The Rise of CliffsNotes Cinema
Oversimplified literary remakes miss the point of the works they are adapting.
Culture
Why Justin Bieber Played YouTube Onstage for Thousands of People
The pop star transformed the normal act of browsing your laptop into something interesting—and unsettling.
The New Age of Performance Anxiety
With the rise of screen culture, all the world has stage fright.
Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?
Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.
Eight Novels That Truly Capture City Life
Only some of these titles tell happy stories, but they are all reminders of what is possible in metropolises.
The Disorienting Beauty of ‘Africa & Byzantium’
A landmark exhibition offers a new history of art.
Lost Photographs of Black America
A trove of images from the 1960s and ’70s, discovered in a Swedish bank vault, offers new perspectives on the past—and the present.
A Mystery Movie That’s More of a Marketing Plan
Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle borrows from a lot of very recent spy-thriller history.
The Gay Icon Who Wants Conservative Approval
Lil Nas X is a provocateur, a troll, an individualist … but he also really, really wants to be liked.
A Trove of ‘Lost Basquiats’ Led to a Splashy Exhibition. Then the FBI Showed Up.
Why is it so hard to root out fakes and forgeries?
The Sundance Movie That Sent People Running for the Exit
Sasquatch Sunset is the latest in a long line of art-house films that turn viewing into an endurance test.
The Grim Aftermath of the E. Jean Carroll Verdict
Throughout the defamation trial, Donald Trump eroded the distinction between the court and the court of public opinion.
Justin Timberlake’s Air of Desperation
As a musical guest on SNL, the star’s changed status in the pop-cultural universe was hard to ignore.
Mary Weiss, the Flinty Voice of Heartbreak
The late lead singer of the Shangri-Las had an incomparable voice, which recently found a new life on TikTok.