“The 52-hertz Whale,” which sings a song at a frequency no other whale uses, is a social media phenomenon. But this film shows that the phenomenon says more about us than whales.
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Posted inFilm
The Velvet Underground Brings the New York of the ’60s Back to Life
With dense split-screen use of period artifacts and a killer Velvets soundtrack, Todd Haynes’s documentary is a loving tribute to his favorite band.
Posted inFilm
New Anthony Fauci Documentary Shows Why His Hero Image Is Flawed
Fauci is not quite a hagiography of “America’s doctor,” but it comes close. It ignores or twists the flaws in his responses to both AIDS and COVID-19.
Posted inFilm
Film Reels Dredged from the Sea Become an Eerie Meditation on Mortality
Bill Morrison’s new documentary The Village Detective: A Song Cycle is an eerie meditation on mortality made from forgotten parts of cinema history.
Posted inFilm
How Do the Right Thing Recreated Greek Tragedy in Bed-Stuy
Spike Lee’s landmark film is often remembered for its still-relevant social commentary, but its formal brilliance should not go overlooked.
Posted inFilm
Fall in Love with a Puppet Baby in the Arthouse Musical Annette
The newest feature from Leos Carax, a tempestuous romance between Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, is gleefully strange and metafictional.
Posted inFilm
Inside The Viewing Booth, an Israel Supporter Reacts to Videos of the Occupation
Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’s documentary studies in real time how people rationalize and interpret the media they encounter.
Posted inFilm
How the Myth of Barack Obama Overtook the Man (and the Politician)
A new HBO film introduces a level of nuance to its depiction of the president that’s been sorely lacking in most portrayals.
Posted inFilm
Looking Back at the Misbegotten Woodstock ’99 Music Festival
The HBO documentary Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage views the event not just as one fiasco, but as an allegory for the Y2K era.
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How Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Handles the Pressure of Competition
Garrett Bradley’s Netflix docuseries explores the tennis star as a vessel for other people’s love and aspirations.
Posted inFilm
Experimental Animation Gems by Suzan Pitt, Walerian Borowczyk, and More
Here are some cartoons outside the mainstream, from a mischievously psychosexual short to an allegory for post-WWII Europe.
Posted inFilm
The Story of La Veneno, Spain’s Badass Trans Superstar
The HBO Max series Veneno embraces all of the media personality’s colorful life, including the messier parts.