Angelica Jade Bastién is a critic for New York and Vulture focusing on pop culture. She was once described by a close friend as “deliciously vulgar”.
public theater
Rooting for ThemThe end of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez would mean the end of an unapologetically ostentatious celebrity romance that has fed us all for decades.
hoochie daddies
The Hot Boys of Anime Are BackA new crop of male characters is united by undaunted sex appeal, and diversely packaged in ways Hollywood can only dream of achieving.
The Flash in a PanThe latest DC movie is the cinematic equivalent of a snake eating its own tail. This isn’t a film so much as brand management in flailing motion.
Who Can Top Rachel Weisz?She’s giving the greatest performance of her career in Dead Ringers, proving Rachel Weisz’s ideal scene partner is Rachel Weisz.
The Self-possession of Angela BassettShe has an unmatched ability to portray the interior complications and cultural reverberations of Black women’s anger — onscreen and off.
movie review
With Return to Seoul, a Star Is BornPark Ji-min’s remarkable lead performance elevates this withholding yet moving meditation on identity and culture to a masterwork.
best of 2022
The Best Movie Performances of 2022From the deliciously jittery Jake Gyllenhaal to a perfectly arch Rebecca Hall to Taylor Russell as a cannibal, and so much more.
Nikyatu Jusu’s FablesThe director of Nanny, this year’s most acclaimed film at Sundance, blends West African folklore and horror.
performance review
What Was Brangelina?The couple were always known for their image-making savvy. Now, as their divorce reenters the press cycle, we’re reminded of who’s better at it.
close read
The Hollow Impersonation in BlondeIn life, Marilyn Monroe was a complex artist and human being. In the hands of Ana de Armas, she’s an eternal victim.
close read
Harley Quinn Grows UpThe animated series’s third season excavated some deep emotional terrain, at the expense of its gonzo humor.
The 102 Best Movie Sequels of All TimeWho in the world wanted a Top Gun sequel? Not even Tom Cruise, but that didn’t stop Maverick from getting made and soaring in our ranks.
behind the seams
The Tantalizing Failures of Irma VepOlivier Assayas’s remix of his own film is playful and wild, but it lacks what it needs to succeed: a true star performance.
urgent reconsideration
Atlanta Season Three Was a Bad TripAfter a four-year break, Donald Glover’s FX series returned unsure of what it wanted to say. Four Vulture writers and critics try to make sense of it.
