rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 15–21
This week: Wicked's unsolvable second act, Train Dreams' hallucinatory magic, and a whole bunch of Christmas stuff.
mailbag
December mailbag!
This month: Rob Reiner favorites, new Oscar categories, and holiday stories crying out for the Rankin-Bass treatment.
winter
Always winter, never Christmas: 21 snowy entertainments without a Santa in sight
Celebrate winter - and NOTHING ELSE - with our list of recommendations.
rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 8–14 2025
This week: Pluribus and the trauma plot, Disney and the YA-ification of everything, and 1985's strangest Christmas movie.
mailbag
Submit your December mailbag questions!
It's that time again!
movies
It takes an ex-believer to make a film as holy as Wake Up Dead Man
The latest Benoit Blanc mystery offers a bracing look at what makes faith so necessary and so dangerous, writes Emily St. James.
rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 1–7 2025
This week: a somewhat lopsided Joachim Trier fan club meeting, a messy and interesting novel, and a nice helping of Christmas melancholy.
stranger things
Will Byers, queer power fantasies, and me
If it really wants to pull off its latest twist, Stranger Things needs to remember what keeps its characters grounded, writes Lily Osler.
open thread
What's the best movie from the year you were born?
Discuss amongst yourselves! (And/or, read our answers below.)
rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown November 17–23 2025
In this week's Monday Rundown: summer blockbusters, feel-bad Bible cinema, and a cake.
mailbag
November mailbag!
This month: Food! So many questions about food! Also, the Criterion Closet, stage plays, and Pluribus.
rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown November 10–16 2025
This week: a better-late-than-never binge watch, Emily's favorite romance author, and two plays of wildly varying quality.