‘Gladiator II,’ ‘The Piano Lesson,’ ‘Nickel Boys’ Use the Weight of Past Events to Tell Contemporary Stories

The past is ever present in our lives, so it’s unsurprising that many movies lean on that juxtaposition in the stories they tell. In 2024, the past casts an espe- cially big shadow across films like “The Brutalist,” “Gladiator II,” “The Piano Lesson,” “Conclave,” “A Real Pain” “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” “The Return” and even the comedy […]