Leisure

Beyond the Lights sits at the intersection of commentary and theatre

It’s five minutes to show time on the opening night of Beyond the Lights, and nobody knows exactly what to expect. The air buzzes, electric with barely contained enthusiasm and... Read more

By Ajani Jones December 4, 2021

Dune, despite countless strengths, might alienate newcomers to the franchise

As I prefer to do with most movies, I went into Dune (2021) with a blank slate. I didn’t know anything about the book or David Lynch’s 1984 attempt. In... Read more

By Hailey Wharram December 3, 2021

Revamped, rerecorded, and repackaged: Red (Taylor’s version) revisits a timeless classic

A 30 song, two-hour-plus version of Red. In the words of Taylor Swift, “I never saw [it] coming, and I will never be the same.” Red (Taylor’s Version) takes listeners... Read more

By Maanasi Chintamani and Francesca Theofilou November 29, 2021

Spencer can be one-note, but is claustrophobically effective

Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales (Kristen Stewart), is facing away from the camera, alone. Her back is arched gracefully, not a hair on her head is out of place, and... Read more

By Owen Posnett November 29, 2021

PinkPantheress’s to hell with it goes back to the future

Something about PinkPantheress seems familiar. Pulling extensively from 2000s beats, the TikTok-famous hitmaker crafts songs that are often an ode to the distinct sounds of her childhood. Incorporating the dazzling... Read more

By Isabel Shepherd November 28, 2021

Performance

Cabaret blurs the line between reality and performance

nomadictheatre and the Theater and Performance Studies (TPST) program have made their co-produced return to the stage with a Broadway classic, spectacular ambience, and a whole lot of glitter. Audiences... Read more

By Caroline Samoluk November 19, 2021

Performance

Exhausting and evocative, Machinal is a massive triumph for Mask and Bauble

Machinal’s set could hardly be any more simplistic. The floor and the walls are covered in basic black and white geometric shapes, vaguely reminiscent of the lighted windows of a... Read more

By Anna Savo-Matthews November 8, 2021

NSO at the Anthem revitalizes classical music through a modern appeal

The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) kicked off its third concert series by making its triumphant return to the Anthem on October 24. Instead of playing at the Kennedy Center, the... Read more

By Romita Chattaraj October 29, 2021

Halloween Kills is Bloody, Angry, and to the Point

Content warning: violence In a sea of lifeless reboots, Halloween (2018), directed by David Gordon Green, set itself apart by being a surprisingly tasteful revival of the 1978 Carpenter classic.... Read more

By Will Kennedy October 27, 2021

Preview: DCEFF’s 30th anniversary promises a reflective space for discussion on film and the environment

This coming spring, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) will celebrate its 30th anniversary. As the festival commemorates three decades of history, organizers have highlighted the ways... Read more

By Olivia Martin October 23, 2021

Get lost in the psychedelic garden of Lorde’s Solar Power

Solar Power (2021) is an album best listened to on long walks. You may have heard negative reviews of Lorde’s much-anticipated third studio album that brings an end to a... Read more

By Sarah Watson October 22, 2021

Julia Ducournau’s bold body horror Titane crosses the finish line with the strength of its performances

Content warning: gore, body horror There are two sides to Titane, Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning body horror film. One is a family drama about assimilation, about the struggles to fit... Read more

By Owen Posnett October 21, 2021

Kacey Musgraves’s star-crossed is a tangle

The sweet, light fluidity of Kacey Musgraves’s croon has emerged to tell the tumultuous narrative of the years since her Grammy-winning Golden Hour (2018). star-crossed (2021) is a cohesive work,... Read more

By Emma Chuck October 19, 2021

Performance

Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski highlights the role of theatre in social change

With just one actor (David Strathairn) and stark scenery, Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski harnesses the power of storytelling to convey a message that transcends time and the... Read more

By Abby Smith October 18, 2021

The Eyes of Tammy Faye engages with reality, but not cruelty

Content warning: sexual assault There is a lot to unpack about the life of much-lampooned televangelist Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker). There’s the Christian worship broadcasting empire both built and... Read more

By Lily Kissinger October 9, 2021

Maisie Peters shows the duality of young adulthood on You Signed Up For This

After making a name for herself with her singles such as 2017’s “Places We Were Made,” a lyrical love letter to her hometown, and 2018’s wildly popular “Worst of You,”... Read more

By Hailey Wharram October 8, 2021

Lil Nas X produced the goldilocks of pop albums with MONTERO

Pop songs often follow a carefully calculated formula for success: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Writing a single that will top charts, or go viral, is a science that... Read more

By Francesca Theofilou October 6, 2021

Venom: Let There Be Couples’ Counseling

Have you ever wondered what an abusive relationship with a pile of alien goop would look like? Would you like to see said abusive couple make pancakes to Ella Fitzgerald... Read more

By Pierson Cohen October 4, 2021