Critics at Large | The New Yorker

“Wake Up Dead Man” and the Whodunnit Renaissance

Does “Hamlet” Need a Backstory?

In this episode of "Critics at Large," Alex Schwartz, Naomi Fry, and Vinson Cunningham discuss Chloé Zhao's film "Hamnet," a fictionalized story about the writing of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The hosts share their varying opinions on the film, with one disliking it, one enjoying aspects of it, and one loving it. They del...

After “Wicked,” What Do We Want from the Musical?

In “Pluribus,” Utopia Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be

The Guilty Pleasure of the Heist

Critics at Large Live: Padma Lakshmi’s Expansive Taste

Why Horror Still Haunts Us

In the Dark: Blood Relatives, Episode 1

Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

I Need a Critic: October, 2025, Edition

In this episode of Critics at Large, Alex Schwartz, Naomi Fry, and Vinson Cunningham offer cultural advice to listeners, featuring a special guest appearance by actor Morgan Spector, who seeks guidance on evaluating his poetry. The hosts then address listener-submitted questions, including recommendations for binge-wor...

How the Trad Wife Took Over

One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another

In this episode of Critics at Large, Alex, Naomi, and Vinson discuss Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, One Battle After Another, and how it fits into his broader filmography. They delve into the film's plot, its exploration of political themes, and its connection to Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland. The hosts share their...

What's Cooking?

“The Paper,” “The Lowdown,” and the Drama of Journalism

Why We're All In on Gambling

In this episode of Critics at Large, Alex Schwartz, Naomi Fry, and Vinson Cunningham delve into the pervasive nature of gambling in contemporary society, exploring its evolution from traditional casinos to online platforms. They discuss how the legalization of online sports betting has integrated gambling into daily li...

Our Fads, Ourselves

In this episode of Critics at Large, Naomi Fry, Alex Schwartz, and Vinson Cunningham delve into the cultural phenomenon of the Labubu toy craze, examining its origins, appeal, and connections to past toy fads like Beanie Babies and the Dutch tulip craze. They discuss the role of social media, particularly TikTok, in dr...

How to Watch a Movie

In this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham interviews Richard Brody about auteur theory, exploring its origins with French critics in the late 1940s and 1950s and its transatlantic journey to America. They discuss key figures like Godard, Truffaut, Sarris, and Kael, and examine how auteurism influenced film...

Les Américains à Paris

In this episode of Critics at Large, Alex Schwartz interviews Lauren Collins, The New Yorker's correspondent in Paris, about the enduring allure of Paris for Americans. They discuss the historical context of Americans in Paris, referencing figures like Edith Wharton, Janet Flanner, Josephine Baker and James Baldwin, an...

How Zohran Mamdani Became the Main Character of New York City

Late Night's Last Laugh

In this episode of "Critics At Large," Vinson Cunningham, Alex Schwartz, and Naomi Fry discuss the state of late-night television, focusing on Stephen Colbert and the factors contributing to the potential decline of the genre. They explore the historical context of late-night, from Johnny Carson's monoculture to the po...