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.
The Brooklyn Sequel Asks the Most American of Questions About Immigration
In his new novel, Colm Tóibín explores the twinned relationship between Ireland and America.
Tennis Explains Everything
The characters of Challengers make sense of everything through the sport they play—and they’re not the only ones.
Hollywood’s Most Pessimistic Blockbuster Franchise
The Planet of the Apes movies keep evolving—for the better.
The New Sound of Sexual Frustration
Billie Eilish’s new album sustains a mood of longing that is very now.
A Powerful Indictment of the Art World
Hari Kunzru’s new novel deflates the idea of an artistic life as a noble pursuit.
American Beauty
Scenes from our national parks
The Key to Understanding HBO’s The Sympathizer
Think of it as a ghost story.
Can a ’90s Cult Classic Save the Comic-Book Movie?
The engrossing darkness of The Crow
The Politician Whom SNL Is Tiring Of
With months to go before the election, the show is running out of things to say about Donald Trump.
The General Intendant’s Daughter
A short story