Movie & Television Reviews

A cautionary tale unfolds in “The Iron Claw,” (A24) based on the true story of the rise and fall of an all-American wrestling family.

A menagerie of special effects aimlessly searching for a coherent plot is the most concise way to sum up “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Warner Bros.), the sequel to 2018’s immensely successful “Aquaman.”

In the musical drama “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.), author Alice Walker’s account of one woman’s survival skills and self-esteem in the face of grinding poverty and cruel patriarchal oppression finds its perfected ritual form.

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

This rousing sports drama promotes positive values and showcases a sweetly innocent romance.

An independent film called “Trinity’s Triumph,” written and produced by a Newark archdiocesan priest, brings Catholic priests into the everyday landscape, peeling back the stained-glass curtain on the priesthood.

What surrounds Chalamet’s youthful, goodhearted aspiring chocolatier is a generally charming musical fantasy marred by an ill-considered Catholic-themed subplot.

Can lasting happiness be built on a foundation of reckless immorality? That’s the essential question posed by the intense drama “May December” (Netflix).