Marc Maron’s End-of-the-World Anxiety
In his new Netflix special, End Times Fun, the comedian turns his attention to angst during ongoing crisis, with uncanny timeliness.
The Strange Weight of Tom Hanks’s Coronavirus Diagnosis
The actor’s announcement that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive brought the reality of the outbreak home for many Americans.
How Hillary Clinton Became a Postmodern Menace
The former presidential candidate is in the news again. Why do some find that so troubling?
An Epic Novel Haunted by the Ghosts of Colonialism
In Maisy Card’s vivid debut, These Ghosts Are Family, spirits expose long-held secrets within fractured families and nations alike.
Why TV Is So Worried About Free Will
Alex Garland’s new show Devs and Season 3 of Westworld find dystopia in determinism.
The Film That You Might Not Hear About but Have to See
First Cow, a quiet story of friendship on the American frontier, is one of the best movies of the year so far.
The Jazz Great Behind One of the Most Famous Pairings in Music History
The pianist McCoy Tyner, who died last week at 81, played with John Coltrane and developed a simple but revolutionary sound.
The Claustrophobic Menace of Boarding-School Fiction
Two recent novels cannily use all-girls-campus settings to create worlds that feel women-focused but prove to be the reverse.
The Rappers Who Are Breaking Up With Britain
Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye is the latest hip-hop album to address the state of the U.K with deep sorrow and scorching anger.
Fine Motor Skills
Photos from a factory where automation has yet to take hold
Sexism Is Other People
‘Electability.’ ‘Likability.’ ‘Authenticity.’ The 2020 Democratic primary has found many canny ways to make misogyny plausibly deniable.
Ben Affleck Gives the Performance of His Career
In The Way Back, the actor puts aside his movie-star image and taps into a dark time in his life. The result is the best work he’s ever done.
Hulu’s Hillary Is a Warning
The four-part documentary does more than simply retell the story of the former presidential candidate’s life and career.
What Happened When the Sex Pistols Threw a Christmas Party
A new book showcases a collection of photos that captures the band’s last concert in England—they were in their pomp, on their mission, and fully charged.
Lena Waithe and When Black Artists Make Mediocre Art
The writer’s new series, Twenties, makes fun of entertainment that is diverse but middling—a criticism her own work has faced.
The American President, for the Foreseeable Future, Will Be a Man
That’s it. That’s the story.
The James Bond Movie Was Unusually Vulnerable to the Coronavirus
The release of No Time to Die was delayed because of the outbreak—and for reasons that could affect other major 2020 films.
America Punished Elizabeth Warren for Her Competence
The country still doesn’t know what to make of a woman—in politics, and beyond—who refuses to qualify her success.
The Director Whose Movies Make Bong Joon Ho Jealous
The Oscar-winning Parasite filmmaker spoke with his hero Kelly Reichardt over videochat. The result was as delightful and nerdy as you might imagine.
The Teen Dramas That Reject Modernity
More and more TV shows about adolescence are defined by their idealized depictions of the past—even when they exist in the present.