From new Spike Lee and Judd Apatow movies to cult classic documentaries.
Plus, the battle of wits, the Fire Swamp, and the Machine.
The rap duo’s tremendous fourth album puts America’s racial unrest to music.
Da 5 Bloods, like all his movies, doesn’t let anyone off the hook.
In this new novel, one light-skinned twin marries a dark-skinned man. The other starts passing for white.
Vox’s book critic recommends books to fit your very specific mood.
A creepy drama, a zombie fever dream, and other films worth seeing.
Films that challenge and rewire the imagination.
The US’s system of policing, criminal justice, and incarceration didn’t just come from nowhere. And to change it, we have to understand it.
Ellen Raskin’s 1978 novel is a technically perfect mystery. It’s also ideal reading for when you need an escape.
HBO Max’s bountiful treasures may be hard to find, but they’re worth looking for.
From the diamond business to the music business to mysteries beyond our imagining.
Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson play an iconic soul singer and her assistant in the frothy throwback comedy.
It’s a small film, but it has colossal ambitions.
Ghibli’s catalog is finally on HBO Max. Here’s what to know — and what to watch first.
Vox’s book critic recommends books to suit your very specific mood.
You can’t stop the pandemic. But you can read a housekeeping manual that tells you how to remove any stain imaginable.
And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.
A couple on the verge of a breakup have one wild night in Netflix’s new comedy.
The four-journey series comes to a poignant end.
From chefs and rockstars to painters and thieves.
The Painter and the Thief tells their poignant true story through two sets of eyes.
Curtis Sittenfeld’s Rodham is a wildly compelling and occasionally icky alternate history.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is your apocalyptic escape from our current apocalypse.
The 10-part ESPN documentary makes the case that sports aren’t just about players. They’re about all of us.
Adult Swim’s kind-hearted Joe Pera Talks With You finds humor in life’s little details.
A book, a video game, and a TV show to add to your cultural queue.
Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked ... your free time.
If The Last Dance spins out the legend of Michael Jordan, Space Jam pretends to fill in gaps in the myth.
This week’s offerings include an Italian comedy, women’s friendship, and a dystopian future.
Vox’s book critic offers recommendations to fit your very specific mood.
Hazel Jane Plante’s Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) is an amazing novel about death, love, and television.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff about fighting the system has big things to say to 2020 audiences.
Find something new to add to your queue.
Our book club tackles the first half of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.
Mothers can be your best friend or worst nightmare. These movies capture the complexity of having a mom — and being one.
From weird science experiments to poignant dramas to Michelle Obama’s story.
Vox’s book critic recommends books for your very specific mood.
This Norwegian masterwork is over 1,000 pages long — and it may be the perfect book for the current moment.
The quiet drama about neighborly ties — which includes one of Brian Dennehy’s last performances — is exactly what I needed to see this week.