Master of None’s Greatest Strength Is Its Curiosity

The Netflix series starring Aziz Ansari frequently strays from its protagonist to dive into the lives of characters on the margins.

• Lenika Cruz
• May 12, 2017

An Uneven Tribute to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The HBO film, based on the book by Rebecca Skloot and starring Oprah Winfrey, centers on the family of the woman whose cancer cells revolutionized medical science.

• Lenika Cruz
• Apr 24, 2017

In Fargo Season 3, a Family Feud Turns Bloody

Noah Hawley's FX anthology series returns with a new story about two estranged brothers at odds over a precious vintage stamp.

• Lenika Cruz
• Apr 20, 2017

Rick and Morty’s ‘Surprise’ Season-Three Launch

Adult Swim’s cult series debuted a highly anticipated new episode for April Fool’s Day, after months (seemingly) without a release date.

• Lenika Cruz
• Apr 3, 2017

In Get Out, the Eyes Have It

Jordan Peele’s fantastic film relies heavily on the sense of sight to amplify its racial horror.

• Lenika Cruz
• Mar 3, 2017

Rings Would Be Better Off at the Bottom of a Well

This strange sequel comes 15 years after the terrifying American remake of a Japanese horror classic.

• Lenika Cruz
• Feb 3, 2017

Nominated for an Oscar, Barred From America

The Iranian film The Salesman is shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. But because of Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, the movie’s director won’t be attending the ceremony.

• Lenika Cruz
• Feb 1, 2017

There Are No Easy Answers in Beware the Slenderman

The HBO documentary delves into the disturbing 2014 case of two Wisconsin girls who say they stabbed their friend to appease a bogeyman-like figure.

• Lenika Cruz
• Jan 23, 2017

The Otherworldly Genius of The Good Place

After a promising debut last fall, NBC’s quirky, metaphysical comedy enjoyed a terrific first season—only to brilliantly upend its entire premise in the final episode.

• Lenika Cruz
• Jan 20, 2017

There Are No Happy Endings in A Series of Unfortunate Events

The Netflix adaptation of the popular Lemony Snicket children’s book series is a weird, hyper-self-aware, bleak bit of fun.

• Lenika Cruz
• Jan 12, 2017

What Sets the Smart Heroines of Hidden Figures Apart

Movies about brilliant scientific or mathematical minds often focus on their subject’s ego—not so with a new film about three African American women who worked at NASA in the ’60s.

• Lenika Cruz
• Jan 9, 2017

Where Are All the Thanksgiving Pop-Culture Classics?

The American holiday has long been overshadowed by Christmas when it comes to widely beloved films, TV specials, and songs.

• Lenika Cruz
• Nov 24, 2016

Selfishness Is Complicated in You’re the Worst

The FX show’s largely hopeful third season saw all its characters try to become better people—often by ironically putting themselves first.

• Lenika Cruz
• Nov 17, 2016

Channel Zero Unleashes the Horrors of Childhood

The anthology series’ first season, subtitled Candle Cove, terrorizes its adult characters with the very things that scared them as kids.

• Lenika Cruz
• Oct 26, 2016

The Walking Dead Might Be Its Own Villain

The hit AMC show ended its sixth season on a cheap cliffhanger. Its seventh-season premiere messily tried to regain momentum.

• David Sims and Lenika Cruz
• Oct 24, 2016

Fresh Off the Boat and the Elusiveness of Home

The sitcom’s season-three premiere, along with NBC’s The Good Place, shows how geography raises questions of belonging.

• Lenika Cruz
• Oct 12, 2016

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Is All Spectacle and No Heart

Tim Burton’s newest film, adapted from a popular young-adult novel, is a pretty but soulless adventure.

• Lenika Cruz
• Oct 1, 2016

Queen of Katwe Is the Best Kind of Feel-Good Story

A new Disney film starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo follows the rise of Phiona Mutesi, a poor girl from Uganda who becomes a chess prodigy.

• Lenika Cruz
• Sep 27, 2016