Arts
Film Review: Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs is set in the not-too-distant future Japan. The overpopulation of sickly canines has become virtually unbearable. Rather than seeking a cure for the illnesses, the ghastly mayor banishes all dogs to Trash Island, and that includes his nephew Atari’s pet, Spots (voiced by Liev Schreiber). … read more
Film Review: Lean on Pete
Lean on Pete’s initial imagery, that of a boy and his horse trekking across the desert, plays into the romanticized conception of an America that doesn’t exist now and probably never did. … read more
Film Review: The Rider
Melding fact and fiction, Chloé Zhao’s second feature film, The Rider, remains on the Pine Ridge Reservation to paint an aching portrait of rodeo cowboys among Oglala Lakota Tribe (Sioux) community. … read more
Film Review: Foxtrot
Foxtrot’s three acts are tonally distinct, each bringing their own lurching plot twists, each grim or violent or (bleakly) humorous in their own ways. But the final chapter becomes oppressive in its reality, and however Maoz employs the hypnagogic and the hyperreal, he asks his audience to ponder war and borders. … read more
Film Review: Tomb Raider
While there have already been two mediocre productions developed for the Tomb Raider series starring Angelina Jolie, this reboot, now starring Alicia Vikander, closely follows the revamped video games’ storyline created in 2014. Rather than being objectified with skimpy clothing and cartoonish body characteristics, the new Lara Croft is more about survival and becoming a strong, leading-woman hero. … read more
Content Shifter: 14 Fixes for Friends Fans
But where to go once you’ve binge-watched all 236 Friends episodes? Here are 14(-ish) shows starring The Artists Formerly Known as Monica, Joey, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Rachel outside of Central Perk (sorry, no Gunther) … read more
Film Review: Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg’s latest project, Ready Player One (based on the 2011 novel by Ernest Cline, who also co-wrote the screenplay), is essentially a modern-day tale of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with references to video games, movies and television shows. … read more
Film Review: Loveless
From the director of Gloria and Leviathan comes Loveless, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s bleak depiction, simultaneously brutal and measured, of a failed marriage and fractured family—a lost child and a lost society. … read more
Film Review: A Fantastic Woman
Director Sebastián Lelio crafts an empathetic and surprisingly soft portrait of Marina (Daniela Vega), a trans woman, as she pushes fiercely for a chance to carve out space for herself, a space to mourn. … read more
Content Shifter: 8 Series to Scratch Your Buffy the Vampire...
Even though it premiered 21 years ago this month on The WB—it was The CW of ancient days, kids—the influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV is nearly as inescapable as that of Black Sabbath on stoner metal. … read more