The Avatar Sequel’s Worst Character Actually Does the Film a Service
A (partial) defense of the most ridiculous addition to the franchise
Film
The Dizzying Debauchery of Babylon
Damien Chazelle’s new film is an extravaganza of caustic misery and overflowing movie magic.
‘No One Wants to Talk About Mortality’
The British director Joanna Hogg on death, mothers, and the allure of memoir movies
Steven Spielberg’s Movie Magic Has a Dark Side
And no one knows it better than he does.
Avatar: The Way of Water Puts Most Modern Blockbusters to Shame
James Cameron’s sequel to his 2009 epic is proof that cinematic wonder still exists.
You Can’t Really Make a Feel-Good Body-Horror Movie
The Whale aims for noble sentimentality, but Darren Aronofsky can’t stop turning pain into spectacle.
Will Smith Isn’t the Main Reason to Avoid Emancipation
The film is part slavery-era drama, part survival thriller, part war epic—and all confused.
‘That’s Just Like White Noise.’
Any writer with an interest in probing “American magic and dread”—to borrow a phrase from the novel—is probably in conversation with Don DeLillo, whether or not she knows it.
The 10 Best Films of 2022
An unforgettable year of cinema by newcomers and old masters alike
The Truth in a Violent Santa
As if on cue, 2022 has reached into its bag and delivered a jolly old elf who slays.