The Rise of CliffsNotes Cinema
Oversimplified literary remakes miss the point of the works they are adapting.
Culture
Why Justin Bieber Played YouTube Onstage for Thousands of People
The pop star transformed the normal act of browsing your laptop into something interesting—and unsettling.
The New Age of Performance Anxiety
With the rise of screen culture, all the world has stage fright.
Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?
Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.
How a Playwright Became One of the Most Incisive Social Critics of Our Time
The subversive vision of Michael R. Jackson
Toby Keith Had More to Talk About Than His Politics
The late singer became a household name by leaning into partisan controversy, obscuring his often-artful songwriting.
Six Books About Winter as It Once Was
These titles remind us of the season’s long-established joys and its necessary quiet, even as the climate changes.
What’s a Kids’ Fantasy Show Without Wonder?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ commitment to faithfulness turned out to be a constraint.
A Godzilla Movie That’s Actually Terrifying
Godzilla Minus One is a rare beast: a viscerally arresting monster flick with legitimate emotional stakes.
‘The Magic of Raina Is Real’
How the cartoonist Raina Telgemeier, the author of Smile, Sisters, and Guts, turned the anxious kid into a hero for the 21st century
What Joni Mitchell Proved at the Grammys
In performing an instant-classic awards-show set, she affirmed her timelessness—and her influence on a new generation of artists.
The SNL Cameo That Was a Big Miss
Watching the real Nikki Haley spar with a fake Donald Trump was awkward—and not very funny.
17 Indie Films You Must See in 2024
Time travel, Sasquatches, Kristen Stewart in a mullet—here are our favorite movies from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.