The Review

The Atlantic

Don’t just watch a movie; understand it. Don’t just hear a song; consider what it has to say. On The Review, writers and guests discuss how we entertain ourselves, and how that defines the way we see the world. Join The Atlantic’s writers as they break down a work of pop culture each week, exploring the big questions that great art can provoke, making some recommendations for you, and having a little fun along the way.

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20 episodes
Updated May 25, 2022

Episodes20

Newest first

May 25, 2022 · 40 min
Top Gun
On the advent of Top Gun: Maverick, three Atlantic writers revisit the classic fighter pilot movie
May 18, 2022 · 41 min
Knocked Up
Our hosts discuss what to make of how pop culture treats abortion and women's bodies.
May 12, 2022 · 48 min
Winning Time
David Sims, Vann Newkirk, and Ross Andersen discuss the love-it-or-hate-it HBO series about the rise of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.
May 4, 2022 · 47 min
Severance
Spencer Kornhaber, Sophie Gilbert, and David Sims discuss the sci-fi thriller, how it echoes our real-life workplace anxieties, and what other dystopian works they recommend.
Apr 27, 2022 · 38 min
The Northman
Shirley Li, David Sims, and Sophie Gilbert debate the brutal viking blockbuster The Northman. Is it a thrillingly visceral tour-de-force or just Shakespeare for people who love crossfit?
Apr 20, 2022 · 43 min
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Shirley Li, David Sims, and Spencer Kornhaber discuss the hit reality-bending action comedy. At a time of comic-book shows and movies filled with multiverses, why does this entry seem so… fresh?
Apr 14, 2022 · 54 min
Turning Red
Shirley Li, Spencer Kornhaber, and Lenika Cruz discuss the Pixar coming-of-age film Turning Red, why they found it utterly charming, and why this post-villain era of animation is a welcome one.
Apr 6, 2022 · 44 min
Is Pop Music Obsessed With Nostalgia?
Spencer Kornhaber, Shirley Li, and Hannah Giorgis assess the state of pop music following the Grammys.
Mar 30, 2022 · 50 min
The Dropout
From Theranos to WeWork to the socialite grifter Anna Delvey, television these days is all about the art of the scam. Why are these stories dominating our screens right now? And what does this moment reveal about American culture? Sophie Gilbert, Megan Garber, and Shirley Li discuss while recapping why they love The Dropout.
Mar 23, 2022 · 41 min
West Side Story
Sixty years after the classic 1961 film, West Side Story got an update from none other than Steven Spielberg. David Sims, Sophie Gilbert, and Spencer Kornhaber compare the two versions. Does the 2021 remake overcome some of the original’s problematic elements by grounding the story in actual history? Or does Spielberg’s realism undermine the dreamlike quality that helped make West Side Story a classic in the first place?
Mar 16, 2022 · 53 min
The Batman
David Sims, Sophie Gilbert, and Spencer Kornhaber discuss Robert Pattinson, their favorite Batman, and the state of our superhero monoculture.
Mar 10, 2022 · 42 min
Drive My Car
David Sims, Shirley Li, and Lenika Cruz discuss the Oscar-nominated Japanese film Drive My Car. Does the success it and recent films have found mean we’re in a new era of appreciation for international film?
Mar 2, 2022 · 47 min
The Power of the Dog
The Jane Campion western drama is the most Oscar-nominated film this year. But does it, as Spencer Kornhaber has written, have a queer problem? Based on a 1967 novel, the movie’s found praise as an incisive study of masculinity. Does its dated source material make it a collection of cliched gay narrative though? Spencer Kornhaber, Shirley Li, and David Sims discuss.
Feb 23, 2022 · 42 min
Pam & Tommy
Sophie Gilbert, Spencer Kornhaber, and Shirley Li discuss the Hulu series about “the greatest love story ever sold” and ask: Is Pam & Tommy just repeating the exploitation it depicts? Or is its retelling of internet history revealing something new about our current culture?
Feb 16, 2022 · 50 min
Can Rom-Coms Make a Comeback?
David Sims, Hannah Giorgis, and Sophie Gilbert discuss the state of romantic comedies. Are they indeed dead? What happened to them? And can they make a comeback? They review Marry Me and I Want You Back, two new rom-coms that premiered over Valentine’s Day weekend.
Feb 10, 2022 · 29 min
The Experiment: Uncle Spam
A bonus episode sharing the first of The Experiment podcast’s new three-part series.
Feb 3, 2022 · 48 min
Yellowjackets
Shirley Li, Megan Garber, and Lenika Cruz discuss the Showtime series about high-school girls stranded in the wilderness.
Jan 26, 2022 · 45 min
The Lost Daughter
David Sims, Sophie Gilbert, and Shirley Li discuss the Netflix drama adapted from an Elena Ferrante novel.
Jan 19, 2022 · 44 min
Frasier
Does 'Frasier' hold up better than any other sitcom of its era? Megan Garber, Sophie Gilbert, and Spencer Kornhaber break down their favorite pandemic comfort watch.
Jan 12, 2022 · 46 min
Don't Look Up
Adam McKay’s disaster satire is many things at once: a parable of our distracted society, a primal scream of a warning, and a comedy from the writer/director of Anchorman. That delicate balance has made the star-studded Netflix film a polarizing movie. Sophie Gilbert, David Sims, and Spencer Kornhaber discuss 'Don’t Look Up' and whether real life is now beyond satire.