Critics at Large

The comedy institution has come a long way from its ragtag, countercultural roots. Fifty years on, is it still essential viewing?

The literary genre has skyrocketed in popularity, with titles dominating best-seller lists and commanding billions of views on TikTok. What’s behind the allure?

The late auteur, perhaps best known for “Twin Peaks,” “Mulholland Drive,” and “Blue Velvet,” left behind a body of work that resists interpretation—even as it demands it.

Series like “Yellowstone” and “Landman” use classic tropes to depict modern-day concerns, while “American Primeval” frankly reassesses the past. What do these shows say about our country’s present, and its future?

RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys” shows us the world from its protagonist’s point of view—a perspective that’s ubiquitous in novels, video games, and personal essays, but remarkably rare in film. Does it work?

Across culture and politics, 2024 was a year of great expectations followed by disastrous misses. What space might these upsets open up in their wake?

Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway hit is the latest iteration of a quintessentially American form. Why has the musical endured—and where might it go next?

Films such as “Gladiator II” underscore our long-standing obsession with the Roman Empire—a fixation that’s evident in both culture and politics. Why are we so desperate to reclaim ancient history?

A new documentary reveals social-media platforms’ iron grip on the lives of teen-agers, one that’s increasingly being linked to a slew of mental-health issues. How scared should we be?

In the days since Donald Trump’s reëlection, art has offered a distraction for those reeling from the news. But what does it mean to turn away when circumstances demand our attention?

In projects like “Problemista” and HBO’s “Fantasmas,” the multihyphenate uses uncanny flourishes to make sense of our most convoluted bureaucratic systems.

In the era of influencer experts and “Am I the Asshole,” advice-giving has become an integral part of our information landscape. The hosts of Critics at Large take stock of the phenomenon—and enter the fray.

“The Apprentice” looks at the early career of the former President. Why are we so enamored with such origin stories, and what—if anything—do they have to teach us?

In the age of Botox and Ozempic, we have countless ways to tweak, boost, and polish our unwieldy physical forms. Two new films ask: at what cost?

Depictions of high finance have oscillated between glamorizing Wall Street types and condemning them. In the latest season of HBO’s “Industry,” is greed good again?

The Irish writer’s fourth novel, “Intermezzo,” embodies her trademark interest in the emotional minutiae of millennial life. Is Rooney’s work a form of realism or an aspirational fantasy?

A new documentary makes the case that the sixteenth President of the United States was a “lover of men.” What difference does it make?