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“Civil War” ’s Unsettling Images
“Civil War,” Alex Garland’s divisive new action flick, borrows iconography—and actual footage—from the America of today as set dressing for a hypothetical, fractured future. Though we know that the P…
Published on 1 year, 8 months ago
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the Art of the Finale
Since the turn of the millennium, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has slyly satirized the ins and outs of social interaction. The series—which follows a fictionalized version of its creator and star, La…
Published on 1 year, 8 months ago
Why We Want What Tom Ripley Has
In her 1955 novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Patricia Highsmith introduced readers to the figure of Tom Ripley, an antihero who covets the good life, and achieves it—by stealing it from someone else…
Published on 1 year, 8 months ago
Kate Middleton and the Internet’s Communal Fictions
News of Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis arrived after months of speculation regarding the royal’s whereabouts. Had the Princess of Wales, who had not been seen in public since Christmas Day, abscon…
Published on 1 year, 8 months ago
Is Science Fiction the New Realism?
Science fiction has historically been considered a niche genre, one in which far-flung scenarios play out on distant planets. Today, though, such plots are at the center of our media landscape. On th…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
The New Coming-of-Age Story
For centuries, the bildungsroman, or novel of education, has offered a window into a formative period of life—and, by extension, into the historical moment in which it’s set. Vinson Cunningham sent t…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Why We Love an Office Drama
The office has long been a fixture in pop culture—but, in 2024, amid the rise of remote work and the resurgence of organized labor, the way we relate to our jobs is in flux. The stories we tell about…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
The Politics of the Oscar Race
The campaign for an Oscar is just that: a campaign. In the weeks and months leading up to the ninety-sixth Academy Awards, actors and directors have been hard at work reminding voters and the public …
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
How Usher, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift Build Their Own Legacies
At this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, Usher Raymond sang through decades of hits while twirling on roller skates, making a case for himself as one of the great R. & B. artists of our time. The per…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago
The Painful Pleasure of “Wretched Love”
As much as contemporary audiences relish a happily ever after, some of the greatest romances of all time are ones that have turned out badly. In this episode of Critics at Large, the staff writers Vi…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago