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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

Ethan Sapienza

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor

Ethan Sapienza is the Film Editor for the Washington Square News. Ethan writes about movies. Ethan likes movies. Ethan likes signing friends up for things they don't want to be signed up for, like winning a dinner date with Jeb Bush (you may know him as Jeb!). Ethan's favorite movies are "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "RIPD." Ethan can't think of anything else to put in this bio. Follow him on Twitter

All content by Ethan Sapienza
Elian Gonzalez, the subject of the Tribeca Film Festival documentary "Elian," becomes torn between his homeland of Cuba and the United States in a bitter geopolitical debate.

Tribeca 2017: ‘Elian’ Recounts the U.S.-Cuba Showdown Over a 5-Year-Old Boy

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor May 1, 2017
Debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival, "Elian" depicts the international custody battle over 5-year-old Cuban Elian Gonzalez, which made for a showdown between the United States and Cuba.
Actor and producer Zachary Quinto stars as Josh Norman and actor Jon Hamm stars as Craig in writer and director Brian Shoaf's film “Aardvark.”

Tribeca 2017: Jon Hamm, Jenny Slate Can’t Save ‘Aardvark’

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor May 1, 2017
In "Aardvark," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, an all star cast of Jon Hamm, Jenny Slate and Zachary Quinto can't salvage a terrible movie about mental health.
Debra Winger and Tracy Letts play an estranged married couple, Mary and Michael, in Azazel Jacobs’ new film, “The Lovers.” The film depicts the complications of love and marriage through comedy and realistically flawed characters.

Tribeca 2017: In ‘The Lovers,’ Marriage Can Be Cheating

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 25, 2017
Recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, "The Lovers" explores the nuanced natures and intertwining of marriage, affairs and divorce.
Known most for the new and unique works that are introduced, the Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 19 to April 30, encapsulating a wide range of events from TV show screenings to interviews with stars and directors.

What to Look for at 2017’s Media-Driven Tribeca Film Festival

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 17, 2017
In advance of WSN's coverage of the annual Tribeca Film Festival, here's some films, television shows and other content to look out for!
“The Ticket,” NYU alum Ido Fluk’s second feature, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last weekend.
The film will be released in theaters on Friday, April 7.

Alum Ido Fluk’s Festival Success ‘The Ticket’ Hits Theaters

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 6, 2017
In honor of Tisch alum Dan Stevens' film "The Ticket" being released in theaters today, check out WSN's interview with during the film's premiere at last year's Tribeca Film Festival.
Anne Hathaway stars in “Colassal,” a film about a woman and the discovery of her connection to a creature terrorizing Seoul, Korea. The film’s official release date is April 7.

Anne Hathaway Faces Monsters in ‘Colossal’

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 3, 2017
The new star-studded "Colossal" could have been a great film about handling your own problems, but instead shot its own potential in the foot with half-baked plots and poorly-written character development.
Alexander Lu’s character Mi-Jiang, for his film “Paper Daughters.” The fictional immigrant child is based on Lu's 12 year old sister.

Tisch Senior Talks Making Thesis Film ‘Paper Daughters’

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor March 2, 2017
NYU senior Alexander Lu's thesis film "Paper Daughters" creates a personal interpretation of what was once American history during the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 — and what, with threats of increased immigration regulation, may come to be again.
Palladium Food Court failed a health inspection last week. (Photo by Polina Buchak)

Palladium Hall

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 23, 2017

Residency: Upperclassmen Estimated yearly cost: $15,884 Low-cost rooms available: No Commute to class: 15 minute walk to WSP, 15-20 minute subway ride to Tandon Nearby...

“Manchester By The Sea,” written and directed by NYU Tisch alum Kenneth Lonergan, has been nominated for six Academy Awards.

Tisch to Manchester: Family, Grief and Writer’s Block

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 21, 2017
Before he faces the nerves and excitement of finding out which of six Academy Award nominations he won this week, Kenneth Lonergan spoke with WSN about his latest film, "Manchester By the Sea," and what he feels when looking back at his time at Tisch.
Patriots Should Boycott Trump

Patriots Should Boycott Trump

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 21, 2017
It makes perfect sense to boycott visiting Trump as protest, yet players can take it a step further. Instead of merely hanging back, players should take a visit to Barack Obama — who will be setting up camp in D.C. in the near future — on the same day of the official White House trip.
“I Am Not Your Negro” contains a discussion about racism through the writings of James Baldwin. The document remains relevant to the events happening today.

“I Am Not Your Negro” 40 Years Old, But Modern

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 8, 2017
Raoul Peck's new documentary "I Am Not Your Negro" skillfully encapsulates America's racial history and applies it to today's race relations and lasting racism.
Due to Hollywood’s bias against people of color, “La La Land” will more likely than not beat “Moonlight.”

Oscars Preview: A Tale of Two Movies, but Not Really

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor January 24, 2017
"Moonlight" is an Oscars frontrunner, but "La La Land" is poised to sweep at the awards show.
“I, Daniel Blake” won the 2016 Palme D’or at the Cannes Film Festival.

A Film That Gives More Than We Asked

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor December 5, 2016
Ken Loach's "I, Daniel Blake" gives its audience more than it bargained for with parallels to the populist sentiments that drove Brexit and the working-class frustration riddling America.
Paul Verhoeven boldly explores the complexities of sexual violence and its consequences in “Elle,” which screened in the fourth and final week of the New York Film Festival.

NYFF Week 4: Toiling Along

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor October 19, 2016
The New York Film Festival drew to a close with a week of films that ranged from shocking depictions of recovery from violence to British explorations in the Amazon forest in the early 1900s.
“Naruda,” the World War II noir drama by Pablo Larraín, screened on the third week of the New York Film Festival.

NYFF Week 3: Comedies Within Dramas

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor October 12, 2016
WSN's wrap-up of the third week of the New York Film Festival covers figures from Iggy Pop to the iconic Chilean poet Pablo Neruda whose narratives are told with comedic artistry within their own dramatic tales.

“Manchester by the Sea,” starring Casey Affleck, is one of many tragic films featured in the 54th New York Film Festival.

NYFF Week 2: The Contrasting Reasons for Sadness in Daily Life

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor October 5, 2016
Between Ava DuVernay's "13th" and Kenneth Lonergan's "Manchester By the Sea," this week's films at New York Film Festival exhibited the varying flavors of sorrow.
Lewie Kloster, Tisch senior sits down with WSN to discuss his new short film, “Legal Smuggling with Christine Choy” that will be premiering at NYFF.

Tisch Senior Debuts Film at NYFF

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor October 3, 2016
NYU Tisch senior Lewie Kloster premiered his short film "Legal Smuggling with Christine Choy" at New York Film Festival this week, and took time to sit down and chat with WSN about the experience.
A still from the film “I, David Blake” - one of the works to be screened at 54th New York FIlm Festival.

New York Film Festival: Week One

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor September 26, 2016
WSN gives a brief preview of the first week of the New York Film Festival, including reviews of "Moonlight," "The Son of Joseph" and "I, Daniel Blake."
Antoine Fuqua’s latest film “The Magnificent Seven,” a remake of the 1960s film of the same name, brings back a high-profile version of the Western genre to modern cinema.

‘Magnificent Seven’ Provides Entertainment at the Cost of Morality

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor September 21, 2016
In the latest addition to the well-worn Western film genre, Antoine Fuqua's "Magnificent Seven" is a visually exciting but realistically disappointing remake of its 1960 predecessor.
Even though the summer is coming to an end, there are tons of great movies that are coming out in the fall, such as “The Magnificent Seven” which comes out on September 23.

Films to Beat First Semester Blues

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor September 6, 2016
In preparation for this fall's releases, our Film Editor gives a low-down on what to expect.
Summer Flicks: All Bark, No Bite

Summer Flicks: All Bark, No Bite

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor August 28, 2016

Every summer, millions of people seek the air-conditioned oasis of movie theaters, where the latest installments of beloved franchises contain enough explosions to sedate just...

Riz Ahmed is one of the stars in HBO's new upcoming crime series, "The Night Of".

Tribeca 2016: New HBO Crime Series Promises an Honest Procedural

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 27, 2016
Tribeca Film Festival hosted a preview screening of the first two episodes of "The Night Of," starring Riz Ahmed and John Turturro. The show will premiere on HBO in July.
'High-Rise' Falls Short

‘High-Rise’ Falls Short

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 25, 2016
"High-Rise," a highly anticipated title at TFF starring Tom Hiddleston, centers on the class hierarchies of the residents in a tower.
Alum Ido Fluk Talks 'The Ticket'

Alum Ido Fluk Talks ‘The Ticket’

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 25, 2016
Exclusive interview with NYU alum and filmmaker Ido Fluk about his film "The Ticket" which debuted at Tribeca Film Festival.
"Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent" documents the life of the famously controversial American cook.

Tribeca 2016: Anthony Bourdain’s Doc Brings an Eccentric Cook Back Into the Light

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 20, 2016
A documentary screening at Tribeca called "Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent" follows the life of the famous chef.
From April 13-24, this year's Tribeca Film Festival will be playing films all over Lower Manhattan.

What to See at Tribeca 2016

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 15, 2016
The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival is underway and here are the high-profile films and events to look out for.
Tisch alumnus, Jeremy Saulnier’s upcoming film “Green Room” has already been positively reviewed by many.

Alum’s Road From Tisch to Cannes

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 11, 2016
Tisch alum Jeremy Saulnier's new film "Green Room" stars Patrick Stewart as a Neo-Nazi.

When Cinematic Universes Collide

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor April 7, 2016
In fear of streaming services like Netflix cutting into theater attendance, Hollywood has turned to repetitive franchises and intertwining cinematic universes to keep moviegoers coming.
Sacha Baron Cohen talks about his new movie “The Brothers Grimsby” at the Union Square Regal Cinema.

Sacha Baron Cohen Is No Longer Satirizing, Just Offending

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor March 23, 2016
Sacha Baron Cohen's affinity for daring political statements has changed to cheap, offensive gags in "The Brothers Grimsby".
Miroslav Slaboshpitsky’s new film,  “The Tribe”, revolves around the lives of students in a deaf boarding school in Ukraine.

Beautiful and Bloody, ‘The Tribe’ is Brutal to Watch

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor March 4, 2016
"The Tribe" is the story of a bloody and brutal boarding school for the deaf in Ukraine.

Palladium

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 25, 2016

Residency: Graduate, Upperclassmen, Freshmen Estimated yearly cost: $15,884 - $21,112 Low-cost rooms available: No Commute to class: 15 minutes Nearby subways: N, Q, R,...

'Mountains May Depart' For Naught

‘Mountains May Depart’ For Naught

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor February 12, 2016
Chinese director Jia Zhangke's new film looks at China's economic boom.
Katy Perry headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year, and as much as we love Coldplay, the WSN staff thinks another artist could play the show better.

Staff Recs: Artists We Wish Would Play the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Let's give some more interesting musicians a shot.
Staff Recs: David Bowie Songs

Staff Recs: David Bowie Songs

We'll miss you Ziggy Stardust.
Looking Forward: The Best Five Films to Catch in 2016

Looking Forward: The Best Five Films to Catch in 2016

Ethan Sapienza, Film Editor January 25, 2016
2016 will feature the release of a number of hotly anticipated films.
Five films to catch over winter break

Five films to catch over winter break

Wondering what films to watch over winter break? Check out these five new films coming out this December.
Spotlight is a new American drama film starring Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams.

Film shines ‘Spotlight’ on Church expose

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer November 9, 2015
"Spotlight" stars Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo star as Boston Globe investigative journalists who uncovered the 2002 Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
Netflix paid nearly $12 million for worldwide rights to Cary Fukunaga’s African war drama Beasts of No Nation.

Netflix is no place for new films

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer October 26, 2015
The growing trend of debuting feature films on streaming services like Netflix is creating an irrevocable change in movie-watching practices that isn't all bad.

Call me Elba, Idris Elba

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer October 22, 2015
Idris Elba is the rightful choice to be the next James Bond.
Son of Saul is a 2015 Hungarian drama film, where a Hungarian-Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz works as a Sonderkommando member, burning the dead, during the Holocaust.

‘Son of Saul’ captures hell on screen

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer October 15, 2015
Experience the horror of the Holocaust as never before in the brutally dark "Son of Saul," following Saul's attempts to find a rabbi in Auschwitz for his dead son.
“Labyrinth of Lies” stars Alexander Fehling as Johann Radmann.

‘Labyrinth of Lies’ portrays Holocaust as melodramatic

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer September 29, 2015
"Labyrinth of Lies" follows a young prosecutor in post-WWII Germany as he tries to exact justice upon former Nazis who live without consequences.
“The Transporter Refueled” is a thriller which was released on September 4th.

‘Transporter’ series runs out of fuel

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer September 8, 2015
The "Transporters" franchise returns with a disappointingly sexist and sloppily executed "The Transporter Refueled."

“Riot Club” falls flat with unoriginal characters

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer April 2, 2015
Lone Scherfig’s new drama "The Riot Club” proves unoriginal with its depiction of elitist, affluent British students at Oxford University.
Leandra Leal, left, and Milhem Cortaz star in “A Wolf at the Door.”

‘Wolf’ fails to come to life

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer March 25, 2015
Fernando Coimbra’s new film “Wolf at the Door” is marketed as a thriller, but is revealed to be more like a typical melodrama.
David Cronenberg’s “Maps of the Stars” satirizes celebrity culture.

Nonsensical plot stymies Cronenberg’s ‘Maps’

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer March 3, 2015
David Cronenberg’s newest film "Map to the Stars" satires Hollywood celebrity culture, but its supernatural elements lessen the film's quality.
via IFC Films / Mason (Ellar Coltrane), age 6, in Richard Linklater’s Boyhood.  Courtesy of Matt Lankes.

“Boyhood” questions the rules of motherhood

Ethan Sapienza, Staff Writer November 6, 2014
The maturation of a mother parallels the growth of a boy in "Boyhood"
via flickr.com

Ali documentary features home videos

Ethan Sapienza, Contributing Writer October 8, 2014
"I Am Ali" is an insightful look into Muhammad Ali's life

Famous hip-hop album inspires film

Ethan Sapienza, Contributing Writer October 1, 2014
A documentary about "Illmatic" looks at the cultural influence of Nas