Leisure

Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.



Leisure

Smile is an entertaining horror film that squanders its thematic potential

Perhaps this recent shift in consumer interest helps make sense of the seeming contradiction between Smile’s aggressive promotion and thematic scope. 

Leisure

Black Adam: A boring attempt

2/10. Less than mid.

Leisure

Aftersun is all hazy memories and melancholy

Sunshine, salt air, and sadness color this stunning portrayal of a father-daughter bond.

Leisure

Cleanse your palettes: The Menu is a meal you won’t want to miss

Once you’ve peeled back its layers, The Menu proves to be a clever satire on food culture as well.

Leisure

Good Night Oppy: a story of human love and innovation

Good Night Oppy (2022) looks at the most human thing we’ve sent to Mars: twin rovers named Spirit and Opportunity.

Leisure

The Rubell Museum DC offers an impressive yet incohesive inaugural exhibition

The Rubell Museum DC opened to the public on Oct. 29 with the inaugural exhibitions Sylvia Snowden and What’s Going On. 

Leisure

Growing up, not growing old: Phoenix shimmers on Alpha Zulu

Ultimately, the band maintains their expressive, ambiguous lyricism but showcases it against a glitzier background.

Leisure

Cavetown’s worm food is for deteriorating and decomposing—in a (mostly) good way

In general, Cavetown’s music has an almost otherworldly quality, like a reality slightly suspended from this one, and his latest album worm food is no different.

Leisure

Get out your wallet, it’s time for Nomadic Theatre’s RENT!

The diverse cast invites even the most off-the-beaten-path audience member to sit down at the RENT table and feel at home. 

Leisure

With a stellar cast and hilarious post-apocalyptic antics, Dog Act is a triumph

Running in the Davis Performing Arts Center’s Devine Theatre from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12, this play is a must-see on-campus student theater event this fall.

Leisure

My Policeman is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful portrait of forbidden love and its consequences

My Policeman ensures that despite their relationship’s foretold end, viewers will experience the heartbreak alongside the characters as they attempt to navigate the ramifications of the 1950s’ restrictive social culture.

Leisure

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season dives headfirst into who we are and where we come from

Despite his rising popularity, Kahan’s latest album is undeniably authentic in its depiction of coming of age in small-town New England.

Leisure

Inside the maniacal menagerie that is Alaska Thunderfuck 5000’s Red 4 Filth Tour

As the lights went out and the onstage screen lit up, it became clear that this was more than just an exhibition of music—it was an immersive drag experience.

Leisure

Ticket to Paradise is the ultimate feel-good getaway

If watching George Clooney and Julia Roberts play beer pong was not on your 2022 bingo card, you are not alone.

Leisure

The 1975 revisits their roots in Being Funny in a Foreign Language

The band has figured out how to cut to the point without getting lost in the details.

Leisure

On Midnights, all of Taylor Swift’s late-night thoughts come alive

But on the darkly mysterious Midnights, Swift uses the vulnerability of the late night to reflect on these raw emotions.

Leisure

Mask and Bauble’s Love’s Labour’s Lost puts a joyful spin on one of Shakespeare’s more obscure comedies

Mask and Bauble’s take on Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost is a commentary on the dynamics of love and gender.

Leisure

Concert Preview: Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Oct. 29, The Howard Theatre

Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 of Drag Race royalty will be bringing the North American tour of her latest album Red 4 Filth (2022) to The Howard Theatre. 

Leisure

Demi Lovato’s return to the stage will leave you saying “Holy Fvck”

Lovato’s Holy Fvck tour is one of healing, catharsis, and rebirth, all delivered through her natural stage presence and breathtaking vocals. 

Leisure

Triangle of Sadness is a parable about beauty and excess

But the film truly shines when dissecting the economic value of beauty as it exists today with Instagram influencers and their ilk.