Natalie Portman Embodies Pop Spectacle in Vox Lux
Plot spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution. One minor scene in A Star Is Born is also referenced below.
A Simple Favor Is a Delightfully Mischievous Modern Thriller
In order for A Simple Favor to hook us, it had to be in on the joke, which lies in its very premise: just say the words…
American Vandal Season 2 Delivers More Suspense, Less Humor
When American Vandal debuted last fall, its particular novelty—taking the popular true crime format and turning it into…
Where Hands Touch Can't Make a Nazi Love Story Work
What counts as “humanizing a Nazi?” It’s a question that will be debated quite a bit as director Amma Asante’s new film …
Kidding Is a Tedious Meditation on Being and Puppet-ness
What if Fred Rogers wrestled with grief and rage when he wasn’t calmly charming millions of children on Mr. Rogers’…
Destination Wedding Is a Misanthropic Shell of a Rom-Com
Good banter is a rom-com’s secret sauce. Whether it’s the dueling politics of Kathleen and Frank in You’ve Got Mail,…
The Happytime Murders Puppets Can Suck It
The Happytime Murders wants to shock us with its Muppet-style puppets who curse, patronize porn shops, snort drugs, and …
To All the Boys I've Loved Before Captures the Thrill and Sting of a Teenage Crush
Lately, critics and the people who make movies have argued that we’re on the verge of a romcom revival, which happens…
Ariana Grande Finally Takes a Risk, on Sweetener
At times, Ariana Grande can seem like a pop star who was created using the results of a focus group. Her career…
Crazy Rich Asians Is Good, Slick Fun
The theater on opening night for Crazy Rich Asians—John Chu’s glittering, tacky, and ultimately satisfying homage to…
The Romantic Loneliness of Mitski's Be the Cowboy
A third of the way into Be the Cowboy, over the upbeat strum of an acoustic guitar, Mitski relays a sober realization…
On Queen, Nicki Minaj Serves Pawns
Four years ago, Nicki Minaj shook the rap world so thoroughly, her haters never got over it. She spoke of her future…
Slender Man Doesn't Have the RangeÂ
When Sony Pictures announced that a movie based on Slender Man—a piece of Internet folklore circulated online around…
Insatiable Is Worse Than Anyone Could've Predicted
Long before Insatiable, Netflix’s latest original teen dark comedy, premiered on August 10, it was met with premature…
Open Up and Say 'Naw': The Meg
Narcissism is delicious—so suggests Jon Turteltaub’s giant-shark flick The Meg. How else to make sense of the strange…
Orange Is the New Black's Season 6 Is Unpleasantly Familiar
From the first season on, Orange Is the New Black relished in turning viewer expectations on their heads. What started…
Unfortunately, Mission: Impossible – Fallout Is the Best Movie of the Summer
It is with a heavy heart that I share the following news: Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth entry in the …
Nashville Is Dead for Good Now
Nashville, a show beloved by many for about four years (until its cancellation in 2016 on ABC and subsequent revival on…
Oh How We Wish We Could Turn Back Time and Remake Mamma Mia! 2
Did we really need a sequel to 2008’s Mamma Mia!, the frothy movie based on an even frothier musical, which itself was…
UnREAL's Exhausting Final Season Suspends Reality in Favor of Horror
For three years, UnREAL—the Lifetime drama that sought to illustrate how the Bachelor franchise sausage is made through…
