The Celebrity Traitors Finale: Status, Strategy and Shock Twists
The finale of The Celebrity Traitors aired on the 6th November on the BBC, drawing over 12 million viewers and ending with talk show host Alan Carr’s shock win as…
Shock Over Substance: Has TV Gotten Too Unnecessarily Explicit?
Over the past couple of years, it seems as though mainstream TV and film have become increasingly and unnecessarily explicit. Now, I know that by writing this, I might be…
A Return to Dystopia: The Long Walk
The book-to-film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk has been a long time coming, but with its high-stakes nature and heart-breaking character work, it’s a perfect fit for the…
David Vs. Goliath: Why You Should Pick Independent Cinema
Two years ago, I joined the University of Sussex and went from ‘£5.99 Tuesdays’ at the nearest Vue, and a great local independent cinema, to the damp Brighton Odeon, and…
A Critique of Sequels: Let Dead Things Lie
Only blissful ignorance could shield you from what film nerds are describing as the “sequel epidemic”. Year after year, the biggest media conglomerates hold conventions announcing the reprises of long-standing…
Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning
5 STARS It is no secret that Tom Cruise is regarded as the last Hollywood movie star. The title is often mentioned; he has worked with some of the most…
Papal Pop Culture: Social Media and the Two Conclaves
Back in October, I wrote an article on the fascination around Luca Guadagnino’s hit film Challengers, and the impact it had on tennis as a sport and in the media.…
Inside the Mind of Emma Jane Unsworth: An Unfiltered Conversation
Award-winning author Emma Jane Unsworth has returned with Slags. This bold and emotional new novel explores fractured sisterhood, the power of memory, and the evolution of female identity from adolescence…
The Brutalist Debate: Its Brutal Out Here
Nina Benjamin’s Critique ★★★★☆ I was sceptical going into The Brutalist. Nearly four hours long, with a muted marketing campaign, it didn’t initially excite me. But by the time the…
Breaking Down Big Boys: A Review of the Finale
★★★★★ Channel 4’s Big Boys has captivated audiences since its debut in 2022, and its concluding season depicts the chaos of the third year at university, particularly with a looming…
A24: The Pioneers of Original Storytelling
In an age where Hollywood has marvelled at new creative capabilities that technological advancements have provided the modern world, it seems shocking that ideas are beginning to stale. Cinema-goers require…
Supporting Women’s Rights and Women’s Wrongs: The Hitwoman Movie
On one aimless scroll through YouTube, I came across the trailer for Ana de Armas’ new action/thriller movie Ballerina. The film follows de Armas’ character, Eve Macarro, on a vengeance…
The Oscars 2025: Anora’s Surprising Sweep and the Unsurprising Snubs
Winning an Academy Award is considered the pinnacle of success for a filmmaker or actor’s career. Realistically, however, the Oscars are a contest of who deserves an award, whose “moment”…
Mickey 17: Sci-fi Blockbuster Turned Screwball Comedy
It’s been five years since Bong Joon Ho shocked the world by taking home three Oscars, including Best Picture, for his Korean comedy thriller Parasite (2019). His success marked the…
Upcoming Films by Sussex Students
Golden A young gymnast on the cusp of success comes to reject her life of elite gymnastics as a result of her tormenting coach; her mother. Trailer here. Directed by…
Severance Season 2: First Impressions
★★★★★ “Was a Pineapple Involved?”. Opening with a disorientating, Mission Impossible-esque shot of Mark (Adam Scott) running through the severed floor, Severance season two takes no time to get going.…
Review: Presence
★★★★☆ “I know there’s an excellent man inside of you, Tyler. I’d like to see him soon.” Through sheer determination, screenwriter David Koepp has turned the taboo ghost story on…
The Academy Awards: Prestige, Popularity, or Letterboxd?
Words by Jamie Gilbert & Miri Stoneham-Bull As the 97th Academy Awards approach, the annual debate over their relevance and status in popular culture arises once again. Whether upset with…
Is TikTok Live Replacing Television?
Like all media consumption, audiences are increasingly transitioning to digital platforms, including TikTok. Watching traditional TV channels has almost stopped among younger viewers, with 90% of 18- to 24-year-olds heading…
Cringe Culture: The Intersection of Misogyny and Ableism in Fandom Spaces
In 2020, a global lockdown encouraged people to entrench themselves in online fan spaces more than ever before, aided by the internet’s most popular platform: TikTok. But fandom culture existed…