Storytelling
Worldbuilding and Exposition: 7 Writing Tips from Dune
The most impressive thing about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune might be the way it makes a complex story understandable without dumbing it down.
Storytelling
Why Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell Is Such Disappointing Storytelling
In “The Long Night,” Game of Thrones — a story built on unpredictability, mystery, and sacrifice — has now completely diverged from what made it great.
Storytelling
How Avengers: Endgame Fulfills the Emotional Arcs of Marvel’s Characters
Avengers: Endgame owes its success to one word: character.
Storytelling
What Went Wrong with Bad Times at the El Royale?
This caper flick wants you to believe it’s full of twists and turns… but it’s frustatingly empty.
Storytelling
25 Reactions to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again from a Guy Who Never Saw the Original
We could do worse than an extended cinematic universe of ABBA musicals.
Storytelling
What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
Every “must-see” TV show uses some of these addictive story tricks, but only Game of Thrones combined them all to create a runaway hit.
Armchair Sociology
Sollers Point: Unraveling Masculinity Onscreen
Sollers Point has its finger on the pulse of a huge American problem: masculinity in crisis. Writer-director Matthew Porterfield is a dedicated chronicler of Baltimore’s lesser-told stories, and in Sollers Point he finds a true diamond in the rough. The story follows Keith (McCaul Lombardi), whose life after house arrest Read more…
Armchair Sociology
Westworld: Reality, A.I., and the God Problem
When I was about 5 or 6, I had a thought that both exhilarated and terrified me. I was riding in the car with my parents, looking out the window, and I thought… How do I know if I’m real? Beyond that… how do I know if “reality” even exists? Read more…
Storytelling
Scandal, Star Wars, and Being “Out of Character”
Why some choices can seem so out of character, they leave fans of stories like Scandal and Star Wars feeling betrayed.
Storytelling
In Defense of Night Court and Other Guilty Pleasures
Here’s why some media gets called a “guilty pleasure,” and why we need to stop saying that.