Martin Scorsese’s Warning
The director caught backlash for criticizing the reign of Marvel films—but he’s not wrong about the threat they pose to the future of movies.
Film
Unraveling the Oscars’ Foreign-Language-Film Debate
The newly rebranded Best International Film award calls attention to how unfair the Academy’s rules are for filmmakers outside the U.S. and Europe.
Marriage Story Shows the Painful Asymmetry of a Breakup
In Noah Baumbach’s heartfelt divorce film, a couple’s conflicts stem from their inability to understand each other.
Doctor Sleep: A Horror Sequel That Tries to Do the Impossible
Mike Flanagan’s follow-up to The Shining strives to pay homage to Stanley Kubrick’s classic and remain faithful to Stephen King’s original novel.
Another Charming British Holiday Movie
Last Christmas is filled with the kind of sincerity—mixed with just the right amount of cynicism—that’s been missing from movie screens.
The Call Me by Your Name Dream Continues
The follow-up to a beloved novel of gay romance continues André Aciman’s exploration of desire that tests convention: “It’s not a subject that has ever interested me, ethics,” the author says.
Martin Scorsese’s Epic Funeral for the Gangster Genre
The Irishman ruminates on the stories and characters that have helped define the director’s career.
Motherless Brooklyn Is a Passion Project Without Heart
Edward Norton’s adaptation of the 1999 novel feels like a glassy diorama of a gumshoe thriller.
John Witherspoon, Black Hollywood’s Wisecracking ‘Pops’
The late actor, who died at the age of 77, was best known for his singular ability to convey fatherly frustration with comedic flair.
Why Harriet Is Really a ‘Freedom Movie’
Kasi Lemmons on the mythos of Harriet Tubman and why the director’s new film is like “12 Years a Slave meets Django Unchained meets Wonder Woman”