“Hello, you” begins the internal monologues of You protagonist Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), accompanying the moment the stalker-murderer fixates on yet another love interest. On its fourth outing, the show inverts this setup: Having fled the U.S. following season three’s calamitous climax—in which he murdered his wife Love (Victoria Pedretti)[Read More…]
Film and TV
‘The Happiness Theorem’ is a refreshing portrayal of early pandemic life
After debuting at the San Diego Movie awards, The Happiness Theorem opened in theatres across Canada on Feb. 3. This charming independent Italian production tells an uplifting story of perseverance and community in times of crisis. As one of many in a wave of early-COVID period pieces, the film balances[Read More…]
Creed III: This is only Round One
I never really understood why directors were called storytellers until I watched the first Creed film. Somewhere between the gut-wrenching words of Meek Mill, Adonis’s (Michael B. Jordan) fingers tangled in Bianca’s (Tessa Thompson) braids, and the sweat, blood, and tears hitting the floor, I was completely transported. Watching the[Read More…]
‘Infinity Pool’ is a dystopian assemblage of sex, gore, and psychedelics
Spoilers ahead for Infinity Pool. Will elite travellers ever receive justice? Infinity Pool, Brandon Cronenberg’s terrifying satire on the hedonistic exploits of wealthy tourists might have the answer. By commenting on the Western gentrification of developing countries and the class disparities within the justice system, Cronenberg pairs science fiction with[Read More…]
Junk on Earth: A fun premise gone wrong
If you are chronically online, odds are you have seen clips over the past few months of Diane Morgan’s character Philomena Cunk from the Netflix mockumentary Cunk on Earth. The most notable of these soundbites went viral on TikTok and features Morgan’s character asking Oxford art history professor Martin Kemp,[Read More…]
Brian Tyree Henry captures hearts by opening his own
For some, his name may not ring a bell, but his face definitely does—and for others, his name alone garners instant respect. Ranging from Broadway to Emmy-winning TV shows and blockbuster films, Brian Tyree Henry has done it all. Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C., his[Read More…]
‘Women Talking’ is as vibrant as it is harrowing
After premiering at the Telluride Film Festival in the fall of 2022, Women Talking made its way to theatrical audiences on Jan. 13. Adapted from Miriam Toews’s 2018 novel of the same name, the film was co-written and adapted by Toews and Canadian director Sarah Polley. Women Talking follows eight[Read More…]
Diving into the ‘Love Island’ fishbowl
This past summer, I binge-watched season eight of Love Island UK in its entirety—an embarrassing total of more than 50 hours. Each day for eight weeks, I would occupy my well-worn seat on my family’s couch at the given hour and embrace the experience of watching the hot new bombshells[Read More…]
‘Kaleidoscope’ is Netflix’s shiny new toy
Anyone who has ever taken a creative writing class is likely familiar with the lipogram: A piece of writing that entirely omits one or more letters. A poem without es or a vignette with no as, it forces the writer to experiment and to think outside of the box as[Read More…]
1899 is a brilliant mosaic in nine different languages
1899 is a multi-everything show: Multilingual, multicultural, multigenerational, and with multiple plotlines. Even the most intuitive of viewers are guaranteed to be thrown by one of the plot twists—because spoiler alert, there are multiple! The eight-episode Netflix series, released on Nov. 17, follows passengers on a cross-Atlantic naval voyage thrown[Read More…]
