The past is present
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is a story of a world in transition. The film laments the death of norms and rules, with lessons for the contemporary United States. ** This essay contains spoilers about The Odyssey. **
Ryan Coogler's Sinners forces audiences to confront much larger themes in Black American history such as debates over conflicting visions of liberation and various interpretations of Black American religious experience.
Mike White’s White Lotus remains bona fide Watercooler TV, but the satire it has become known for falls flatter than ever in an uneven Season 3 that threatens to promote what it intends to criticize.
The new biopic of Bob Dylan fails to elevate itself above the limits of its genre, primarily by leaving a complex political and historical figure all too well known.
Chapter 1 of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga was a box office failure, but the cowboy masculinity it portrays helps to explain Trump’s victory.
Barbie has been breaking barriers for over 60 years—but can she be characterized as a feminist?
Gaslit is at its best when it ruminates on presidential power, showing viewers how loyalty can lead to criminality. The show's individual stories are fascinating, but they often obscure Nixon's guilt, along with the social movements of the period.
An exploration of Hollywood's eclectic Christmas film history, surveying developments from the 1990s through today.
An exploration of Hollywood Christmas film history, including children's, horror, and action movies from the 1960s to the 1980s.
An exploration of Hollywood's eclectic history of Christmas films, starting with postwar Dickensian adaptations and Cold War romances.
Clio and the Contemporary 