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

Film

A man with a child clinging to his back dressed in winter clothes walks through the snowy woods.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi on blurring reality and fiction

WSN spoke with Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi about his newest film “Evil Does Not Exist.”
JP Pak, Contributing Writer May 3, 2024

In the years since his breakout “Happy Hour” (2015) and Academy Award-winning “Drive My Car” (2021), the world seems to have almost conformed to the central concerns of...

Illustration of a laptop screen and red mug in front of a purple background with a black-and-white illustration of a woman with an updo on the screen.

Off the Radar: The summer of revolution in ‘Soy Cuba’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Soy Cuba” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Film & TV Editor May 3, 2024

As the semester rapidly comes to a close, with final exams and 15-page papers weighing us down, the prospect of summer has never tasted so sweet. Whether it is cycling through...

A man holds onto the back of a vehicle while crossing a bridge. There are several other cars behind him.

Review: Prepare to fall for ‘The Fall Guy’

American filmmaker David Leitch’s action comedy sticks the landing in its celebration of the stunt teams and production crews that craft movie magic.
Dani Biondi, Staff Writer May 2, 2024

In his nearly three-decade-long career, American filmmaker David Leitch has been a prominent figure in the action film genre, with credits as a producer on the “John Wick”...

A woman and a man look at each other while both holding the same whiskey glass.

Review: ‘Challengers’ volleys between on and off-court tension

Fear not, athletically challenged viewers: Luca Guadagnino’s new tennis drama centers on the sport, but the real heat is off the court.
Dani Biondi, Staff Writer April 30, 2024

Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino has mastered erotic subtext in his filmography; by means of cannibals in “Bones and All” and even peaches in “Call Me by Your Name,” his...

Movie screengrab of five people gathered in a room entrance, the central figure is a brunette man in a tan suit.

Review: The sunny ‘La chimera’ finds tenderness in graverobbing

In this tale of stolen artifacts and found families, a long-lost love shines through.
Ethan Beck, Staff Writer April 29, 2024

Who’s allowed to unravel lost memories and hidden traumas? In her latest film “La chimera,” Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher ponders this central question. Similar to her...

A film still of two men in military outfits holding guns and walking people with black bags over their heads. Behind them, a girl sits against a wall with chalk markings of pink, blue and green, wearing a black vest with the word, “PRESS” written on it.

Review: ‘Civil War’ asks viewers what kind of American they are

Alex Garland criticizes journalistic and bystander integrity in his new A24 film “Civil War.”
Bella Simonte, Contributing Writer April 24, 2024

British filmmaker Alex Garland has returned to A24 with his newest film “Civil War.” Though the title suggests otherwise, the film is less about politics and more a critique...

In the background is the Letterboxd website window, which shows three films in the “Popular Films This Week” category: “Dune: Part Two” “La La Land,” and “Spirited Away.” To the lower right, there is a phone screen showing the overview for the film “The First Omen.”

Inside the Boxd: ‘Monkey Man,’ ‘Dune: Part Two,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and more

Inside the Boxd is a column documenting WSN staffers’ recent film reviews on Letterboxd. Grab some popcorn and get that watchlist ready!

With roughly 10 million site-wide users in 2023, including the likes of NYU alumni Martin Scorsese and Ayo Edebiri, Letterboxd has become the premier social media platform for...

A girl wearing a white tank top and blue jeans sits on a store countertop, holding a wooden sign that reads, “Brandy Melville.”

Review: ‘Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion’ has been a long time coming

Australian documentarian Eva Orner calls for strikes and boycotts against the exploitation and overconsumption at Brandy Melville, within a larger conversation about fast-fashion culture.
Bella Simonte, Contributing Writer April 18, 2024

In the early 2000s, Brandy Melville gained traction because of its breezy, coquette-style clothing. Soon, the aesthetic turned into a stamp of approval used to brand the haves...

Two women wearing neutral colors are shocked as the woman in front of them flips her hair.

Review: ‘Wicked Little Letters’ spells out what it means to be kind

In “Wicked Little Letters,” handwriting isn’t the only script that denotes what it means to be a good mother, drunkard, neighbor or friend.
Liv Steinhardt, Contributing Writer April 17, 2024

Chronically bad handwriting runs in my family. When my mom and I exchange holiday cards, it becomes a race to see who can decipher whose faster. But as much as we would like to...

A giant gorilla wielding a spear.

Review: In ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,’ Godzilla is nowhere to be found

The newest installment of the MonsterVerse franchise is a try-hard successor of “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Kaitlyn Sze Tu, Contributing Writer April 16, 2024

The MonsterVerse movie formula seemed impossible to get wrong. How could you mess up bringing together two of cinema’s most iconic monsters? The opening scene delivers...

Illustration of a laptop screen and red mug in front of a purple background, on the screen there are two women walking in a park kicking their legs out in sync.

Off the Radar: ‘Attenberg’ is a transformative repose

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Attenberg” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Amalia Rizos, Contributing Writer April 12, 2024

We’ve reached the point in the slow-going transition from winter to spring of being desperate for something new — conditioning ourselves to the gloominess of a New York City...

A sweaty man with blood on his face glares through a curtain in purple lighting.

Review: ‘Monkey Man’ powerfully reinvents the underdog action film

Dev Patel’s groundbreaking directorial debut breathes new life into the action genre through gruesome fight scenes, Hindu folklore and social commentary.
Lulu Chatterjee, Staff Writer April 9, 2024

The Dev Patel drought has finally come to an end — the British actor booms back into the scene with his debut feature, “Monkey Man.” The Jordan Peele-produced film is a harrowing...