Kathryn Reklis
White moral infantilism and some help avoiding it
Several recent films and shows portray people of color with a complexity that James Baldwin once assumed was impossible for pop culture.
How Paterson sidesteps the clichés embraced by La La Land
Escapism can be delightful. But artistic creation also uses the fodder of daily life.
Robots of the West
Westworld’s claim is that memory leads to consciousness, which leads to violence.
What's outside the photograph's frame?
In a gallery or on Instagram, a camera's lens poses ethical questions.
Saving Annville
Preacher has enough violence to satisfy a small planet of adolescent boys. It also has church budget meetings.
The People v. reality
If we are looking for the moment that precipitated our fall into the media blitz that is our common life, we might consider the O. J. trial.
Theological horror
Few Americans may believe in witches—or in a Puritan God. Yet The Witch explores human impulses that are still with us.
Real intimacy
This year, the Oscars honored three films that are poignant meditations on a person's agency in falling and staying in love.
Out of sync
Rectify is unlike any series I've watched. Its slow burn reveals the viewer as well as the characters in the story.
We’re all geeks now
It could have been any academic conference—except that Catwoman was on my left and a fully dressed hobbit was on my right.
Reality rap
It's hard to watch Straight Outta Compton and not think of #BlackLivesMatter. But this is not explicitly a movie about politics or race.
Religious satire on Broadway
Religious satire was once an edgy form of humor celebrated by rebellious teens. Now it’s attracting adults who buy theater tickets.
Feelings and faith
As I watched Inside Out, I found myself thinking about Augustine's assertion that we are what we love and what we hate.
Funny girls
Watching Inside Amy Schumer or Broad City, you might conclude that sex is all young women think about. There is something refreshing about this.
Kids these days
The generational gap between 25 and 42 might seem not that great. But Noah Baumbach has explored the subtle differences in many films.
Transparent need
A TV show can present a minority group as "respectable" or as people who are as screwed up as anyone else. Transparent goes with option two.
Epic march
Seven of this year's eight best picture nominees are stories of lone, white heroes—stories that seem out of touch with the times. The exception is Selma.
Trial by podcast
Like Sarah Koenig, I want to know if we can believe Adnan Syed. But I only know Syed through Koenig’s accounts of him in Serial.
