Arts and Entertainment

A still from the doomed McDonald's AI-generated holiday ad.

The Slop of Things to Come The Slop of Things to Come

This past week boasted many overhyped AI breakthroughs, but the healthiest one was the fierce repudiation of a contemptuous McDonald’s ad.

Dec 12, 2025 / Matt Alston

The Warner Bros. Discovery flag alongside the American one, outside Warsaw’s TVN broadcasting studio

One Buyout After Another One Buyout After Another

The multibillion-dollar takeover bids targeting Warner Bros. Discovery show how Trump’s corrupt model of governance-by-payback could destroy Hollywood.

Dec 10, 2025 / Ben Schwartz

Jafar Panahi at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Jafar Panahi Will Not Be Stopped Jafar Panahi Will Not Be Stopped

Imprisoned and censored by his home country of Iran, the legendary director discusses his furtive filmmaking.

Dec 2, 2025 / Q&A / Nick Hilden

A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering 

A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering  A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering 

Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is at once harrowing and mesmerizing.

Nov 24, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Beatrice Loayza

A still from “After the Hunt.”

The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”

Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.

Nov 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Lovia Gyarkye

An undated photograph of Bush Terminal.

The Transformation of the New York Waterfront The Transformation of the New York Waterfront

From the Navy Yard and Industry City to the recent remaking of Bush Terminal, developers are attempting to remake Brooklyn’s coastline.

Nov 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Karrie Jacobs

Nazi governor of Poland Hans Frank at the Nuremberg Trials, 1946.

Rethinking Nuremberg for the 21st Century Rethinking Nuremberg for the 21st Century

The new film Nuremberg may tell us as much about the present as about the past.

Nov 10, 2025 / Elizabeth Borgwardt

An engraving depicting a sansculottes offering a Phrygian cap to King Louis XVI.

The Invention of the Modern Self The Invention of the Modern Self

How did the idea of the individual come into being?

Nov 10, 2025 / Books & the Arts / David A. Bell

Joachim Trier’s Nostalgic Lens

Joachim Trier’s Nostalgic Lens Joachim Trier’s Nostalgic Lens

In Sentimental Value, the Norwegian filmmaker’s most ambitious work yet, he examines the porous boundary between art and life.

Nov 7, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Alana Pockros

Your Dream House Might Be a Fantasy

Your Dream House Might Be a Fantasy Your Dream House Might Be a Fantasy

AI has has invaded the real estate industry, dissolving the boundaries between image enhancement and false advertising.

Nov 6, 2025 / Kate Wagner

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