Film & TV
Secrets & Lies: The Weight of Empathy
Mike Leigh's acclaimed drama expresses the intensity and catharsis of seeing those around you as full, complete people.
Film & TV
Film & TV
An Ode to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Performance in The Big Lebowski
There are no small parts, only small actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman's six and a half minutes as an exasperated henchman in The Big Lebowski is a case study of the maxim.
Film & TV
Why the Decline of the 20+ Episode Season Hurt us All
Do longer seasons really represent the bottom tier of television, or have we just gotten lazy?
Film & TV
Andor: Luthen's Legendary Monologue
The stirring speech encapsulates the qualities that make Andor stand out from other Star Wars projects, and speaks to the brutal reality that lies behind the myths of rebellion.
Film & TV
In Defense of Asteroid City
The desire for praise and achievement can hinder our creative expression. Asteroid City’s criticism should remind us that art will always be subjective, and sometimes doing “too much” isn't always a bad thing.
Animation
Animators Learned the Wrong Lesson From Into the Spider-Verse
Into the Spider-Verse turned American animation toward stylization, but rather than coming up with their own expressive styles, the film's disciples have simply copied its look.
Film & TV
Le Bonheur and the Fabrications of the Picturesque
Agnès Varda’s Le Bonheur uses radiant visuals to mask a deeper critique of male privilege, emotional labor, and the illusion of happiness. Through François’s idyllic perspective, the film questions who truly benefits from the picturesque.
Film & TV
Freeze Frame Endings: Suspended in Time
Far more than a cheesy trend of the 1980s, ending a film on a freeze frame is a practice with a rich history that can sanctify a film's final emotional beats or throw us into uncertainty.
Film & TV
We Are Turning Everything Into Allegory
It has quietly become assumed that every film and series is there to give us clear commentary about the here and now. But in thinking this way, we shut down the interaction between art and culture and let culture call all the shots.
News
Severance Season 2 and The Pitfalls of Sci-Fi
I find there to be two different sections of the sci-fi genre that I frequently assimilate a piece of film or television into. Sprawling blockbuster ventures & less significantly franchised, and oftentimes suited for a younger audience.
Film & TV
20 Years After Pride and Prejudice
In the 21st century, it’s only natural that we yearn for simpler times. We wish to understand what it was like to live in a world absent of phones and television, when communication isn't a high-speed endeavor and where our socio-economic climate isn't rapidly evolving
Film & TV
Evil Does Not Exist Refuses to Give Easy Answers
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's contemplative tale of mankind's offenses against nature will not let itself be reduced to a simple fable of good and bad.