‘I’m Not Lamenting the Existence of Marvel’
David Fincher spoke with The Atlantic about his new Netflix film, Mank, and his theory of moviemaking after 30 years in Hollywood.
Frontiers of Sports
When Your Hometown Team Gets a New Identity
Black fans of the Washington Football Team are adapting to a new future for their beloved franchise—and reckoning with its past disregard of Native Americans.
He Won a Super Bowl. Now for the Real Challenge.
Former New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett believes there aren’t enough Black characters in children’s literature—and he wants to change that.
The 16 Best Albums of 2020
A selection of the most illuminating music to come out of a dark year, handpicked by our staffers
Taylor Swift Could Use an Editor
Evermore, the singer’s second surprise folkie album of the year, sees the cringes-to-chills ratio move in the wrong direction.
The Singular Achievement of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
No spy novel has captured England—or the human capacity for duplicity—like John le Carré’s hunt for the mole.
I’m Really Sorry, but Let’s Talk About That Chicken Movie
In a time of rampant lies, a KFC-Lifetime rom-com is about as refreshingly blunt as you can get.
Bats and Swallows
How Civilization Broke Our Brains
What can hunter-gatherer societies teach us about work, time, and happiness?
The 15 Best TV Shows of 2020
The year’s most distinct and worthwhile series
The Artifacts of Bygone Lives
Remembering the dead through beloved objects
Desiring the Unattainable in Shanghai
Te-Ping Chen discusses the gift of imagining alternative realities in a society divided by class.
The 10 Best Films of 2020
Standouts from an unprecedented year in cinema
The People Who Can See Inside David Fincher’s Head
The famously meticulous Mank director is surrounded by collaborators tasked with turning his most ambitious ideas into reality.
How a Queer Icon Made the Holiday Film of the Year
Twenty years after becoming an LGBTQ icon for her role in But I’m a Cheerleader, the director Clea DuVall has broken records with Happiest Season, a rom-com about queer joy.
Martin Amis Goes Out With a Bang
In Inside Story, his final novel, the comic master delights, infuriates, and secures his legacy.
Hollywood Is Preparing to Sacrifice Movie Theaters
WarnerMedia’s decision to put all of its 2021 films on HBO Max is a shortsighted decision that will have major repercussions.
The New Comedy of American Decline
Even works of escapism are reckoning with waning national myths.
Miley Cyrus Is Perfect for the Rock-and-Roll Revival
The pop star’s career is a case study in courting public expectations by rebelling against them.
The Dangerous Blind Spot of The Undoing
The show treats domestic violence like a striptease.
BTS’s ‘Life Goes On’ Did the Impossible
The Grammy-nominated pop septet’s newest single became the first Korean song to top the Billboard Hot 100—with virtually no radio play.
Why a 41-Year-Old Record About Fascism Matters Now
Elvis Costello’s 1979 album, Armed Forces, has been reissued at a moment when it feels more frighteningly vital and relevant than ever.