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.
A Movie About Losing—And Reclaiming—Your Edge
Remaking an Akira Kurosawa masterpiece is no small task, but Highest 2 Lowest is a worthy attempt.
These Books Won’t Make You a Better Person
A new generation of disabled writers isn’t interested in inspiring readers.
Why Is Everything Spicy Now?
More Americans are setting their mouth on fire—for extreme sport, and for everyday thrills.
A Famed Director Tried to Build a Fan Base for His Movie. It Was Awkward.
Francis Ford Coppola’s recent road show for Megalopolis is an attempt to dictate its legacy—and a misunderstanding of how fandom works.
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A poem
The Feel-Bad, Feel-Good Movie of the Year
The horror film Weapons grants viewers some relief—but with a catch.
Lights Out, With a Whimper
In the end, And Just Like That couldn’t hide its shame that its characters were aging.
The Self-Importance of Luxury Dining
Eleven Madison Park is serving meat again—a sign of American tastes, and of fine-dining hubris.
Nothing Is Scarier Than an Unmarried Woman
Weapons is about a classroom of missing children—and the young schoolteacher whom all the parents want to blame.
King of the Hill Now Looks Like a Fantasy
The sitcom returns with a vision of suburban America that’s harder to come by.