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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Natalie Whalen

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor

All content by Natalie Whalen
Mary Elizabeth Winstead in "All About Nina."

Tribeca 2018: Comedy and Trauma and ‘All About Nina’

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor April 30, 2018
NYU alumna Eva Vives’ newest film “All About Nina" blends comedy, drama and romance, but if you came just for the laughs, be warned...
A Renaissance in Independent Filmmaking

A Renaissance in Independent Filmmaking

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor April 4, 2018
Your favorite movie from the past five years almost wasn’t made. Luckily, it was, thanks to the growing independent studios that put it in theaters.
 Benjamin Dickey and Alia Shawkat in "Blaze."

‘Blaze’ and the Unsung Country Legend

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor March 22, 2018
Ethan Hawke's "Blaze" follows the life of little-known country blues singer Blaze Foley. It recently competed at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Toni Collette stars as the matriarch of the Graham family in A24's new horror film "Hereditary."

‘Hereditary’ Scares On Two Levels at SXSW

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor March 20, 2018
A24's newest horror film “Hereditary” ditches jump scares for deeper, psychological anxieties that work together to recreate what nightmares are made of.
Superorganism performing at SXSW 2018.

SXSW 2018: (Some Of) The Best Artists You Missed

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor March 19, 2018
We’ve compiled a list of New York and NYU-based artists and bands from SXSW last week. Check it out!
Christopher Plummer as Jack and Vera Farmiga as Laura in a scene from “Boundaries,” directed by Shana Feste.

‘Boundaries’ Director Crosses Personal Thresholds

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor March 19, 2018
WSN sat down with "Boundaries" director Shana Feste and cast members Lewis MacDougall and Yahya Abdul-Mateen to discuss the film's premiere at SXSW.
Dee Rees: “Mudbound”

Dee Rees: “Mudbound”

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor March 5, 2018
Tisch grad and "Mudbound" writer/director Dee Rees became the first black woman to be nominated for best adapted screenplay at the Academy Awards.
A still from Sophie Brooks’ debut film, “The Boy Downstairs”.

‘The Boy Downstairs’ Is More Rom Than Com

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor February 23, 2018
Sophie Brooks’ debut film "The Boy Downstairs” is a smart first feature for the NYU Tisch alum.
Lafayette Hall

Lafayette Hall

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor February 22, 2018

Address: 80 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10013 Cost per semester: $5,609-$9,386 Low cost: Available Rooms available: Singles, Doubles, Triples Nearby subways: A,...

Staff Recs: Best Songs to Cry To

Staff Recs: Best Songs to Cry To

The WSN Staff compiled a playlist of the best songs to cry to this Valentine's Day. Sit back, relax and feel all the feels.
Staff Recs: Movies You Might Have Missed in 2017

Staff Recs: Movies You Might Have Missed in 2017

From Sean Baker’s indie darling “The Florida Project” to Margaret Betts’ widely unseen “Novitiate,” here are WSN's picks for movies you might have missed in 2017.
“May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers" explores the brothers Scott and Seth's lives and careers during 2014. The documentary aired on HBO Monday, Jan. 29 at 8 pm and is available for streaming on HBO GO.

Avett Brothers Documentary Captures the Enigma

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor January 31, 2018
The documentary, “May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers,” explores the intersections between music, family, love and heartbreak during a transitional time for the prolific group.
The 75th Golden Globe Awards, on Jan. 7, 2018, wasn’t as progressive towards women and minorities as the Time’s Up movement promised it to be. Greta Gerwig, for one, wasn’t nominated for ‘Best Director’ for her new film “Lady Bird”.

Globes’ Misguided Genre Bending

Natalie Whalen, Film Editor January 22, 2018
The Golden Globes seemed to stand on the precipice of progress, but this progress it boasts is far from equal.
The much-anticipated return of "Fargo" picks up right where it left off in its Minnesotan melodrama, surpassing even the most wary of critics' expectations.

The Return to ‘Fargo’

Natalie Whalen, Entertainment Editor April 25, 2017
The newest season of "Fargo" has officially returned, and the return to Minnesota's snowy and mysterious landscape is perfectly sinister with the Coen brother's original film.
Tisch graduating seniors showcase their photography in "Show Two." The exhibit will run until April 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Photography Challenged in Tisch Senior Thesis Show

Natalie Whalen, Entertainment Editor March 27, 2017
The Tisch Photography and Imaging Department's senior thesis exhibition "Show Two" brings a series of works that thoroughly challenging the very concepts underlying photography itself.
Tisch alumni John Early and Kate Berlant perform in their new project “555.”

NYU Alumni Mock Entertainment Industry in “555”

Natalie Whalen, Entertainment Editor January 30, 2017
In their new original series "555" on Vimeo, NYU alums Kate Berlant and John Early use self-reflexive humor and sharp wit to take aim at the entertainment industry with the confidence of actors who are no longer at their first rodeo — or their second.
Duane Linklater’s work is on display at 80WSE, in the gallery’s “From Our Hands” exhibition.

View Now: Art Around Campus

Natalie Whalen, Entertainment Editor January 23, 2017
If you're craving the experience of visiting a museum gallery without the hassle and cost of going uptown to MoMA or the Guggenheim, check out these NYU galleries just moments from class and full of university-affiliated artists.
NYU Tisch alum, Sayer Mansfield, pictured in the center wearing red lipstick, is one of the performers in Pilobolus, which is now at Skirball.

NYU Dancer Tests Her Limits

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer December 5, 2016
NYU alumna Sayer Mansfield has graduated from the university and found her niche in Pilobolus, where she gets to combine dancing and acting for an art all its own.
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, "The Edge of Seventeen" will be premiered in theaters on November 18th.

‘Edge of Seventeen’ Models Teen Angst in Digital Age

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer November 18, 2016
"The Edge of Seventeen" takes the age-old teen film genre and refreshes it with not just a visually striking but powerfully relevant look at teenage-hood in the modern age.
"Daughters of the Dust", the inspiration behind Beyoncé's "Lemonade", discusses the conflicts of the Black female identity and is to be re-released by Cohen Media Group in honor of its 25th anniversary.

‘Lemonade’-Inspiring ‘Daughters of the Dust’ To Be Re-Released

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer November 17, 2016
One of the films that served as Beyoncé's inspiration for her visual album "Lemonade" is about to be re-released.
“Before the Flood,” is a documentary about the exigency of caring for the environment in severe midst of climate change.

DiCaprio’s Doc is Pretentious — In a Good Way

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer October 20, 2016
Leonardo Dicaprio's new documentary "Before the Flood" is one of the most affecting pieces of work that the actor has produced yet, and he's not even in it.
“100 Years” follows one Native American woman through her fight against injustice in modern America.

‘100 Years’ Still Not Long Enough

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer October 11, 2016
"100 Years" in one of the most in-depth and unsettling examinations of injustices against Native Americans to surface in film history. Director Melinda Janko follows the story of Blackfeet warrior Elouise Cobell, who fought for 30 years for justice for her people.
PBS’s Point of View documentary series features “All the Difference,” a film that follows two Urban Prep high school students, on Monday, September 12.

PBS Documentary “All the Difference” Highlights Urban Education

Natalie Whalen, Contributing Writer September 12, 2016

PBS’s Point of View documentary series will feature the stirring “All the Difference” this Monday, Sept. 12. The film follows the respective paths of two Urban Prep high...

On September 7, artists D.R.A.M., Kamaiyah, and Kelela performed at NYU’s annual Mystery Concert at Poisson Rouge.

D.R.A.M. Stuns at Mystery Concert

Natalie Whalen, Contributing Writer September 12, 2016
The Program Board's annual Mystery Concert, a Welcome Week staple, seriously stunned with its hip-hop lineup of Kamaiyah, D.R.A.M., and Kelela.

Netflix Conquers the Film Industry

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer April 6, 2016
Netflix has started to produce its own cinematic content, causing traditional studios to worry if it will be the streaming service will be a major player in the coming years.
“The Path” is a new Hulu series created by NYU Dramatic Writing alum Jessica Goldberg and airs on Wednesdays.

Alum Creates Complex Hulu Show

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer April 4, 2016
NYU Dramatic Writing alum Jessica Goldberg created the new Hulu series "The Path", starring Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan as members of a cult.
“Everything Will Be Fine” is a German Drama starring James Franco which is set to release in theaters in the United States on December 4, 2015.

Nothing is fine in ‘Every Thing Will Be Fine’

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer December 2, 2015
Wim Wenders' "Everything Will Be Fine" stars James Franco as a writer who causes a car crash.
Influenced by street art, New York native Chris Ellis presents New York City through the eyes of a native.

‘Dazeworld’ comes to the Museum of the City of New York

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer December 1, 2015
Graffiti artist Daze (Chris Ellis) goes indoors in "The City is My Muse," a collection of paintings at the Museum of the City of New York.
Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne star in Tom Hooper’s new film “The Danish Girl”.

Film looks at transgender women in 1920s Denmark

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer November 23, 2015
"The Danish Girl" overcomes controversial cisgender casting to create a tender and visceral film about Lili Wegener, a 20th century transgender woman
NYU Tisch Alumna Camilla Niellson's sixth film, “Democrats” centers on the three-year project of drafting a democratic constitution in Zimbabwe.

Alumna wins best documentary at Tribeca with ‘Democrats’

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer November 17, 2015
Tisch alumna Camilla Nielsson won Best Documentary for her film "Democrats," which captures the alliance between two Democratic parties in Zimbabwe.
“The Wonders”, a film on an eleven-year-old girl’s coming-of-age, is well worth its Cannes Grand Prix Prize.

The birds and the beekeepers star in Italian coming of age film

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer October 28, 2015
A small-town family of beekeepers in Italy confronts the lure of reality television when a production crew rolls into town. Alice Rohrwacher's film "The Wonders" tells the charming coming-of-age story of a young teenage girl who must face the changes coming over her town and herself.
Contemporary artist Walid Raad’s work will be displayed on the second and third floors of the MoMA until January 31, 2016.

Lebanese politics on display at MoMA

Natalie Whalen, Staff Writer October 18, 2015
Photographer Walid Raad reimagines Lebanese history with fictionalized artifacts in his latest exhibit at the MoMA. Two projects, "Scratching on things I could disavow" and The Atlas Group frame the gallery.
The Whitney Museum of American Art just opened its newest exhibit, “The Whitney Collection”, on September 28th.

Whitney opens main collection after move

Natalie Whalen, Contributing Writer October 5, 2015
The Whitney opens their collection to the public in "The Whitney's Collection," featuring over 21,000 paintings by 3,000 artists. If you missed "America is Hard to See," you can still catch most of the artwork here.
Artyom Bystrov (Dima Nikitin) in The Fool (2014). Image courtesy of Olive Films.

Morality is at question in Russian film ‘The Fool’

Natalie Whalen, Contributing writer September 15, 2015
A plumber tries to save unknowing residents from a precarious apartment building in Yury Bykov’s Russian film, "The Fool."