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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

Film

An illustration of a man with brown hair and a blue shirt wearing movie theater 3D glasses that say "VERSUS" across the lenses.

‘Free Time’ subverts any semblance of competent adulthood

I would call “Free Time” incompetence porn, but it’s not.
Liv Steinhardt, Contributing Writer April 5, 2024

Meek data analyst Drew (Colin Burgess) — determined to quit his job — stutters to his boss, “If I have to input more numbers into a little box, I-I’m going to have some...

A photograph of a man’s face with his eyes closed and his eyelids are painted yellow with a black dot in the middle. There is pink smoke in front of his face.

WSN’s guide to the 53rd New Directors/New Films festival

In anticipation of the Lincoln Center and MoMA’s latest edition of ND/NF, WSN has put together a list of the most exciting films on the festival docket.
Mick Gaw, Film & TV Editor April 3, 2024

For the average moviegoer, it is easy to feel like Hollywood is the be all and end all of cinema. With ads for multi-million dollar blockbusters constantly shoved down our throats,...

A man wearing a black trench coat and green crocs leans on a teal front door.

Review: ‘High & Low: John Galliano’ captures a fashion icon falling apart at the seams

The documentary chronicles fashion designer John Galliano’s career in full, but falters in redeeming his character following incidents of antisemitism.
Karina Rower, Deputy Copy Chief April 2, 2024

In the early aughts, John Galliano’s creative direction led fashion houses Givenchy, Dior and Maison Margiela to widespread success. With a flair for the outlandish and avant-garde,...

A film still of a woman leaning on a bathroom sink and taking a picture of herself. To the left, a woman is peaking her head into the bathroom.

Review: ‘Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World’ is a brilliantly funny portrayal of 21st-century labor

In his new feel-bad comedy, Radu Jude inventively depicts the frenzy of late stage capitalism through an overburdened personal assistant in the film industry.
Nolan Morris, Contributing Writer April 1, 2024

In “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World,” Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude’s latest satirical comedy, the reality of late-stage capitalism is depicted as a pendulum...

A collage of four movie posters. The upper left is a headshot of a man with his head down and the word "MAESTRO" above. The upper right is two men and a dog with the words “THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN” above them. The bottom left is a man with a sword next to him under the words “VALHALLA RISING.” The bottom right is two women collaged above a road with palm trees along the sides with the words “MULHOLLAND DRIVE.”

Inside the Boxd: ‘Maestro,’ ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ ‘Valhalla Rising’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’

Inside the Boxd is a weekly 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 photograph of a screaming woman running through a green, empty field in a white blood-stained dress.

Review: Unfortunately, ‘Immaculate’ doesn’t live up to its name

With “Immaculate,” Michael Mohan delivers an imperfect, try-hard horror film that redeems itself by being somewhat fun and occasionally comedic.
Lulu Chatterjee, Staff Writer March 27, 2024

With the horror bar set lower than the depths of hell, Michael Mohan’s and Sydney Sweeney’s newest project, “Immaculate,” is at least well-paced, gripping and not entirely...

A cartoon panda with a straw hat and a red cape winds up a punch to a flying green stingray on a black background with a yellow flash.

Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ lacks what made its predecessors so charming

DreamWorks Animation’s latest addition to the decade-long series lacks the ingenuity and emotional core of its predecessors.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Staff Writer March 26, 2024

Once again, our favorite animated panda is back. The first “Kung Fu Panda” film released in 2008, winning the hearts and minds of critics and audiences alike, making it one...

Black and white photo of a man in a fuzzy zip-up jacket and glasses looks up to the right.

Q&A: Filmmaker Neo Sora on capturing Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance

WSN spoke with director Neo Sora about his latest film “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” the late musical icon’s last recorded concert.
Mick Gaw, Film & TV Editor March 15, 2024

Based in both New York and Tokyo, Japanese American filmmaker Neo Sora is a relative newcomer to the world of cinema. Named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by...

Split-image illustration of cartoon characters with a dark blue background. A young boy in orange clothes with an arrow tattoo on his forehead is at the center. A man and a woman controlling fire and water are on the right side. There’s a flying bison, blue mask and another woman in face paint with a headdress on the left.

Review: Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ is rough, buddy

The live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” rarely ever excels as a shot-for-shot remake of the popular cartoon, ultimately frustrating longtime fans of the original.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah March 15, 2024

Warning: This review contains spoilers for “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Two of your favorite WSN staffers offer their thoughts on one of the most anticipated shows of the...

A woman with a shocked expression and covered in blood crouches in front of a door. She’s staring at someone lying on the floor out of frame with their feet exposed.

Review: ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ is a sultry slasher that disappoints

Within the brawn and blood of New Mexico in the ’80s, Rose Glass’ romantic thriller precariously balances romance and violence against a quickly paced plot.
Eleanor Jacobs, Staff Writer March 15, 2024

While “Love Lies Bleeding” succeeds in establishing its mood and creating endearing characters, it misses the opportunity to expound on its victories in pursuit of adrenaline. Directed...

A man puts his head on a woman's lap in a car.

Review: ‘Expats’ stumbles upon modern Hong Kong

The high anticipation for A24 director Lulu Wang’s portrayal of the Asian metropolis doesn’t seem to be given enough air time — but her efforts shine through.
Kaitlyn Sze Tu, Contributing Writer March 11, 2024

“Expats,” a new Amazon Prime Video series, follows the stories of three dispirited American women living in Hong Kong. Based on the novel “The Expatriates” by Korean American...

An illustration of a young boy and girl in a courtyard, looking at each other. The girl, colored red, stands on a staircase and the boy, colored blue, stands on the sidewalk. Both the boy and the girl have yellow bubbles around them.

Why Celine Song should win best screenplay at the Oscars

Though it’s worth recognizing the visual and technical merits behind the success of “Past Lives,” Celine Song’s genre-defying screenplay is the star of the film.
Bella Simonte, Contributing Writer March 8, 2024

Most romantic comedies with so-called happy endings are perfect guilty pleasures, but they set unrealistic expectations that leave viewers vulnerable to heartbreak. Korean Canadian...