Arts and Entertainment

Aesthetic Authoritarianism bores me: The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent is authoritarianism on a slow, slow summer’s day.

The Devil Still Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada 2 debuts as an unnecessary, narratively confusing legacy sequel, with acting that did not stand the test of time.

Food is my one true love

The A&E department shares their best bites of the issue. The food that melted in their mouths, the one that satiated their insatiable desires, the one where every bite told a story, teasing their taste buds, leaving them craving the next mouthful long after the plate was empty.

The Sound of Spring: How Popular Music Reimagines the Season Across Decades

A playlist-like analysis of how popular music across decades has redefined the idea of the “spring song,” transforming spring from a symbol of simple renewal into a more complex emotional and cultural metaphor.

The Cost of Craze: How Trends Exploit Cultural Ingredients

Viral food trends like matcha, ube, and Dubai chocolate may capture global attention, but their rapid rise comes at the expense of cultural authenticity, shortages, and strain on the supply chains that sustain the communities behind these ingredients.

Art? Science? History? What is Art Conservation?

Stuyvesant alumna Sara Levin, objects conservator for the African and Oceanic art department at the Met shares insights into the art conservation profession.

Making Our Domestic Relics

At the Saatchi Gallery, Domestic Relics—and most notably the works of Jennifer Jones—poignantly reveals how the objects of our domestic lives embody and shape the lives that pass through them.

PopUp Bagels: The Freshest Bagel Store in Tribeca

The Spectator reviews PopUp Bagels, a new bagel place near Stuyvesant that offers a unique eating experience with fresh bagels and unusual schmears.

Blackpink’s Deadline Marks a Long-Awaited yet Uneven Comeback

Nearly a decade into their reign as global icons, Blackpink returns with Deadline, which struggles to justify the group’s three-year hiatus due to uneven production quality.

Six Pieces of Musical Advice from Musicians in my Life

I reached out to six of the most influential musicians on my own musical journey and asked them: What is one piece of advice you have for young musicians?

Heartbreak, Resilience, Love: Taylor Swift Enters a New Era with her music video Opalite

Analyzing the lyrics, script, and visuals of Taylor Swift’s latest music video, Opalite.

Don Toliver’s High-Speed Experiment

Don Toliver’s Octane pushes his signature vocal experimentation to new heights across a disjointed but high-production landscape exploring modern belonging.

Heathcliff Gets a Glow-Up: The Loss of Subtext in Wuthering Heights (2026)

“Wuthering Heights” imposes a glossy, nostalgic vision that sacrifices subtext and tragedy for hollow spectacle.

Let’s Cha Cha Chat About The Romantic!

A review of Bruno Mars’ The Romantic with emphasis on the Latin influences of the album.

Spectator’s Arts and Entertainment department shares their thoughts about this year's Oscars.

Spectator’s Arts and Entertainment department shares their thoughts about this year's Oscars.

Bad Bunny’s Definition of America: Super Bowl LX Halftime

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show redefined the borders of what it means to be American while successfully representing Puerto Rican culture through its music and staging.

One Punch Man S3: Profit over Passion

One Punch Man’s third season is underwhelming in several ways, from the animation errors to the lack of animation altogether. This article dives into the ways in which the season falls short, as well as an explanation of how the season was doomed from the start.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025): For the Fans

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025), while not exactly like the games, is thrilling and suspenseful, making it a fun watch for die-hard fans.

Youth, Rage, and Responsibility

By exploring dark subject matter through the teenage psyche, Adolescence became one of the most gripping shows of the year—uncomfortable yet undeniable.

How to Practice Your Instrument

A rudimentary guide to structuring each practice session.

A Messy Adieu to Stranger Things

Season 5 is filled with small peaks and extreme lows, managing to disappoint and bore while evoking a tear.

A Window Into the Top Film and Television of 2025

Although it had its flaws, 2025’s year in film and television surpasses 2024 and provides hope going into 2026 and beyond.

Adventure Comes Ashore in STC’s Treasure Island

From bold directorial decisions to intense performances from the show's cast and a technical crew functioning at its best, STC’s winter drama Treasure Island was a big success.

Heated Rivalry Is More Than Just Hot

Heated Rivalry features important queer representation and captivating storytelling that is making a real impact, making it truly worth a watch.

Marty Supreme: The Cost of Winning

Marty Supreme (2025) is an electrifying, rapid movie that focuses on how ambition leads to obsession, with stunning performances and successful cinematography anchoring the film.

Friendship, Disagreements, and Wit in Yasmina Reza’s ART

The play’s revival not only made audiences laugh, but also provoked reflection on what qualifies as “art.”

Unfiltered Authority: Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Images of the Trump Administration

Through unsettling proximity and visual imperfection, Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair portraits expose how imagery affects perceived political power.

Psychoanalysis: Dress as a Mirror

Dress, Dreams, & Desire merges fashion and psychoanalysis, framing clothing as a structure of desire rather than expression.

The Holy Trinity comes to Knives Out

A religious, emotional experience with fantastic acting and a solid murder mystery to bear, Knives Out adds a new approach to its repertoire.

Holiday Harmony: Laufey’s Balance of Vocals and Instrumentation in A Very Laufey Holiday

Laufey’s newest additions to her holiday album demonstrate her versatility by using inventive instrumentation to complement her vocals, showcasing her musical talent in various ways.

Lil Yachty, Bowery, and a Room That Won’t Explain Itself

Lil Yachty and Olaolu Slawn use speed, familiarity, and discomfort to force observation to remain active and unresolved.

Dispatch (2025): Your Choices Matter

Dispatch (2025) is incredibly compelling, full of puzzles and hard choices.

Ancient Egyptian Mythology 101 at the Met

Divine Egypt brings ancient artifacts from museums around the world to one space through January

15 Hours in the ER: The Pitt Redefines Medical Drama

With sharp character work, relentless tension, and uncompromising realism, The Pitt stands among the year’s best shows.

Project Hail Mary (2026) Reaches for the Stars

Project Hail Mary serves its purpose well as a hard Sci-Fi adaptation, even as some emotional depth is sacrificed for efficiency.

Aesthetic Authoritarianism bores me: The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent is authoritarianism on a slow, slow summer’s day.

The Devil Still Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada 2 debuts as an unnecessary, narratively confusing legacy sequel, with acting that did not stand the test of time.

Food is my one true love

The A&E department shares their best bites of the issue. The food that melted in their mouths, the one that satiated their insatiable desires, the one where every bite told a story, teasing their taste buds, leaving them craving the next mouthful long after the plate was empty.

The Sound of Spring: How Popular Music Reimagines the Season Across Decades

A playlist-like analysis of how popular music across decades has redefined the idea of the “spring song,” transforming spring from a symbol of simple renewal into a more complex emotional and cultural metaphor.

The Cost of Craze: How Trends Exploit Cultural Ingredients

Viral food trends like matcha, ube, and Dubai chocolate may capture global attention, but their rapid rise comes at the expense of cultural authenticity, shortages, and strain on the supply chains that sustain the communities behind these ingredients.

Art? Science? History? What is Art Conservation?

Stuyvesant alumna Sara Levin, objects conservator for the African and Oceanic art department at the Met shares insights into the art conservation profession.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Too Many Stars, Not Enough Story

A review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with emphasis on its storytelling, character development, and its effectiveness as a sequel.

Making Our Domestic Relics

At the Saatchi Gallery, Domestic Relics—and most notably the works of Jennifer Jones—poignantly reveals how the objects of our domestic lives embody and shape the lives that pass through them.

PopUp Bagels: The Freshest Bagel Store in Tribeca

The Spectator reviews PopUp Bagels, a new bagel place near Stuyvesant that offers a unique eating experience with fresh bagels and unusual schmears.

Blackpink’s Deadline Marks a Long-Awaited yet Uneven Comeback

Nearly a decade into their reign as global icons, Blackpink returns with Deadline, which struggles to justify the group’s three-year hiatus due to uneven production quality.

Six Pieces of Musical Advice from Musicians in my Life

I reached out to six of the most influential musicians on my own musical journey and asked them: What is one piece of advice you have for young musicians?

Heartbreak, Resilience, Love: Taylor Swift Enters a New Era with her music video Opalite

Analyzing the lyrics, script, and visuals of Taylor Swift’s latest music video, Opalite.

Don Toliver’s High-Speed Experiment

Don Toliver’s Octane pushes his signature vocal experimentation to new heights across a disjointed but high-production landscape exploring modern belonging.

Heathcliff Gets a Glow-Up: The Loss of Subtext in Wuthering Heights (2026)

“Wuthering Heights” imposes a glossy, nostalgic vision that sacrifices subtext and tragedy for hollow spectacle.

Let’s Cha Cha Chat About The Romantic!

A review of Bruno Mars’ The Romantic with emphasis on the Latin influences of the album.

Spectator’s Arts and Entertainment department shares their thoughts about this year's Oscars.

Spectator’s Arts and Entertainment department shares their thoughts about this year's Oscars.

Bad Bunny’s Definition of America: Super Bowl LX Halftime

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show redefined the borders of what it means to be American while successfully representing Puerto Rican culture through its music and staging.

SophFrosh SING!: Boy Bands, Breakups, and Plenty of Drama

Diving deep into SophFrosh SING! 2026.

One Punch Man S3: Profit over Passion

One Punch Man’s third season is underwhelming in several ways, from the animation errors to the lack of animation altogether. This article dives into the ways in which the season falls short, as well as an explanation of how the season was doomed from the start.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025): For the Fans

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025), while not exactly like the games, is thrilling and suspenseful, making it a fun watch for die-hard fans.

Youth, Rage, and Responsibility

By exploring dark subject matter through the teenage psyche, Adolescence became one of the most gripping shows of the year—uncomfortable yet undeniable.

A Very Mardi Gras Junior SING!

Diving deep into Junior SING! 2026.

How to Practice Your Instrument

A rudimentary guide to structuring each practice session.

Senior SING!: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

Diving deep into Senior SING! 2026.

A Messy Adieu to Stranger Things

Season 5 is filled with small peaks and extreme lows, managing to disappoint and bore while evoking a tear.

A Window Into the Top Film and Television of 2025

Although it had its flaws, 2025’s year in film and television surpasses 2024 and provides hope going into 2026 and beyond.

Adventure Comes Ashore in STC’s Treasure Island

From bold directorial decisions to intense performances from the show's cast and a technical crew functioning at its best, STC’s winter drama Treasure Island was a big success.

Heated Rivalry Is More Than Just Hot

Heated Rivalry features important queer representation and captivating storytelling that is making a real impact, making it truly worth a watch.

Marty Supreme: The Cost of Winning

Marty Supreme (2025) is an electrifying, rapid movie that focuses on how ambition leads to obsession, with stunning performances and successful cinematography anchoring the film.

Friendship, Disagreements, and Wit in Yasmina Reza’s ART

The play’s revival not only made audiences laugh, but also provoked reflection on what qualifies as “art.”

Unfiltered Authority: Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Images of the Trump Administration

Through unsettling proximity and visual imperfection, Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair portraits expose how imagery affects perceived political power.

Psychoanalysis: Dress as a Mirror

Dress, Dreams, & Desire merges fashion and psychoanalysis, framing clothing as a structure of desire rather than expression.

The Holy Trinity comes to Knives Out

A religious, emotional experience with fantastic acting and a solid murder mystery to bear, Knives Out adds a new approach to its repertoire.

Holiday Harmony: Laufey’s Balance of Vocals and Instrumentation in A Very Laufey Holiday

Laufey’s newest additions to her holiday album demonstrate her versatility by using inventive instrumentation to complement her vocals, showcasing her musical talent in various ways.

Not Quite For The Better – Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good was error-ridden, but it’s still a fun time.

Lil Yachty, Bowery, and a Room That Won’t Explain Itself

Lil Yachty and Olaolu Slawn use speed, familiarity, and discomfort to force observation to remain active and unresolved.

Waiting for the Impossible Resolution

In It Was Just An Accident, Jafar Panahi spins an existential web around one man’s metal leg.

Bassvictim: Testing Forms in Forever

Bassvictim’s Forever explores the band’s sound after the after-parties.

Dispatch (2025): Your Choices Matter

Dispatch (2025) is incredibly compelling, full of puzzles and hard choices.

Ancient Egyptian Mythology 101 at the Met

Divine Egypt brings ancient artifacts from museums around the world to one space through January

15 Hours in the ER: The Pitt Redefines Medical Drama

With sharp character work, relentless tension, and uncompromising realism, The Pitt stands among the year’s best shows.