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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

All content by Shrish Bulusu
(Courtesy of A24)

Review: ‘Mother Mary’ almost reaches divine conception

The thriller about a pop star and her costume designer leans into stunning visuals at the expense of a functional narrative.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer April 27, 2026

It’s fitting that “Mother Mary,” director David Lowery’s haunting new film about a pop star and her estranged costume designer, premiered during the second weekend of Coachella....

(Julianna Lindo for WSN)

But bro, did you see it in IMAX?

Against the backdrop of a franchise-fatigued Hollywood, film culture has become fixated on maximizing the cinematic experience.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer April 10, 2026

There are only about 30 70mm IMAX movie theater screens in the world. These huge screens have the technology to project real film reels, not just the digital copies used...

(Allina Xiao for WSN)

Long live the rom-com leading lady

Hollywood has struggled to pinpoint what made the late Diane Keaton so magical, but some recent films have already found the answer.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer March 9, 2026

Has the romantic comedy been revived? The signs point to yes. January sparkled in the cozy glow of Netflix’s “People We Meet on Vacation,” and February dripped in the sweaty...

(Courtesy photo by Jasper Kettner, courtesy of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program)

Q&A: Thai filmmaker on the limits and possibilities of cinema

WSN spoke with Anocha Suwichakornpong, whose work will return to theaters in a series at the Metrograph.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer February 20, 2026

You could say 2025 was the year movies went meta. “Sentimental Value,” “Jay Kelly” and “Nouvelle Vague” captured refracted images of the film industry with a...

(Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)

Review: ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ is outlandishly electric

Amanda Seyfried stars as a singing 18th-century religious visionary in this strange but epic historical drama.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer February 3, 2026

Since it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last September, “The Testament of Ann Lee” has been ruffling feathers. First reactions ranged from withering to...

(Courtesy of Joint Venture)

Love transcends borders in ‘If You See Something’

Co-writer and star Jess Jacobs spoke to WSN about the immigration drama, which captures a couple fighting to stay together.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer January 26, 2026

The title “If You See Something” comes from the post-9/11 slogan “If You See Something, Say Something.” Still splayed across subway walls and framed in government buildings,...

Director Joachim Trier and co-screenwriter Eskil Vogt. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The humanist filmmaking behind ‘Sentimental Value’

WSN spoke with director Joachim Trier and co-screenwriter Eskil Vogt about the roles of art and family in their new film.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer December 5, 2025

As director Joachim Trier suggested at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, tenderness is the new punk. After enrapturing international audiences with “The Worst...

(Courtesy of Focus Features)

Review: ‘Hamnet’ stabs the soul

This fictional account of how the death of William Shakespeare’s son inspired “Hamlet” is a heartbreaking force of nature.
Shrish Bulusu, Staff Writer December 4, 2025

Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel “Hamnet” explores the inextricable link between art and life. The fictional story tells how the death of William Shakespeare’s son Hamnet...

(Courtesy of Black Bear)

Review: Sydney Sweeney punches up in the lackluster ‘Christy’

Despite a committed lead performance, the boxing biopic falters under the weight of its trophy-courting approach.
Shrish Bulusu, Contributing Writer November 18, 2025

When awards season comes around, every young actor in Hollywood seems to be starring in a new biopic engineered to bring them a shiny gold statue. Jeremy Allen White just...

(Courtesy of Arab Film Distribution)

‘The Land’ reckons with powerlessness

Recently screened at the Metrograph’s retrospective on Egyptian auteur Youssef Chahine, the 1970 film speaks to the divisions in power and wealth that still govern our lives.
Shrish Bulusu, Contributing Writer November 10, 2025

Youssef Chahine’s 1970 film “The Land” — “Al-ard” in Arabic — opens on a close shot of an old man’s hands. Covered in dust, he grips the dry soil around the cotton...

(Jenny Qian for WSN)

This year’s Village Halloween Parade wasn’t your average potluck

A frightful feast was served up at the potluck-themed parade, which aimed to foster community amid a tumultuous food policy climate.
Shrish Bulusu, Contributing Writer November 3, 2025

About 80,000 costumed New Yorkers marched along Sixth Avenue from Canal Street to 15th Street on Halloween night for the 52nd Village Halloween Parade, this year with the theme...