“An earnest gem”: Shrinking review
If you’ve followed this column for some time, you know I’m somewhat of an Apple TV+ hoe (to use a politically correct term). Apple TV+ may not have the numbers, but there is something to be said...
Author: Natalia Antonova
Natalia Antonova is a DC-based writer and editor
“The past is alive and churning around us always”: Once Upon A Time in America
I’m having a hard time writing this column in the glare of the presidential election and the revelation that a dear friend has passed away (it happened a while ago, across the Pond, and I wasn’t...
“Slow Horses does a fantastic job exploring the banality of hate”
With the behemoth that is Netflix in our lives, it can be easy to forget that Apple TV+ makes some amazing television. I am one of many people who is eagerly awaiting the return of Severance, for...
“I was prepared to be extra horrified, and I was not disappointed”: Love is Blind
Love Is Blind is horrifying. Of course I can’t stop watching it. If you’re familiar with my writing, you know I often like to point out that certain shows coded as “guilty pleasures” are...
Age-gap relationships – in movies and in life
A lot of cultural trends are no fun at all, but the older woman/younger man trend, as showcased in this year’s A Family Affair and The Idea of You is actually pretty fun to talk about. Both of...
Believing you deserve to be safe: when true crime gets it right
True crime series like Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever and Worst Ex Ever seem exploitative on the surface. I mean, just look at the titles! Obviously, they’re meant to appeal to the lowest common...
“A childhood nightmare come to life”: Longlegs review
If you’re a horror fan like me — with normal friends and family, who won’t jump at the chance to see a tale of terror with you on the big screen — I have some good news. Longlegs is now...
“Kindness, I think, is underrated in literature”: The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman review
Years ago, in a swampy D.C. summer., I got the chance to interview Lev Grossman about The Bright Sword, which was then a book in progress. I had been enthralled by Lev’s Magicians trilogy, and the...
Dionysus, The Last Supper, and performative outrage
Call me a snob, but I don’t think people should be commenting on the style in which the French host their Olympics if they don’t know who Joan of Arc was, or, for that matter, what kind of songs...
“A kind of carnival ride, a trip to the Renaissance Fair”: Hear me out, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is an exceptional film
Since my father died, I will occasionally sit down and re-watch some of his favorite movies (and usually force my son to do so as well. He complains about everything being “vintage,” but he...