When a Troubling Book Gets a Hollywood Makeover
A slick movie adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing doesn’t just sanitize the story; it obfuscates the questionable morality at the novel’s center.
Film
Netflix’s Persuasion Tries to Have It All
The Jane Austen adaptation aims to be subversive when it could have just been sincere.
‘Netflix Thinks Exactly Like an Old Movie Studio’
In a year of falling subscriber numbers and shaky stock prices, the streaming service is doubling down on expensive, risky blockbusters.
Where the Crawdads Sing Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder
A televised 1990s killing in Zambia has striking similarities to Delia Owens’s best-selling book turned movie.
The Minions Are Good. I’m Serious.
In defense of the babbling little cartoon blobs
Maybe Ridding the World of Superheroes Isn’t Such a Bad Idea
Though Thor’s muscles are resplendent in Marvel’s latest film, his heart isn’t in it.
The Older Woman Comes of Age
In a new comedy, Emma Thompson plays a woman who finally sees her body, the actor says, “as her home.” Her victory, in a post-Roe world, takes on the dimensions of tragedy.
Marcel the Shell Is the Hero the World Needs
The fragile little adventurer can teach us something powerful about navigating obstacles with grace.
Elvis Is Utterly Disorienting. That’s the Point.
Baz Luhrmann’s chaotic, maximalist approach works for one reason: The story of Elvis Presley should be a mess.
J. Lo’s Tragic Fame Cycle
Halftime, the Netflix documentary about the performer, posits that rebirth is essential for the modern celebrity—but it takes a hidden toll.