The Fairy Tale We’ve Been Retelling for 125 Years
Every generation has an Oz story, but one retelling best captures what makes L. Frank Baum’s world sing.
Film
Gladiator II Is More Than Just a Spectacle
Ridley Scott’s ancient-Roman epic manages to find some beauty amid the savagery.
The Thin Line Between Biopic and Propaganda
The success of Reagan reflects the market demands of a more fragmented moviegoing public—and reality.
A Film Impossible to Have Mild Feelings About
Emilia Pérez is messy, excessive, and manipulative—and spectacular because of it.
When the Pope Dies, the Cardinals Get Catty
In Conclave, Vatican City isn’t immune to election-season absurdity.
The Filmmaker Who Wants to Wake Us From the American Dream
Sean Baker, the director of Anora, has become independent cinema’s best hustler.
The Trap of Making a Trump Biopic
The Apprentice aims to avoid politics—and ends up being a shallow, murky portrait.
More Evidence That Celebrities Just Don’t Like You
The Joker sequel has nothing interesting to say about the challenges of fame.
Game Change Knew Exactly What Was Coming
The movie seems much more complicated now than it did in 2012.
The Megalopolis That Francis Ford Coppola Wanted to Make
The director’s fantasy of film’s technological potential is still far from a reality.