Criticism Is Dead

This week’s episode is a one-off special, as we are still on our brief break. We discuss two of our (respective) favorite TV shows ever: Mad Men and 30 Rock , both workplace series with complicated protagonists. 02:03 Mad Men , streaming on AMC+ and IMDb TV, is perfect television, from its incredible character work to its brilliant exploration of weighty themes. 24:57 30 Rock , streaming on Peacoc...

We discuss Pachinko and Winning Time , two different approaches to retelling history. 02:32 Pachinko , streaming on Apple TV+, is an eminently watchable drama, but much of its spirit has been lost in the translation from book to screen. 26:00 HBO's Winning Time is a self-assured, stylish delight of a show, if you can make it through the scene-setting first few episodes. 43:05 Plus, culture notes a...

We discuss Atlanta and the Severance season 1 finale, two displays of some of the best television playing right now. 04:03 Atlanta , streaming on FX on Hulu, is an extraordinary, self-assured chameleon of a show, and we’re so glad it’s back for its third season. 20:47 We’re doing something a little different this week and going deep on one single episode: the perfect Severance season 1 finale, str...

We discuss Life & Beth _and Jerrod Carmichael’s _Rothaniel , a series and a comedy special that explore the effects of things kept hidden and left unsaid within families. 02:31 Life & Beth , streaming on Hulu, is uneven and frustrating at times, but there are real flashes of emotion and thoughtfulness at its core. 19:28 Jerrod Carmichael’s comedy special Rothaniel , streaming on HBO Max, i...

We discuss Deep Water _and _Standing Up , two works that both involve finding the humor in less-than-ideal circumstances (whether intentionally or not). 04:21 Deep Water , streaming on Hulu, is not an especially good film, but it is a good time. 23:55 Standing Up , streaming on Netflix, is a highly capable ensemble dramedy that makes fully realized characters out of what could have been basic trop...

We discuss Turning Red  and  The Tourist , a film and a show about whether you can change who others say you are. 03:02 The new Pixar film Turning Red , streaming on Disney+, is a vivid, moving story for both kids and adults coming to terms with their childhood. 25:44 HBO Max series The Tourist starts off strong, but eventually falls into the predictable pitfalls of the amnesia thriller. 37:56 Plu...

We discuss Severance and After Yang , two futuristic works about what it means to be a person. 02:36 The sci-fi workplace psychological thriller Severance , streaming on Apple TV+, is one of the best shows on television right now. 23:33 After Yang , available on Showtime, is a contemplative film that excels at the aesthetic, but its touch is so light that it's rendered more gestural than deeply fe...

We discuss tk 04:15 Love Is Blind: Japan , streaming on Netflix, is a more thoughtful and illuminating window into dating norms and challenges than its U.S. counterpart. 23:51 Drive My Car , available on HBO Max, is a long reflection on grief, love, and art, but it ultimately falls a little flat for us. 40:40 Plus, culture notes about Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson's smolder-heavy press tour. Th...

We discuss The Worst Person in the World and The Afterparty , a film and a series about looking back and moving forward. 01:35 The Worst Person in the World , currently playing in theaters, explores existential questions through the small dramas of everyday life. 23:41 The Afterparty , streaming on Apple TV+, is the latest star-packed entry in the "millennial whodunnit" genre. 37:28 Plus, culture...

We discuss Nightmare Alley and Flee , two films about men grappling with haunting pasts. 03:02 Nightmare Alley , available on HBO Max and Hulu, is a visually sumptuous lesson in the genre of film noir. 21:29 The animated docudrama Flee , streaming on Hulu, is a tender, bittersweet account of witnessing the terrors of humanity at a young age. 39:41 Plus, culture notes about this year's Oscar nomina...

We discuss Euphoria and As We See It , two shows about the pains of growing up. 02:53 HBO teen drama Euphoria is inarguably a huge cultural force, especially among younger generations — but is it any good? 21:52 As We See It , streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is one of the few genuinely terrific shows about people with autism and the loved ones in their orbit. 39:00 Plus, culture notes about Rosam...

We discuss Abbott Elementary and A Hero , a sitcom and a film about people trying to do good in a complicated world. 03:42 Abbott Elementary , streaming on Hulu, is a solid new workplace sitcom to add to your weekly rotation. 18:00 A Hero , streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a profound film about morality, honesty, and honor. 36:58 Plus, culture notes about Pelin’s virtual Sundance Film Festival...

We discuss And Just Like That... and The Last Duel , two works about the lives of women. 04:03 HBO Max's And Just Like That... interestingly picks up the thread of cynicism that ran through Sex and the City , but it loses some of the magic of the original. 30:22 The Last Duel , streaming on HBO Max, makes good use of the Rashomon effect to depict the horrendous truth of a woman's experience at the...

We discuss The Lost Daughter and Landscapers , two works that explore the complexities of codependency, whether in motherhood or in marriage. 02:53 The Lost Daughter , streaming on Netflix, is a brutal, intimate, unforgettable film about what it means to be a mother. 22:03 Landscapers , a limited series on HBO, is a love story — dressed as a true crime drama — underpinned by questions of fantasy,...

We discuss Station Eleven and Don't Look Up , two visions of the end of the world. 03:33 Station Eleven , streaming on HBO Max, is a compelling miniseries about what it means to not just survive, but to live and rebuild. 23:22 Netflix's star-studded Don't Look Up is a perfectly okay Movie With a Message that has attracted far more discourse than anyone needs. 43:17 Plus, instead of our normal cult...

It's our year-end special! To close out 2021, we each present our top 5 picks for film and TV, respectively, from this year. 03:10 Movies! 16:39 TV! 31:11 Bonus: Books! (For film and TV honorable mentions, check out criticismisdead.substack.com .) Thank you very much for tuning in this year. We will see you next year!!!! ... Follow us on Twitter and Instagram . For extended show notes — including...

We discuss Yellowjackets and The Great , two shows about female savagery as a matter of survival, whether that's in the Canadian wilderness or the 18th-century Russian court. 02:43 Yellowjackets , airing on Showtime, is compelling in its depiction of the violence and trauma that a high school girls' soccer team inflict on each other. 20:08 The Great , in its second season on Hulu, is an ahistorica...

In this special episode, we discuss Succession , a show that needs no introduction. (Note: Spoilers up through S3E7; at the time of recording, we had NOT watched the last two episodes of season 3.) We're joined by a special guest: Judy Berman, one of our favorite critics, who writes about TV for Time . 04:24 HBO series Succession is among the all-time greats — and here's why. Follow Judy on Twitte...

We discuss The French Dispatch and Selling Sunset , two artifices of reality. 04:38 The French Dispatch , playing in theaters, is very “Wes Anderson” (to borrow a phrase), and we like that. 22:30 Netflix reality show Selling Sunset needs to dial back on the tepid interpersonal drama and bring back more opulent, ostentatious houses to look at. 40:15 Plus, a short debrief on the Great British Bake O...

We discuss Scenes From a Marriage and The Harder They Fall , two recent works with mixed reception worth exploring (we love gray areas). 02:44 Scenes From a Marriage , streaming on HBO Max, is hard to watch, but emotionally rich and raw with superb performances. 28:09 Despite its fun flourishes and the seed of a great concept, Netflix’s The Harder They Fall is ultimately more style over substance....

We discuss The Morning Show and Love Life, two very different shows exploring complicated relationships. 02:40 The Morning Show , streaming on Apple TV+, surprisingly stuck the landing in season 1, but it remains to be seen whether the mess of storylines in season 2 can congeal into a coherent, intelligent whole. 22:42 Love Life , streaming on HBO Max, is pulling off a really good season 2, thanks...

We discuss Dune and Space Sweepers , two space operas set against the backdrop of the powerful elite exploiting people and planets. 03:50 Dune , playing in theaters and on HBO Max, is a masterful adaptation of a complex story long considered unfilmable. (P.S. Here are the two pieces about Dune Pelin wants you to read.) 32:27 Space Sweepers , streaming on Netflix, has some good elements, but ultima...

We discuss Maid and The Premise, two shows about the fabric of American society, both socioeconomic and cultural. 03:00 Maid , a Netflix limited series, is a stark, compelling, uncomfortably realistic depiction of what poverty looks like. 28:47 The satirical anthology series The Premise , streaming on Hulu, is wildly uneven but redeemed by one standout episode. 38:45 Plus, culture notes served qui...

We discuss Squid Game and Foundation , two shows about the follies of human nature. NOTE: Sorry for the audio quality on Jenny's end, it was a freak accident, the cause of which is still unknown (but could very well be human error, I'm sorry). 03:20 Korean survival drama Squid Game , streaming on Netflix, is a word-of-mouth sensation, an international hit, and thrilling as fuck. 24:13 Sci-fi epic...

We discuss Sex Education and Columbus , a series and a film about coming of age, in a sense. 04:51 Sex Education , on Netflix, is not only delightfully raunchy and silly, but it also may be the healthiest depiction of sexual identity and exploration on TV. 24:18 Columbus , available VOD or on Topic on Amazon Video, is a quiet portrait of how two lives can intersect and prompt change in each other...