavalli is Italian: The long tail of Fellini can be sensed wagging through every quirky character and unwaveringly deadpan exchange.<\/p>\n

In theaters. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few pros in its corner.<\/p>\n

\u2018They Fight\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Inspired by the documentary of the same name, this sports drama directed by Sheldon Candis follows Walter (Andr\u00e9 Holland), a formerly incarcerated boxer who takes up coaching a group of young boys.<\/p>\n

From our review:<\/p>\n

In one corner there\u2019s a script that telegraphs its punches and leans too heavily on a traditional protagonist\u2019s journey \u2014 will Walt beat his demons? In the other corner, there\u2019s a wiry story that recognizes how the community \u2026 is the hero. The film\u2019s nuanced moments are found in that encircling amity in which they all fight.<\/p>\n

Watch on Hulu<\/a>. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Compiled by Kellina Moore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018The Odyssey\u2019 Directed by Christopher Nolan, this adaptation of the Greek epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":771003,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[88,329083,329084,206,329085,329086,329087],"class_list":["post-771002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-heartstopper-forever-movie","tag-horsegirls-movie","tag-movies","tag-the-kidnapping-of-arabella-movie","tag-the-odyssey-2026-movie","tag-they-fight-movie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771002"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771002\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}