Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film and culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Barry Hertz and Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss two new films: ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ and ‘Wicker,’ plus the return of the controversial TV character Apu to The Simpsons.

With the release of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s ‘You Can See Everything,’ spoiler anxiety might be at an all-time high. And it’s not just about protecting big twists, some fans don’t want to know ANYTHING about the latest shows and films. So how does the anxiety of “ruining” a story affect the way we engage with film and tv? Critics Adam Nayman and Kathryn VanArendonk join Commotion guest...

Ethan Hawke is back as the wily gumshoe for season 2 of the neo-noir, mystery comedy The Lowdown. Film and tv critic Rachel Ho and musician Marek Tyler chat with Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the show and why they feel the critically-acclaimed series remains a somewhat hidden gem. Plus, culture writer Samuel Eli Shepherd talks about how Josh Silver’s satirical thriller ‘Fruit Fly...

Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Shamira Ibrahim and Rania El Mugammar to discuss the new Mahershala Ali-led film ‘Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother’ and the conversations it has sparked about Black single-fatherhood, religion and violence. Plus, the Irish novelist Sally Rooney became famous for writing about millennial relationships. But even before she b...

During the press tour for 'The Social Reckoning,' Jeremy Strong has faced questions about whether he went too far to get the role of Mark Zuckerberg right. The infamous technique of method acting also made headlines this year after Anya Taylor-Joy and Kristen Stewart both denounced it for its machismo. Film critic Roe McDermott and theatre professor Ian Maxwell join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai...

Music journalist Maura Johnston and Oasis super-fan Alex Spears talk about Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, the new documentary chronicling the Britpop legends’ 2025 world tour, and why it strikes a deeper emotional chord than most rock and roll documentaries.

Comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim have teamed up for a documentary about Theranos founder and notorious fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Today on Commotion, film critic Adam Nayman, journalist Alyssa Bereznak, and filmmaker Chandler Levack try to pull back the curtain on ‘You Can See Everything.’ 

Comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim have teamed up for a documentary about Theranos founder and notorious fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Today on Commotion, film critic Adam Nayman, journalist Alyssa Bereznak, and filmmaker Chandler Levack try to pull back the curtain on ‘You Can See Everything.’ 

One of the fundamental tenets of independence movements is that you need a distinct culture if you’re going to have a nation. So what makes Alberta culture distinct – and how are people in both camps using culture to persuade Albertans to vote to leave, or stay in Canada? Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by strategist Zain Velji and singer songwriter Mariel Buckley to discuss. 

With the release of the new HBO docuseries ‘Jay-Z in 8,’ Elamin is joined by culture critics Jay Smooth and Shamira Ibrahim to discuss the deep dive into the lyrics and director Rick Rubin’s approach to unpacking Jay-Z’s musical legacy. Plus, from 'Night of the Living Dead' to 'Resident Evil,' zombies have endured in the public imagination for decades. But what if we’ve been getting the undead all...

Aaron Sorkin is back with another film about Facebook. While he says The Social Reckoning isn’t a sequel to the 2010 hit film The Social Network, it’s hard not to compare the two movies and look at how they reflect our changing relationship with Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. Critics Fran Hoepfner Radheyan Simonpillai, and public policy expert Vass Bednar chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the new mov...

Music journalists Liisa Ladoucuer and Emilie Hanskamp and CBC art critic Charlene K. Lau discuss the new Art Gallery of Ontario exhibit showcasing the ‘90s-era photos of Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, and how it captures the final days of a pre-digital culture that no longer exists. 

Music journalist Annie Zaleski, pop critic Sandra Mills, and film critic Kaiya Shunyata join the Group Chat to dig into Netflix’s Newfoundland-set thriller ‘Below’ and Prime Video’s new adaptation of the Stephen King classic ‘Carrie.’ Also, they remember the late Canadian singer and songwriter, Sass Jordan and the blueprint she set for women in rock music.

This week, Canadian writer Anne Carson was announced as the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her masterpiece, Autobiography of Red, changed literature. Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney talks about how encountering Carson's work opened new doors for him.

The Irish actor and creator Sharon Horgan has seen us through several stages of life with hit comedy-dramas like Pulling, Catastrophe, Motherland and Bad Sisters. Now in her 50s, Horgan is back with a new show called Youth. Culture critics Aoiffe Barry and Kathryn VanArendonk join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Horgan’s trademark mix of sharp humour and genuine pathos – and why she’s such...

With Netflix’s debuting its revival of the popular series ‘A Different World’ - Elamin is joined by culture critic Kathleen Newman-Bremang and film/tv critic Sarah-Tai black to discuss the show’s new characters, direction and ongoing legacy.  Plus, Marc Masters, host of ‘The Music Book Podcast,' discusses ‘The Last Temptation of Beck: The Untold Story of a Pop Messiah,’ a new unauthorized bio...

U.S. tariffs have thrown the Canadian art market into chaos. Guest host Rad Simponpillai speaks with Globe and Mail reporter Josh O’Kane, and Quebec artist Jennifer Lefort about how Canadian artists, dealers and gallerists are being affected, and getting creative to deal with this new reality. Plus, book blogger Dani Roulette talks about how author Eden Robinson draws from her own Haisla and...

With season one of HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ wrapping up, culture critics David Dennis Jr. and Hanna Flint review the series, and talk with guest host Rad Simonpillai about how it measures up against other releases from James Gunn’s DC Universe.  Plus, CBC Books’ Talia Kliot talks about the five books on the Giller shortlist, and the changes to the Giller Prize jury this year.

Film critics Adam Nayman, Hanna Flint, and Kaiya Shunyata join guest host Rad Simonpillai to discuss the new Tom Cruise political satire ‘Digger,’ the erotic thriller ‘Verity’ starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, and Netflix’s new miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden.’

The new animated film Forgotten Island follows a pair of best friends who, right as they’re about to begin the next chapter of their lives post-high school, find themselves pulled into a mythical world full of monsters. Set in the Philippines in the ’90s and 2000s, the film puts Filipino culture and folklore front and centre. Filmmaker and musician Romeo Candido and film critic Kristy Puchko join...

We're seeing new public works from Indigenous artists pop up all over Canada. They're big, outdoor installations from artists like Cheyenne Rain LeGrande, Brain Jungen and Kent Monkman. Celina Yellowbird and Reneltta Arluk join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about these works, and how public art can help further reconciliation.

Media giant Black Entertainment Television has deleted all of its digital articles from its website as part of its move to prioritize video content. Journalist Dalton Higgins and hip-hop broadcaster Jay Smooth join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to react to the news and its larger ramifications for the preservation of Black pop culture.  Plus, film critic David Ehrlich talks with guest host Radheyan Sim...

The new Netflix reality series 'Wonka's Golden Ticket' is based on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory universe and features an A.I. recreation of the voice of the late Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the original 1971 film version. TV critics Alison Herman and culture writer Anne T. Donahue join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss why the series may be a new low for reality competition s...

Elamin is joined by film and TV critics Jackson Weaver, Sarah-Tai Black and Roxana Hadadi to discuss the growing buzz and critical acclaim surrounding the feature film and directorial debuts from Lance Oppenheim (Primetime) and John Wilson (The History of Concrete).

The Tamil Canadian actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's career has been on a roll since her breakout performance in Never Have I Ever. Now she’s starring in the new Netflix movie Best of the Best. And while many critics like the movie, some Sri Lankans are mobilizing to review bomb it – and everything else she’s been involved with. Nedra Rodrigo, founder of the Tamil Studies Symposium at York University...