Criticism Is Dead

We discuss Nomadland , a film about human impermanence, and Judas and the Black Messiah , a betrayal biographical drama. 03:12 Nomadland , streaming on Hulu, follows the uprooted life of a woman who lives out of her van. 29:12 Judas and the Black Messiah , available on HBO Max through March 14, follows the life and eventual death of revolutionary Fred Hampton. 39:26 Plus, cultures notes about how...

We discuss — and we mean really discuss — Minari , Lee Isaac Chung's new semi-autobiographical film about a Korean American family that moves to rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Things we touch on: Asian American and immigrant narratives, nature and the land, Korean masculinity and fatherhood, the idea of the "American Dream," and more!!! We are joined by special guest Inkoo Kang, who is a TV critic f...

We discuss WandaVision and Malcolm & Marie , two "firsts" that have people buzzing for different reasons. 03:22 WandaVision , Disney+'s first Marvel Cinematic Universe-based TV series, is a slow-drip fun watch, even for absolute non-MCU heads like us. 19:01 Malcolm & Marie , Netflix's first big feature film to be entirely created and filmed during the pandemic, is causing a bit of a stir a...

We discuss The Dig and Wolfwalkers , two films — one Anglo, one Celtic — that look back in time. 04:16 The Dig (2021), new to Netflix, is a reimagination of the true story of the excavation of a 7th-century medieval burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king. 22:12 Wolfwalkers (2020) is an animated children's film about Irish folklore, family, sisterhood, nature, and the oppressive forces of colonialism a...

We discuss Bling Empire , a reality TV show about having everything, and The White Tiger , a film about having nothing and wanting everything. 01:49 Bling Empire , Netflix's latest glossy smooth-brain content, is, disappointingly, neither particularly crazy rich nor particularly Asian. 18:08 The White Tiger , also new on Netflix, is about what it takes to become a "have" in a cruel system of haves...

We discuss Promising Young Woman and Sound of Metal , two films about finding silence after what feels like the end of the world. 04:05 Promising Young Woman , available for rental now and out in theaters soon, is talked about as a revenge fantasy, but it's more about how to sit with the terrible reality that what happened happened. 20:52 Sound of Metal , streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a uniq...

We discuss The Flight Attendant , an overly hyped caper, and Lupin , a heist show that deserves all the hype. 02:15 Are we mavericks for opining that The Flight Attendant , HBO Max's buzzy not-limited series, is... not good??? 17:50 Netflix's new heist series Lupin , on the other hand, is very good. 26:56 Plus, culture notes about the last time we remember seeing real romantic chemistry on the scr...

We discuss horny period drama Bridgerton (2020) and angsty young adult survival series The Wilds (2020). 02:53 Bridgerton , the first big Shondaland x Netflix offering, is the epitome of a guilty pleasure, but its probing of race and relationships leaves much to be desired. 17:28 The Wilds , one of Amazon Prime Video's few Youth Market shows, is both cringe-y and tender in its depiction of teen gi...

It's our year-end special! We each present our top 5 picks for film and TV, respectively, plus some honorable mentions, making for a grand total of... 10 movies and 16 shows recommended?? 02:27 Movies! Including T _, F _ C__, and more. 20:12 TV! Including N _ P , T _ Q ' G__ , and more. For the full list written out, check out our Substack — we'll be publishing the newsletter (with extended show n...

It's our holiday special! We discuss Love Actually (2003) and Carol (2015), two "holiday" "classics" that inspire very different feelings. 01:49 Love Actually , which is available for rent on various places, is long and horny!! 15:23 Carol , streaming on Netflix, is melancholy and gay!! 27:03 Plus, instead of culture notes this week, we play a game guessing the dumb titles of other holiday/Christm...

We discuss Mank (2020), a film set in 1930s-40s Hollywood, and Tokyo Girl (2016), a series set in modern-day Tokyo. 2:00 Mank , streaming on Netflix, is David Fincher's latest movie, made by and for auteurs and film nerds. Depending on who you ask, this may be good or bad. But one thing's undeniable: Amanda Seyfried! 13:31 Tokyo Girl , an older Japanese show available on Amazon Prime Video, is a s...

We discuss Ted Lasso (2020) and Industry (2020), two series about lone Americans navigating unknown waters across the pond — in one case, a football field, in the other, an investment bank. 02:34 Ted Lasso , one of Apple TV+'s first true word-of-mouth sleeper hits, sits at the intersection of cheesy, surprising, heartwarming, and pure, unadulterated vibes. 17:22 Industry , out on HBO, is like if S...

We discuss The Crown season 4 (2020), a series about an antiquated British institution, and the Great British Bake Off season 11 (2020), a competition show that may also be an antiquating British institution? 01:27 Season 4 of The Crown , a Netflix series following the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is about toxic girlboss Margaret Thatcher, the people's princess Diana, and the growing obsoletion of...

Episode Notes We discuss The Undoing (2020) and Shithouse (2020), two works about—in a sense—exploring who you are as a person, whether that's a wealthy therapist mentally unraveling or a college freshman missing home. NOTE: This episode is a bit longer than usual, but very good imho!! Also, we only talk about The Undoing up through episode 3, so feel free to listen without major spoilers. 01:36 T...

Episode Notes We discuss The Good Lord Bird (2020), a tragicomic historical fiction miniseries about John Brown, and Blood of Zeus (2020), an adult animation series about another kind of "savior" (read: a hot Greek demigod). 01:45 The Good Lord Bird , a limited series on Showtime set before the Civil War, depicts the messiness of history and the figures who get remembered. (Bonus: It stars Ethan H...

Episode Notes We discuss The Queen's Gambit (2020), a show of high watchability, and His House (2020), a film as scary as it is devastating. 00:30 The Queen's Gambit , a limited series from Netflix, is about trauma, but it is not traumatic. It is full of tropes, but not weighed down by them. It is a reminder that when Netflix gets it right, it's right (yeah whatever we're eating some of our words...

We discuss Rebecca (2020) and On the Rocks (2020)—two films, both alike in content (marriage) and watchability (background noise). 00:41 Rebecca , out on Netflix, is the latest, cynical example of how big streaming fare can go wrong. 10:03 On the Rocks , available on Apple TV+, is basically Sofia Coppola for normies. Ouch! 16:37 Plus, culture notes about two famous men and their dumb defenders. In...

Episode Notes Introducing a new weekly podcast about film, television, and culture, and all the opinions involved therein. Does anything even matter? Who cares! Hosted by Pelin Keskin-Liu and Jenny G. Zhang. Subscribe now to get this in-demand content wired directly to your brain. Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co