MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Matt Zoller Seitz

  1. exit interview
    A Darker, Sadder SuccessionMonths after his masterpiece finale, Jesse Armstrong ponders the real tragedy of his show’s ending.
  2. finding heavenly light
    ‘It’s Probably the Longest Movie Ever Made Without a Plot’Philip Kaufman on the film fibs, demons, and labia that made The Right Stuff just right.
  3. a long talk
    Sterlin Harjo Lays Reservation Dogs to Rest“We’ve watched this world grow from four kids to a whole community.”
  4. a long talk
    ‘The Thing Is, to Me, a Movie Is Alive’Carl Franklin on how noir and the blues shaped One False Move, and the story behind that final shot.
  5. sex scenes
    It’s All in Franz Rogowski’s GazeThe star of the summer’s most intimate, explicit movie, Passages, reveals what’s behind his now-famous stare.
  6. backstories
    Reservation Dogs’ American Horror StoryIn telling a story of Indian boarding school abuse, director Danis Goulet sought to honor, not exploit: “Our people have to have agency.”
  7. remembrance
    A Hollywood Director PossessedWilliam Friedkin made movies like The Exorcist and Sorcerer his way, no matter what changes transformed his industry.
  8. remembrance
    The Eyes of Angus CloudHe did not seem “of” Euphoria. Yet somehow that made him the most believable actor on the show and one of the most distinctive on TV.
  9. remembrance
    It Was Easy to Get Pee-wee HermanHe was one of many characters Paul Reubens inhabited. Any of them could have been stars.
  10. grand old actor phase
    Harrison Ford and the Ravages of TimeIn his “grand old actor” phase, Ford has treated his characters’ alienation and sadness as a brittle core around which fantastic visions can be wound.
  11. encounter
    The Objects Wes Anderson Hoards in His New York OfficeAn afternoon with the Asteroid City director in an apartment he describes as “not very well maintained” and “a bit abandoned.”
  12. characters talking
    How Genndy Tartakovsky Cracked the Code to Quiet AnimationHis best films and TV shows rest on long, wordless sequences that challenge the audience to figure out his stories for themselves.
  13. backstories
    The Tragedy of Hope“With Open Eyes” needed to feel like “a slow boil toward that final boardroom scene,” says Succession director Mark Mylod.
  14. remembrance
    Kenneth Anger Never Cooled OffBut the filmmaker’s renegade aesthetic is all over the mainstream, from Martin Scorsese to David Lynch.
  15. a long talk
    ‘I Told My Assistant, “They’re Gonna Fire Me”’Ewan Roy’s eulogy stole the show in Succession’s penultimate episode. James Cromwell thought it would end his career.
  16. a long talk
    Walking on the MoonSuccession’s Jeremy Strong on Kendall’s elusive moment of triumph — and what it has cost him.
  17. backstories
    Building Succession’s Haunted HouseFor the first episode without Logan, director Lorene Scafaria wanted to keep the claustrophobia alive.
  18. backstories
    ‘It Needed to Be an Unbroken Performance’Director Mark Mylod breaks down the exhausting 28-minute take that changed the course of Succession.
  19. remembrance
    Tom Sizemore Made You UncomfortableDuring his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. Offscreen, he was one himself.
  20. anniversaries
    The Chicken and the BabyForty years ago this week, M*A*S*H signed off with an emotional jab at network TV’s commitment to sanitizing the ugly stuff.
  21. exit interview
    Steven Soderbergh Can’t Quit Magic MikeHe says there was “no compelling reason” to make a third movie, and then Channing Tatum’s live show happened.
  22. remembrance
    Barbara Walters’s Superpower Was FairnessShe made subjects believe they were getting an open-minded hearing — and that made them talk.
  23. remembrance
    The Composer Who Made Sense of David LynchAngelo Badalamenti’s music helped audiences find the utter sincerity of Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and more.
  24. remembrance
    Bob McGrath Set the ExampleFor 47 years, the Sesame Street actor radiated the warmth and acceptance many young viewers would’ve never received otherwise.
  25. the vulture transcript
    ‘I Owe My Entire Life to Laurie Strode’Jamie Lee Curtis traces her every success — from Trading Places to Freaky Friday to Knives Out — straight back to Halloween.
  26. exit interview
    Baz Luhrmann Is the Stanley Kubrick of ConfettiThe Elvis director’s opulent movies aren’t for everyone, and he’s okay with that.
  27. chapters
    The Day Deadwood DiedHow a single phone call and “a clash of fucking egos,” as star Ian McShane put it, led to the abrupt end of the beloved HBO series.
  28. chapters
    ‘Omar Became a Superhero Costume I Wore to Hide From Myself’As The Wire’s breakout character, Michael K. Williams felt invincible — leaving him vulnerable to his real-life demons.
  29. let’s do it again
    The 102 Best Movie Sequels of All TimeWho in the world wanted a Top Gun sequel? Not even Tom Cruise, but that didn’t stop Maverick from getting made and soaring in our ranks.
  30. remembrance
    The Jagged Life of Anne HecheShe lived and died like an early Hollywood star who imploded before a grande dame period could get under way.
  31. performance study
    The Making of Silent BruceBruce Willis was a fast-talking lead who became a man-of-few-words star. Which made his mental decline that much harder to notice.
  32. remembrance
    The Opera in Paul SorvinoThe late actor, known for playing paragons of retrograde masculinity, drew from a well of tenderness unreachable to most.
  33. remembrance
    ‘The Lowest Form of Conversation’David Chase remembers The Sopranos great Tony Sirico.
  34. exit interview
    ‘The Human Race Is Truly Flawed’After 40 years of making movies and TV, The Survivor director Barry Levinson has come to some conclusions about “ordinary” life.
  35. remembrance
    It Was Easy to Believe Ray LiottaThe beauty of his acting came from the laser-focused attention he brought to every assignment — no matter how noble or absurd.
  36. it’s coming
    Harrison Ford Didn’t Do ItOr did he? The joy of watching the actor in erotic thrillers like Presumed Innocent is in the way he can keep us guessing how bad he really is.
  37. oscars 2022
    The Pain and Pleasure of The Lost DaughterMaggie Gyllenhaal craved a challenge, and she found it in Elena Ferrante’s unnatural mother.
  38. close read
    The Sublime Narcissism of EuphoriaLexi unveiling her masterpiece is Euphoria at its best, which is inextricably bound up with Euphoria at its worst.
  39. a long talk
    James Gunn Isn’t Laughing at PeacemakerAfter decades skewering superheroes, the writer-director chose sincerity for HBO Max’s first DC series.
  40. remembrances
    Honoring His Mother Was Louie Anderson’s Life’s WorkThroughout his decades-long career, the comedian learned to love himself the way his mother loved him.
  41. remembrances
    Terry Teachout Found Greatness EverywhereAs a critic, he was formidable; as a champion of under-recognized voices and productions, he was peerless.
  42. in memoriam
    A Guide to Rewatching Sidney Poitier’s Most Memorable FilmsHis image evolved and adapted over decades as the central contradiction of the actor and director’s life played out on screens.
  43. remembrances
    Betty White Was Always on TVShe’s owned the medium—in multiple ways—for its entire history.
  44. in memoriam
    Out of Time: The Life’s Work of Jean-Marc ValléeThe late director and editor’s best film and television projects are united by a resolute commitment to immersive, subjective storytelling.
  45. tv recaps
    Deadwood Season-Finale Recap: Bloody ThoughtsFor all the gore, madness, and opportunism showcased in this final hour, we’re left with a sense of hope for Deadwood, its characters, and ourselves.
  46. a show agreed upon
    Join Us In DeadwoodA new collection of recaps discussing season one of HBO’s classic western.
  47. tv recaps
    Deadwood Recap: Growing PainsAs Deadwood grows, so does the gap between the powerful and powerless generally, and the schism between the worlds of men and women in particular.
  48. tv recaps
    Deadwood Recap: Drawing StrawsA vivid supporting player steps into the spotlight in a story line where self-interest and civic-mindedness ironically intertwine.
  49. tv recaps
    Deadwood Recap: The Blessing of Legal StandingWith the camp on the brink of legitimacy, Al’s first priority is to make sure profits not only flow but grow.
  50. tv recaps
    Deadwood Recap: The Dam Has BrokenArguably Deadwood’s first great post-Bill guest character, Kristen Bell’s Flora is a walking, talking emblem of the camp’s dynamic.
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