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.
Ken Will Never Die
On Saturday Night Live, Ryan Gosling confronted his love for the character he made—and who will define him forever.
An Entrancing Fairy Tale About Italian Grave Robbers
Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera deftly balances weariness and wonder.
Six Cult Classics You Have to Read
As word of mouth about a book spreads, it begins to spark with a special kind of electricity.
Larry David Learned Nothing, and Neither Did We
Curb Your Enthusiasm ended in the most fitting way possible: not with a bang, but with a shrug.
The Wasteland Is Waiting for You
Amazon’s Fallout show gets the weirdness of the game just right.
A Rom-Com You Might Have Written
The Idea of You is a modern spin on a Hollywood staple: someone famous falling for someone who’s not.
When You Regret Starting a Rap Beef
J. Cole dared to insult Kendrick Lamar—and, more surprisingly, he immediately apologized for it.
The Alluring Mystique of Candy Darling
The Warhol superstar was inscrutable in life—and years after her death, her work continues to draw in new admirers.
Civil War Was Made in Anger
What would it take for California and Texas to unite against the White House? Nothing good, according to Alex Garland.