Arts and Entertainment

A still from “Hard Truths.”

The Uncomfortable Genius of Mike Leigh The Uncomfortable Genius of Mike Leigh

In “Hard Truths,” Leigh reminds us that a family dinner can tell the story of a whole society.

Feb 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / J. Hoberman

“The Pitt” and the Gritty Return of the Hospital Drama

“The Pitt” and the Gritty Return of the Hospital Drama “The Pitt” and the Gritty Return of the Hospital Drama

 In the frenzied medical drama, the limits and problems of the healthcare system serve as the basis for the show’s plot.

Feb 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte

Kendrick Lamar stands amid Black dancers in red, white and blue tracksuits forming an American flag during his halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX.

How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kendrick Lamar’s collective of geniuses made this the Super Bowl we needed.

Feb 10, 2025 / Dave Zirin

Kara Walker, “Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine),” 2024 © Kara Walker.

The Art and Automatons of Kara Walker The Art and Automatons of Kara Walker

Walker’s new installation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art offers us visions from both the past and future.

Feb 10, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Rachel Hunter Himes

Khawla Ibraheem in “A Knock on the Roof.”

A Snapshot of a Mother’s Life in Gaza Under Occupation A Snapshot of a Mother’s Life in Gaza Under Occupation

Khawla Ibraheem’s play A Knock on the Roof examines how the Israeli military terrorizes Palestinians in their most intimate and private spaces: their homes.

Feb 6, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Ahmed Moor

A woman with a ponytail walks through a door.

Trump’s Phony Trade Wars Are Evidence of American Imperial Decline Trump’s Phony Trade Wars Are Evidence of American Imperial Decline

President’s bullying of allies yields symbolic results—but betrays substantive weakness.

Feb 5, 2025 / Jeet Heer

The Elion-Hitchings Building in 2020 before its demolition.

The Dubious Return of the Brutalists The Dubious Return of the Brutalists

Why the stark 20th-century architectural style is back in vogue.

Feb 3, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Brook

US President Donald Trump points to journalist Jim Acosta from CNN during a postelection press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 7, 2018.

CNN Surrenders to Trump CNN Surrenders to Trump

The corporate media’s commitment to fighting autocracy proves fickle.

Jan 24, 2025 / Column / Jeet Heer

David Lynch, 2002.

David Lynch’s Guts David Lynch’s Guts

His visceral films, which reflect the best and worst of American life, affected viewers in realms both conscious and unconscious.

Jan 22, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi

A banned TikTok logo displayed on a smartphone in Suqian, China, on January 15, 2025.

On TikTok, the Supreme Court Did the Right Thing On TikTok, the Supreme Court Did the Right Thing

And while the “I was for it before I was against it” crowd opposing the ban now stretches from Chuck Schumer to Donald Trump, that doesn’t mean they're right.

Jan 20, 2025 / Zephyr Teachout

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