On the Sea

Oct 26, 2010 — For several decades now, William Faulkner’s Light in August (1932) and Carl Dreyer’s Gertrud (1964) have been major touchstones for me—not only separately but also in some mysterious relation to each other. I even managed to find a way of discussing these...

Dec 17, 2018 — Also, directors discuss their craft, and critics carry on listing the best films of 2018.

Sep 15, 2016 — Need some respite from the twenty-four-hour news cycle? Bill Hader and Fred Armisen’s hysterical IFC Channel series Documentary Now! returns with some comedic salve for our weary election-season souls.

Jul 30, 2014 — A friend and longtime scholar of Jacques Demy ruminates on the great director’s career, as well as the port hometown they shared—which would become a magical movie location.

Nov 19, 2025 — Joachim Trier’s family drama stars Stellan Skarsgård as a renowned film director and Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as his estranged daughters.

Jun 2, 2025 — More than a hundred films likely to make you feel bad in all the best ways will screen in eight cities this month.

Mar 19, 2024 — One of the first postrevolutionary Iranian films screened and celebrated internationally, Amir Naderi’s autobiographical masterpiece is a lyrical exploration of childhood that showcases the director’s gift for radical simplicity.

Sep 29, 2022 — This October, we’re summoning our demons with an expansive collection of ’80s horror and a roundup of Universal monster movies.

Oct 1, 2018 — Professor Imani Perry details how Lorraine Hansberry’s own experience of housing discrimination made its way into her landmark play.

Jul 8, 2017 — A number of projects in the works have been announced since Thursday’s overall roundup, and we begin with Michael O'Connell for the Hollywood Reporter: “Ava DuVernay is adapting the story of the ‘Central Park Five’ for Netflix. The multihyphenate, currently...