Arts & Culture

'Passing': a mesmerizing, poignant adaptation of Nella Larsen's classic novel

By Julia Vaz | November 28

“Passing,” actor Rebecca Hall’s shining directorial debut, reproduces the finest details of Nella Larsen’s brilliantly crafted 1929 novel. In the face of the seemingly insurmountable challenge of bringing Larsen’s delicate prose to life, the 2021 Netflix production mesmerizes the audience ...

‘Red Notice’: barely better than ‘Green Lantern’

By Julia Vaz | November 21

Remember all those times Ryan Reynolds joked about his epic regrets about starring in “Green Lantern,” the 2011 superhero film which currently sits at a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes? Now he can add the film “Red Notice” to his self-deprecating skits.

‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ is a mosaic of nostalgia and heartbreak

By Aalia Jagwani | November 19

“Musically and lyrically, ‘Red’ resembled a heartbroken person. It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together at the end,” Taylor Swift said in her Instagram post announcing ...

‘Godspell’ comes to College Hill, bringing with it community, love, forgiveness

By Rya Vallabhaneni | November 17

Jesus steps onto the stage from the back corner. He’s wearing jeans, sneakers and a Patriots t-shirt. He walks a few feet forward, then says almost nonchalantly, “Hey.”

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‘Shahzia Sikander: Extraordinary Realities’ opens at RISD Museum

By Ryan Smith | November 17

The Rhode Island School of Design Museum’s latest exhibit, “Shahzia Sikander: Extraordinary Realities” showcases 60 pieces spanning the early career of Shahzia Sikander, MacArthur award winner and RISD trustee.

‘Spencer’ shows human face behind the cultural icon

By Finn Kirkpatrick | November 17

Diana, Princess of Wales, is undoubtedly one of the great pop culture icons of modern history. Her glamour and philanthropy followed by an untimely and tragic death — all set against the backdrop of British royalty — yield a truly idiosyncratic and fascinating figure to explore.

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Arts & Culture

Cult Classic Musical ‘Rocky Horror’ comes to College Hill

By Laura David | November 12

“ASSHOLE!” shouts the crowd in unison. It’s Nov. 7, the closing night of the Musical Forum’s production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” Brad, played by Rhys Long ’24, has just tried (unsuccessfully) to shield his fiancé Janet, played by Mia Lane ’24, from the wandering eye of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, ...

Arts & Culture

‘The Harder They Fall’ Review: America’s Old West infused with something new

By Rya Vallabhaneni | November 10

Music producer, singer-songwriter and director Jeymes Samuel’s “The Harder They Fall” is not a typical Hollywood Western. The film score is bold with contemporary pop sounds, the sets are pristine — rarely cloaked in dust — and the characters, although beaten up, are not afraid to laugh ...

Arts & Culture

‘The French Dispatch’ hits PVD theaters

By Cecilia Barron | November 9

Wes Anderson has found the infallible cinematic form in the The New Yorker magazine. His newest film, “The French Dispatch,” released Oct. 22, is based on The New Yorker and the tenure of Harold Ross, who led the magazine from 1925 until his death in 1951. The film is bookended by the death of ...

Review

Review: Ed Sheeran’s new album fails to ‘Equal’ his previous records

By Aalia Jagwani | November 8

“I have grown up, I am a father now / Everything has changed but I am still the same somehow.” The opening lines to Ed Sheeran’s freshly released album ‘=’ (pronounced ‘equals’) effectively encapsulate his new tracks — he has settled down, gotten his life together and “grown ...

Review

RISD Faculty Exhibition review: varied, emotive, innovative

By Rya Vallabhaneni | November 5

The selection is a culmination of the works of about 170 RISD faculty members, all of whom have chosen to have pieces displayed at this year’s RISD Faculty Exhibition and Forum. The show opened to the public Oct. 28 and will run until Nov. 21.

Arts & Culture

'You' Season Three Review: an uneven but entertaining turn toward suburban domesticity

By Irene Chou | November 3

What happens after boy gets girl? Perhaps a cautionary tale against the settling down of a serial killer and his equally ruthless partner hell-bent on keeping a fractured family whole, but, again, we already knew that. With the release of Season Three on Oct. 15, fans return to the darkly delicious ...

Review

‘Maid’ Review: a single mother’s tale on weathering effects of abuse and poverty

By Julia Vaz | November 1

Created by renowned playwright and screenwriter Molly Smith Metzler, the new Netflix series "Maid" is a captivating emotional journey of a single young mother fleeing systems of abuse and poverty. It avoids overused antics to deliver an honest and unique portrait of a woman navigating social struggles ...

Review

‘America’s Big Deal’ makes reality TV shoppable

By Cecilia Barron | November 1

In case you were looking for an hour-long advertisement, “America’s Big Deal” premiered on USA Network Oct. 14. As the first “shoppable” competition show, “Big Deal” gives four entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their product to the consumer watching at home every Thursday night. The ...

Review

Asali Solomon navigates consciousness amid intersectional oppression

By Aalia Jagwani | November 1

“Liselle’s 41 years of research suggested that no matter how distant, abusive, judgemental, unloving and useless one’s mother was, one called her when things fell apart.”

Arts & Culture

‘Dune’ balances epic, intimate narrative on galactic backdrop

By Finn Kirkpatrick | October 29

After a year of delays and patient, painful anticipation, director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” finally made its way to the American silver screen this past weekend. As it is referred to in the title sequence, “Dune: Part One” is based on the first half of Frank Herbert’s seminal science ...

Features

Death positivity advocate dicusses Día de los Muertos, burial rituals

By Rya Vallabhaneni | October 26

Co-founder of the Death Positive movement Sarah Chavez visited Brown virtually Monday evening, kicking off a three-part event series the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is holding in honor of Día de los Muertos, which is celebrated Nov. 1 and 2.

Arts & Culture

Harry Styles: teen heartthrob turned music icon

By Rebecca Carcieri | October 25

A regular patron walking through Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino may have felt a bit out of place Thursday evening. Lines of people in their early 20s were decked out in elaborate outfits that featured sparkly jumpsuits, rainbow boas, glow-in-the-dark cowboy hats and sheer crop tops — an ode ...

Arts & Culture

“Titane,” absurdist violence and human vulnerability

By Irene Chou | October 20

“Titane” begins with young Alexia (Adèle Guigue) glowering at her father, making engine revving noises and kicking the back of the driver’s seat with an inexplicable hatred. Her father finally snaps and whips around to discipline the child, losing control of the vehicle in the process. Without ...

Arts & Culture

‘Succession’ cynically returns for third season

By Cecilia Barron | October 20

This past Sunday, the critically acclaimed HBO series “Succession” returned after two years for a third season. The show, if anything, has only increased its monopoly on current television discourse since quarantine. Following its red-carpet premiere on Oct. 12, as if it were a blockbuster movie, ...