The Kingdom Is the Strangest Medical Drama You’ll Ever See
Lars von Trier’s hospital horror-comedy, back for a third season, is a scathing satire of institutional failure.
Seven Books That Will Make You Smarter
These titles do more than answer questions: They explain how the world moves and what moves it.
The Generation
A short story
Hernan Diaz on Erasing Subjectivity
“Although the scope of ‘The Generation’ may seem, literally, cosmic, it is in fact intimate and highly personal.”
A #MeToo Movie Devoid of Sensationalism
What She Said understands about investigative journalism
Glass Onion Understands the Absurdity of Extreme Wealth
The sequel to Knives Out is one big, beautiful brainteaser.
The Multiple Stories of NXIVM
The new season of the HBO docuseries The Vow shows how dangerous the human desire for narrative can be.
What You Learn From Eating Alone
A personal pizza may seem sad, but it doesn’t have to be.
The Streaming Death Spiral Must End
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger is back at a time when the company desperately needs a new direction.
How J. Edgar Hoover Went From Hero to Villain
Before his abuses of power were exposed, he was celebrated as a scourge of Nazis, Communists, and subversives.
The Theater World Has Never Understood Lorraine Hansberry
The subversive intent of the playwright’s art and activism has long been underestimated.
Why Maus Was Banned
What makes the book controversial is exactly what makes it valuable.
A New Theory of American Power
The United States can—and must—wield its power for good.
Ode to Not Watching the World Cup
This is an event of such astoundingly obvious wrongness that doing the right thing is easy.
Whose Midlife Crisis Is It, Anyway?
In the new FX/Hulu show Fleishman Is in Trouble, the story of a divorce isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Tár Has an Answer to Art’s Toughest Question
Todd Field’s film spells out why creator and creation usually can’t be separated.
Bruce Springsteen’s Misguided Homage
Only the Strong Survive, his new album of soul covers, isn’t wrong. It’s just pointless.
How Taylor Swift Broke Ticketmaster
Live music is a mess right now.
What Will Writers Do Without Twitter?
If the book industry is a walled garden, the site is a ladder.
An Ode to Pull-Ups
It’s you versus you.