5 New Movies Critics Are Talking About This Week

New movies in theaters this week recommended by critics

What Critics Want You to See This Week

From auditory horror to samurai dramas, here are the 5 new movies that NYT critics are buzzing about this week. All are currently in theaters.

1. Undertone (A24) — Critic's Pick

A podcaster named Evy (Nina Kiri) encounters mysterious recordings in this aurally driven horror movie directed by Ian Tuason. Shot entirely in Tuason's parents' house on a minimal budget, it proves you don't need flashy effects to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The sound design is the real star here.

2. Bushido

Set in 19th-century Japan, this drama follows a vagrant samurai reflecting on his past while facing off against a local merchant in an intense game of Go. Director Kazuya Shiraishi crafts a film that embraces the "way of the warrior" while gently complicating the patriarchal values that have informed its modern representations.

3. Reminders of Him

Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers star in this romance adapted from a Colleen Hoover novel. A woman rebuilds her life after serving time for a car crash that killed the father of her child. Critics praise Monroe's performance and the film's unapologetic emotional honesty.

4. Group: The Schopenhauer Effect — Critic's Pick

Director Alexis Lloyd uses a real psychoanalyst and improvised dialogue to closely emulate group therapy sessions. It's absorbing in the way a good stage play might be, with the added intensity of close-ups. A unique filmmaking approach that pays off.

5. Slanted

After immigrating to America, a Chinese teenager undergoes surgery to change her appearance in this body horror film directed by Amy Wang. Critics note it draws from "Get Out," "Mean Girls," and "The Substance" but doesn't quite match those influences.

The Bottom Line

If you're heading to theaters this week, Undertone and Group: The Schopenhauer Effect earned Critic's Pick status from the NYT. For a more mainstream crowd-pleaser, Reminders of Him delivers a satisfying emotional drama. Bushido is the pick for cinephiles who appreciate Japanese period pieces.