This year, high-profile failures abounded. Take, for example, Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis,” which cost a hundred and forty... more

The American musical is in a state of flux. Today’s Broadway offerings are mostly jukebox musicals and blatant I.P. grabs;... more

Artists owe a great debt to ancient Rome. Over the years, it’s provided a backdrop for countless films and novels,... more

In her new FX docuseries “Social Studies,” the artist and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield delves into the post-pandemic lives—and phones—of a... more

One of the most fundamental features of art is its ability to meet us during times of distress. In the... more

Since the comedian Julio Torres came to America from El Salvador, more than a decade ago, his fantastical style has... more

The art of advice-giving, championed over the years by such figures as Ann Landers and Cheryl Strayed, has lately undergone... more

“The Apprentice,” a new film directed by Ali Abbasi, depicts the rise of a young Donald Trump under the wing... more

In “The Substance,” a darkly satirical horror movie directed by Coralie Fargeat, Demi Moore plays an aging Hollywood actress who... more

From classic eighties films like “Wall Street” to Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel “American Psycho,” the world of finance has... more

Almost immediately after the publication of Sally Rooney’s “Normal People,” in 2018, Rooney-mania hit a fever pitch. Her work struck... more

The writer Carl Sandburg, in his 1926 biography of Abraham Lincoln, made a provocative claim—that the President’s relationship with the... more

This summer, scrutiny of the figure of the “trad wife” hit a fever pitch. These influencers’ accounts feature kempt, feminine... more

Until recently, tarot, astrology, and spiritualism—practices often shorthanded simply as woo-woo—were the stuff of dusty psychic parlors and seventies nostalgia.... more

Cities have always been romanticized, but few of them have embraced—or actively engineered—their reputations as thoroughly as Las Vegas. On... more

“ ‘BRAT’ summer”—so named for the Charli XCX album that’s become the soundtrack of Kamala Harris’s Presidential run—has given pop... more

In her 1955 novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Patricia Highsmith introduced readers to the figure of Tom Ripley, an antihero... more

The announcement of Kamala Harris’s Presidential run has set off one of the most pronounced vibe shifts in recent memory.... more

Critics at Large is off this week. In the meantime, enjoy a recent episode from Vanity Fair’s “Dynasty,” hosted by... more

In an essay published earlier this month, Andrea Skinner, the daughter of the lauded writer Alice Munro, detailed the sexual... more

In 1954, a young David Attenborough made his début as the star of a new nature show called “Zoo Quest.”... more

Reality television has generally got a bad rap, but Emily Nussbaum—who received a Pulitzer Prize, in 2016, for her work... more

There’s arguably no better time for falling down a cultural rabbit hole than the languid, transitory summer months. On this... more

In recent years, as our culture has embraced therapy more widely, depictions of the practice have proliferated on screen. On... more

It’s a confusing time to travel. Tourism is projected to hit record-breaking levels this year, and its toll on the... more

“Hit Man,” a new film directed by Richard Linklater, is not, in fact, about a hit man. The movie follows... more

In recent years, in the realms of self-improvement literature, Instagram influencers, and wellness gurus, an idea has taken hold: that... more

From John Cheever’s 1964 short story “The Swimmer” to Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling 2006 memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love,” our culture has... more

The rap superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been on a collision course for a decade, trading periodic diss tracks... more

Over the past several years, true crime’s hold on the culture has tightened into a vice grip, with new titles... more

From “Raging Bull” to “A League of Their Own,” films about athletes have commanded the attention of even the most... more

“Civil War,” Alex Garland’s divisive new action flick, borrows iconography—and actual footage—from the America of today as set dressing for... more

Since the turn of the millennium, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has slyly satirized the ins and outs of social interaction.... more

In her 1955 novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Patricia Highsmith introduced readers to the figure of Tom Ripley, an antihero... more

News of Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis arrived after months of speculation regarding the royal’s whereabouts. Had the Princess of Wales,... more

Science fiction has historically been considered a niche genre, one in which far-flung scenarios play out on distant planets. Today,... more

For centuries, the bildungsroman, or novel of education, has offered a window into a formative period of life—and, by extension,... more

The office has long been a fixture in pop culture—but, in 2024, amid the rise of remote work and the... more

The campaign for an Oscar is just that: a campaign. In the weeks and months leading up to the ninety-sixth... more

At this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, Usher Raymond sang through decades of hits while twirling on roller skates, making... more