In a city filled with self-absorbed, isolated, and irritating people, it seems reasonable that New Yorkers rarely interact with their neighbours. Yet Hulu’s newest show Only Murders in the Building proves that boredom is a strong motivator for some to investigate the most despised person in their apartment complex. Created[Read More…]
Film and TV
‘Kim’s Convenience:’ The impossibility of cancelling a classic
On March 31, 2020, CBC announced that Kim’s Convenience—their fan-favourite sitcom—had been renewed for two more seasons. Less than one year later, on March 8, 2021, fans around the world were shocked when the network announced that the fifth season of Kim’s Convenience would be its last. The confusion set in immediately,[Read More…]
‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is mind-numbingly entertaining
While I am far from ashamed of my love of cult classic movies, I have never dabbled in anything remotely related to the Godzilla or King Kong franchises. Last week, however, I dived headfirst into Legendary Studios’ MonsterVerse with Godzilla vs Kong, released in theatres and HBO Max on March[Read More…]
‘CARNE y ARENA’ fuses uncanny simulation and intimate portraiture
Content warning: Graphic violence. Dubbed a semi-fictionalized ethnography by director Alejandro Iñárritu, CARNE y ARENA, or Flesh and Sand, is a VR exhibition that immerses participants into the lives of undocumented immigrants in the United States. For 15 harrowing minutes, CARNE y ARENA takes participants across the U.S.-Mexico border, hounded by[Read More…]
Why we are obsessed with obsession
Hannibal Lecter has been a fixture in contemporary horror since his introduction in Thomas Harris’ seminal 1981 novel Red Dragon. Even though Harris, at the time, may not have understood why readers wanted more of his character, media featuring or referencing the character has been around for 40 years. CBS’s[Read More…]
Political panel shows place substance over sensationalism
Political newscasts are often reduced to a ratings game in which clicks and views spur profits. Recent popular programs consist mainly of sensationalist clips that further their political agendas. Whether it be alternative sources like PragerU or The Majority Report that “stick it to the libs,” or mainstream outlets like[Read More…]
‘Minari’ waters down the Korean immigrant experience for the white gaze
As a Korean Canadian who immigrated to Canada at age 12, I had high hopes for Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari (2020), touted as a moving immigrant drama that tells the story of growing up Korean in 1980s Arkansas. Since its award-winning world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Minari has drawn immense[Read More…]
In ‘Nomadland,’ there is no such thing as goodbye
It is no secret that the distinct American brand of late-stage capitalism is pushing its working class into even deeper levels of poverty. The exorbitantly high cost of health care and housing, tied with low-yield retirement benefits and a weakened welfare state, has forced many elderly Americans to adopt a[Read More…]
‘It’s A Sin’ breaks your heart—and it should
Gutsier than The Inheritance, gentler than Angels in America, younger than The Normal Heart, crueler than Falsettos, yet more hopeful than 1985: It’s A Sin is a revolutionary depiction of the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. The historical mini-series created by Russel T. Davies (Doctor Who, Queer As Folk) centres on a[Read More…]
2021 Golden Globes were more controversial than glamorous
After Hollywood decided to push back the 2021 awards season to accommodate delayed releases due to COVID-19, it finally began last week with the broadcast of the 78th Golden Globe Awards. The Globes, long associated with bizarre nominations and even more bizarre winners, did their best to recreate the same[Read More…]
