Essays

Essays

November 10, 2026 · by Ethan Simmie

Hit or Miss? A Way Too Early Look at the 2027 Movie Slate

Movies are a fickle thing. Sometimes, films meant to be hits do it, like The Odyssey or Toy Story 5. Other times, movies far outperform their...

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Essays

November 9, 2026 · by Patrick J. Regal

Heaven's a Dive Bar: ‘Cheers’ and ‘Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets’

There are plenty of good reasons to stop drinking. It's bad for you, and you might be bad for others. It can be expensive, and it can be cost...

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Essays

November 3, 2026 · by Risa Bolash

‘Wicker’ Examines the Chasm Between Men and Women in Modern Culture

Why would a love story disrupt a village ecosystem? Wicker, based on a 2008 short story by Ursula Willis-Jones, follows an ugly fisherwoman (...

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Essays

October 30, 2026 · by Danny Jarabek

Good Grief: What I’ve Learned About Movies Through Love, Loss, and End-of-Life Care in 2026

One of the most undervalued aspects of attending a film festival is the ability to witness the collective pulse of the art form. Filmmakers y...

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Essays

October 6, 2026 · by Madiha Ali

Ti West’s ‘Ebenezer’ Could Prove We’ve Been Looking at Scrooge All Wrong

Paramount Pictures just released a new trailer for Ti West’s Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge. The film marks Depp’s comeback to the...

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Essays

October 4, 2026 · by Madiha Ali

Why Pakistan’s Oscar Selection ‘Hanging by a Wire’ Matters

The Pakistani film industry is one of the world's most resilient, producing excellent stories and phenomenal performances despite the country...

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Essays

October 2, 2026 · by Claire May Lewis

‘Friday Night Lights’ Still Can’t Lose After 20 Years

It’s been twenty years since the people of Dillon, Texas, witnessed their star quarterback suffer a career-ending injury in the final quarter...

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Essays

October 1, 2026 · by Claire May Lewis

“I Have to Put Him on Television:” What ‘Primetime’ Has to Say on Making a Spectacle of Morality

When Chris Hansen arrived at the home of Bill Conradt on November 5th, 2006, his To Catch a Predator crew in tow, he didn’t expect a man to d...

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Essays

September 25, 2026 · by Neha Jha

Why Women Can't Get Enough of Murder Mysteries

Women are obsessed with crime — this isn’t news to anyone. The internet is rife with articles and studies claiming that women's innate need t...

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Essays

September 18, 2026 · by Red Broadwell

After 40 Years, 'Blue Velvet' is Still in Our Dreams

With filmmakers and film buffs still mourning the January 2025 passing of director David Lynch, it’s hard not to overstate or oversimplify hi...

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Essays

September 4, 2026 · by Mariana Fabian

The 10 Year Legacy of Barry Jenkins’s Triumphant Coming-of-Age Story ‘Moonlight’

In moonlight, black boys look blue.  When Moonlight beat La La Land for Best Picture in 2017, it became not only a moment of virality...

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Essays

September 1, 2026 · by Madiha Ali

Why Are Male Biopics More Famous Than Female Biopics?

Hollywood has traditionally been much more comfortable telling stories about extraordinary men than extraordinary women. Accomplished women a...

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