The Infinite Possibilities of “Macbeth” The Infinite Possibilities of “Macbeth”
Sparse and beautiful, Joel Coen’s Shakespeare adaptation focuses on why we continue to return to this story of power and downfall.
Feb 22, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
Denis Villeneuve’s Humanistic “Dune” Denis Villeneuve’s Humanistic “Dune”
His adaptation was the first to understand the scale—both intimate and epic—the sci-fi novel required to translate to film.
Nov 27, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
Inside the Hell That Is “The Many Saints of Newark” Inside the Hell That Is “The Many Saints of Newark”
All of the things that worked in The Sopranos make its prequel a remarkable slog of a film.
Nov 18, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
“Gossip Girl” and the Demented Culture of Fame “Gossip Girl” and the Demented Culture of Fame
HBO’s reboot of the teen drama explores how the rich and famous make their lives consumable for the rest of us.
Oct 19, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
“Zola” and the Limits of the Internet Movie “Zola” and the Limits of the Internet Movie
An adaptation of a viral Twitter thread only scratches the surface of how film storytelling might intersect with life online.
Aug 5, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
The Collective Trauma in ‘Mare of Easttown’ The Collective Trauma in ‘Mare of Easttown’
Unlike a standard true crime show, the HBO series focuses less on the mystery at its center and more on the community that must bear its consequences.
Jul 14, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
The Surreal Pleasures of ‘The Masked Singer’ The Surreal Pleasures of ‘The Masked Singer’
By discarding all the tropes of standard reality TV, this singing competition allows viewers to revel in pure weirdness.
Jun 2, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
Luca Guadagnino’s Meditation on Youth Luca Guadagnino’s Meditation on Youth
His HBO series We Are Who We Are looks at teenagehood less as a time in one’s life than as a mindset one inhabits.
Jan 27, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
The Horrors of Charlie Kaufman The Horrors of Charlie Kaufman
His latest existential love story, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, reveals the limits of his work.
Nov 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
The Tangle of Desire and Class in ‘Normal People’ The Tangle of Desire and Class in ‘Normal People’
The television adaptation of the Sally Rooney novel depicts how people can fall in love in a world structured by power.
Jul 28, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz