FILM 'Warfare' is an unbearably intense true story according to Grace Ko (CAS '27). B2
MUSIC Djo's third album crosses into new territory, says Francis Rienzo (CAS '27). B4
FILM Tanvi Gorripati (CAS '27) laughs through an awkward love story during 'A Nice Indian Boy.' B6
APRIL 25, 2025
Historical vampire flick 'Sinners' succeeds in what Ryan Coogler does best: his characters. B3
Ethan Hill
Deputy Guide Editor
Grace Ko Senior Guide Editor
“Warfare” is nothing short of brutal. Drawing on co-director Ray Mendoza’s experience in the Iraq War, Mendoza and co-director Alex Garland ensure “Warfare” closely reflects the memories of the Navy SEALs who inspired the story. The result is a film that, while haunting, begs for a deeper examination of the subject at hand.
The premise of “Warfare” is quite simple — the narrative follows a team of Navy SEALs who conduct an operation in Ramadi, Iraq. The operation is based on one Mendoza was actually a part of in Nov. 2006, and the film was constructed from both Mendoza’s memory of the event and the memories of his fellow soldiers. The film’s script effectively stitches these varied perspectives together to create a cohesive narrative thread that, in its best moments, is unbearably intense.
Through various interviews, both Garland and Mendoza said they wanted to stay as true as they could to the brutal reality of warfare while making the film. The film leaves dramatics at the door, allowing an eerie calm to settle in as the audience’s
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“Warfare” is hauntingly brutal but misses the mark on tackling all of the sides of true war, says Grace Ko (CAS ’27).
quiet companion. The first half of “Warfare” is quite literally spent watching these soldiers lie in wait — a sniper peers through his scope, quietly reporting any activity, while two others huddle over a monitor as their commanding officer watches nearby. It’s all strangely mundane and serves to ground the film in reality before the shock of the film’s second half.
Indeed, against the first half’s eerie calm, the latter half of the film erupts into a horrid storm driven by phenomenal sound design. The hails of gunfire land with heavy force, practically punching through the soundsystem. In one particularly effective moment, the detonation of an improvised explosive device cuts all sound, replacing it with a high pitched ringing that reflects the shocked, disorientated state of the soldiers. Amid the chaos, Ray (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) drags the injured Sam (Joseph Quinn) back into the house they have set up camp. At first, Sam’s screams are silent, muted by ringing, but immediately upon their return into the home, the silence is shattered by the raw and excruciating sounds of Sam’s cries. What is already a harrowing sequence becomes truly haunting.
Elevating this intense presentation is a phenomenal ensemble of actors, each delivering a powerful performance. The cast is full of familiar names such as Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Charles Melton, Woon-A-Tai, Quinn, Kit Connor and more — all current rising stars and quite talented actors. Their individual performances propel the film forward as much as the cast’s clear chemistry does. Their camaraderie serves as the final piece that ties the film together. However, “Warfare” is not completely free from the failure that plagues other war films. It is clear that a major reason Garland and Mendoza emphasized the film’s realism is the objectivity such realism necessitates. The horrifying pain in Quinn’s wretched screams, the relentless beating of gunfire, the horrifying wounds and the dead bodies all serve to assert the hard truth that war only breeds an unspeakable amount of violence. Yet “Warfare” is still only showing half of the full picture. One of the film’s most interesting decisions is the small insight it gives into the perspectives of the Iraqi family whose home is invaded by these soldiers for the operation. We see the family huddled together in a room, having been forced awake in the middle of the night,
terrified and desperately confused. The camera captures small details of their home such as the pair of glass dolphins resting on a table and a family portrait hanging on one of the walls — a comforting normality interrupted against their will. The film gives a small voice to the family who has fallen victim to the destruction caused by the soldiers’ arrival. Even the film’s final image is the bloodstained, ruined mess of a home the soldiers left behind.
The pitfall of many such war films is their failure to recognize the experiences of innocent civilians whose homes and livelihoods are unjustly destroyed and ruined. “Warfare” attempts to give a voice to one of the many Iraqi families who have been displaced due to the Iraq war but fails to fully develop this idea, leaving it a half-baked afterthought rather than a focused effort.
As a tribute to the experiences of Ray Mendoza and his fellow former Navy SEALs, “Warfare” is effective in laying bare the brutal truth of their experiences, but its attempt to expand the film’s perspective to fully encompass all sides of the conflict unfortunately falls short. Ultimately, “Warfare” is an interesting film; however, it is still not immune to the common failures that afflict the many war films that have come before.
Ethan Hill
Deputy Guide Editor
When the lights came on after my screening of “Sinners,” I immediately turned to my friend who came with me and we locked eyes. I was speechless. I knew I needed to say something to acknowledge the pure cinema we just watched. I picked my jaw up off the floor and said the only thing I could think of: “Hell yeah.”
Speaking of things coming to an end, “Sinners” is my final review for The Hoya. I have greatly enjoyed my time working with such amazing people. Reviewing films is something I have done for the last six years, and this has been my favorite way to express my love for cinema. Before I start collecting my Social Security checks and head to the old folks’ home (graduation), I would like to express my deepest gratitude to anyone who has read, liked or commented on any of my reviews. I would like to thank Evie Steele (SFS ’26) for an amazing job as editor-in-chief, as well as Jasmine Criqui
(CAS ’26), Bethe Bogrette (SFS ’27), Caroline Woordward (CAS ’27), William McCall (CAS ’25) and Amber Cherry (CAS ’26) for being such wonderful people and being great senior editors to work under. I love The Hoya, I love The Guide, and I am deeply grateful for all the memories and look forward to reading the paper in the coming years.
Back to the film. Taking place in the 1930s American South, the film follows identical twins Smoke and Stack, both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, after they have returned from a yearslong stint working for infamous crime boss Al Capone in Chicago. The twins decide that with the money they made, they want to start their own juke joint (essentially a nightclub) only for Black people, giving the oppressed sharecroppers of the area a place to express themselves. It all goes south when, on its opening night, the juke joint gets attacked by vampires and our heroes put it all on the line to try and survive. This movie absolutely rocks. It has the blood-filled vengeance, pacing and energy of Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,”
the whodunnit-infused monster film elements of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and the same thematic undercurrents as Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” discussing systemic and historical racism in the United States. However, even with these clear influences, director Ryan Coogler delivers the film’s themes in his own distinct style.
One of my favorite things about this film is that it takes half the movie to get to the horror. The first half takes its time building the stakes and exploring its cast of characters. We intimately understand the characters’ histories, how those histories overlap and their motivations, shortcomings and strengths. This means that when things take a turn for the worse, the audience has a firm grasp of what is at stake for each of the characters. The movie doesn’t shy away from showing the characters’ faults, expertly portraying them as flawed yet human.
Building upon this strong foundation, the film’s performances are phenomenal. Jordan turns in another stellar performance playing both Smoke and Stack —
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Going out with a bloody bang, Ethan Hill (CAS ’25) says “Sinners” is a film that will go down in history.
one of the best performances of his career, I’d argue. Wunmi Mosaku shines as Annie and Hailee Steinfeld is truly on top of her game portraying Mary. There are no weak performances from anyone, a testament to Coogler’s masterful direction
Visually, the film is gorgeous. The color grading, in particular, fits the film’s tone perfectly, a distinct orange tint that feels like a nod to Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing.” The action is tight and believable, leaning into the gore elements of a classic slasher film. The CGI is brilliant, seamlessly showing both of Jordan’s characters on screen at the same time. The pacing of the movie is perfect, with not a second wasted in its 137-minute runtime.
Thematically, “Sinners” is bursting at the seams, weaving together a powerful and multi-layered narrative that delves deep into systemic racism within the United States. The film doesn’t shy away from exposing the entrenched inequalities that continue to shape Black lives today. At its core, it serves as a poignant and urgent critique of how institutions have long profited from Black labor while denying Black creators control over their own stories. More than just a condemnation, “Sinners” functions as a rallying cry for the necessity of Black ownership — not only over creative work, but over identity, history and future. It’s a film that demands to be heard.
This is Coogler’s masterpiece. When we look back at 2020s cinema, I am certain we will be holding “Sinners” in the same regard as films like “Oppenheimer,” “Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse” and the “Dune” films. Go see this movie while it’s in theaters, preferably in IMAX, and for God’s sake, do not leave the theater until you see the post-credit scene. I am so glad that this is the last film I get to review for The Hoya
Francis Rienzo
Deputy Guide Editor
“I think you’re scared of being basic,” Joe Keery sings on the lead single “Basic Being Basic” from “The Crux,” the latest album from Keery’s musical project Djo. In a highly anticipated release and perhaps his first foray into mainstream territory, the artist attempts to establish a larger than life footing. Co-produced with Adam Thein at Electric Lady Studios in New York, the album marks a stylistic shift from synth-heavy style to a more guitar-driven, indie rock sound reminiscent of The Beatles, taking different instrumental risks and fussing around with various styles. Whether that works or not, I don’t know, but it’s definitely fun.
Djo occupies an interesting space in alternative music, one shared with the likes
of Dylan Minnette’s Wallows. The artists, despite some notable musical differences, occupy a similar niche within the alternative sphere: male-dominated indie music that pervades social media and the culture of Generation Z. Just look at Djo’s biggest hit, “End of Beginning,” which found viral TikTok fame due to the light and vague hook of “when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it.”
In “The Crux,” Djo showcases an experimental edge that sets it apart from its contemporaries. In particular, Keery described the release as a concept album about a hotel housing guests. Djo draws from different inspirations throughout, which work to varying degrees.
“Charlie’s Garden,” featuring Charlie Heaton of “Stranger Things,” is one highlight. Although the song’s style and title are direct Beatles references, the track feels very authentic while providing an entertaining homage. In my opin-
ion the instrumentals are the greatest thing in this album, such as the ’80s guitar on “Delete Ya.” While the song’s lyrics may be lacking an emotional resonance, the instrumentals and vocal delivery make up for it.
The album’s lyrics, in fact, are its greatest shortcoming, keeping me from fully loving the record. While a lot of the lyrical concepts are adventurous and introspective, they don’t fully deliver on execution — some of the verses feel clunky and the choruses generic. “Golden Line,” for example, lacks some of the poetic nature of its inspiration, the Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers.” Lines like “Time can give, can give, and life can take, can take away” simply fall flat. The writing on some of the songs, seeking to convey a deep or introspective quality, ultimately comes across as surface-level and shallow.
@DJOTIME/INSTAGRAM
Djo’s “The Crux” may be a bit too basic, says Francis Rienzo (CAS ’27).
Still, Keery’s charisma shines through. Doing Beatles impersonations does work for them, even if it feels a little hollow. While the music is taking inspiration from other artists, it also highlights some of their own traits. “Link” is a really interesting song and one that feels relevant to the Generation Z mindset lyrically. But the album doesn’t feel entirely cohesive — there are some random moments which come completely out of nowhere, such as the addition of a children’s choir on “Back on You” or the orchestral accompaniment in “Golden Line.” The intense build-up and existential themes on “Egg,” portraying an exploration of identity and transformation, also stand out, as do other moments — despite a perplexing artistic inspiration.
Keery is a likable artist, and knowing that he’s the man behind Djo adds something to the music, which otherwise would be a little flat without any of this charisma. For example, “Basic Being Basic” isn’t very introspective and offers a very shallow take on Generation Z, with lyrics talking about Instagram and posting salads. This can make the album feel at times dated — even now, when it should feel timely — and at others unpleasant and cringey; whether this was the band’s intention is not entirely clear. The older influences emulated in modern lyrics, while experimental, is not necessarily my favorite choice. For a stylistic shift, the record works well, as it introduces us to new sides of Keery. We see his different influences and various lyrical choices. I don’t know if I love all of the lyrics, but it’s definitely innovative and new for them. Above all, it’s an enjoyable listen, making it worthwhile.
Anandita Agarwal Guide Columnist
In South Asia, love is duty.
My parents had an arranged marriage. They met on a marriage website specifically for people with my last name and my caste. So did their parents. So did the parents of all my friends. In India’s national newspaper, the Times of India, there is a section dedicated to “matrimonial ads,” which normally include a description of the bachelor or bachelorette, usually including short “key” details like height, weight, skin color, caste, age, education level, tax bracket and occupation. A similar description of their desired significant other will follow. These adverts change every weekend, with just one page normally carrying over a hundred, and the parents of the bachelor or bachelorette typically publish the ads.
Growing up, the one refrain I heard most was “parampara.” Tradition. Centered around “preserving” familial values and cultural practices, tradition was often flung in my face to justify a whole lot of -isms, from sexism to racism to casteism. Tradition was synonymous with the idea of dharma — duty. Duty to my family, to my “community,” to my people. A duty to preserve our racial heritage, to
maintain “purity.” A duty to marry, but only the “right” kind of man.
South Asia’s arranged marriage culture is no secret to anyone within the South Asian community, from India to Guyana to London to New Jersey. Websites like Jeevansaathi or Shaadi, where users can filter potential spouses based on caste and lineage, are some of the most used platforms among the South Asian community. However, for most nonSouth Asians, the 2020 Netflix show “Indian Matchmaking” served as an introduction to this billion-dollar industry, where your time of birth and last name is more important than your personality.
When the hit show debuted with all its fanfare in 2020, it packaged these ideals into a fun-filled, Bollywood-style extravaganza, with all of the shine and none of the depth. Starring Bombay socialite and self-proclaimed “marriage consultant” Sima Taparia, the docuseries-slash-reality show follows various NonResidential Indians (NRIs) — a colloquial term for the South Asian diaspora — and their families as they relentlessly try to engineer loveless marriages for their children. Suddenly, everyone was talking about “that new Indian reality TV show.” With its revolving door of spoiled, snooty South Asians
@GEORGETOWNISA/INSTAGRAM
It’s time for the best day of the year. Georgetown Day has a slew of programming, ranging from stickers and beads at 8 a.m. on Copley Lawn to pizza, snacks, Insomnia Cookies and Raising Cane’s until 4:30 p.m. on Copley Lawn. Between, there will be a student concert, lawn games and inflatables, food trucks, beach volleyball and more. Find more details for times and locations on Georgetown Day’s official website.
and unflinching narcissism, the show was the best of the worst reality TV everyone secretly enjoys, becoming an instant Netflix classic that spawned three seasons, Sima Auntie’s own matchmaking app UrbanMatch, music videos, a Jewish spin-off and even a tour of universities that included Georgetown.
The legacy of “Indian Matchmaking” is complex. For some South Asians, it’s a celebration of culture. For others, it’s nothing more than a hate-watch.
To the non-South Asian, Sima Auntie is a loveable and eccentric character whose ignorance is humorous and whose controversial one-liners, like “slim, trim and educated” and “marriage is like breaking biscuits,” are memorable quotes to use for advertisements and entertainment. For most South Asians, though, she’s all too real — an embodiment of that one nosy auntie who has way too much time on her hands, representing a patriarchal, casteist, sexist and colorist society that stubbornly refuses to change.
There is little I can add to the overwhelming, nuanced and deserved backlash for reality TV normalizing the -isms and profiting off of them or to the other side of the conversation, which hails the show as an unabashed docu-series by creator and avid feminist Smriti Mundhra that
showcases the reality of South Asian culture.
But what I can say is this:
South Asian representation is limited. Real people are flawed and messy. Real society isn’t a perfect and dreamlike big, fat Indian wedding. From “The Bachelor” to “Love Island,” there is a plethora of TV shows packed with drama and the same problematic stereotypes and caricatures — shows where British or American characters are free to find love, however short-lived or toxic. Maybe South Asia can have one show like that too.
At the same time, there is an increasing urgency to create media that interrogates the -isms that govern South Asian society, not normalize them. The purpose of art has always been to provoke thought and create progressive change, and that has never been needed more than now. We need to put characters, shows and films on-screen that hold up a mirror to who we are but also challenge us to imagine who we could be: a world that is less flawed and messy, perhaps less shiny, but far more equal.
This is precisely why it’s so important to make shows like Indian Matchmaking and then dissect them for all they are worth. Yes, love is a duty. But it should also be so much more.
By Caitlin McBride
The International Student Association (ISA) is hosting their annual Global Expo, an event celebrating cultural awareness through food, drinks and student engagement. This Saturday, April 26, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., peruse Copley Lawn to join “the largest cultural event and food festival at Georgetown University.” There will be arts and crafts booths and student performances. Register on Campus Groups for free.
@FILMFESTDC/INSTAGRAM
This Sunday, April 27, the GU Hawai’i Club is hosting their annual Lū’au! Mo’olelo means “story,” especially as conveyed through oral tradition, stories, songs and dances. The event will be held from 12 to 2 p.m. in the HFSC Great Room, promising hula, Hawaiian food, games and live music. Students will be performing dances they have worked on all semester — register on Campus Groups for tickets.
Washington, D.C.’s International Film Festival is returning from April 24 to May 4. With a plethora of international films in the area, most showings will be at Regal Gallery Place, near the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro stop. There will be international comedies, thrillers, films on international music and more. General admission tickets are $14, but those who are 25 and under can bring an ID and receive $10 tickets.
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Tanvi Gorripati Senior Guide Editor
“A Nice Indian Boy” is exactly what it set out to be: a cute, heartwarming romantic comedy. It tells the story of Naveen (Karan Soni), an introverted doctor, who falls in love with Jay (Jonathan Groff), a photographer. Cultures collide when the two decide to wed and Naveen has to introduce Jay to his traditional family. The film is not trying to reinvent the genre or surprise the audience with a shocking twist — it is simply about two people falling in love and all the awkward, nervous and deeply human moments that come with that. It is endearing, funny and filled to the brim with heart.
Karan Soni absolutely shines throughout the film. His portrayal of Naveen, the awkward yet sincere lead, strikes the perfect balance, shy in a way that feels familiar rather than performative. There is something so honest about the way he moves through the world, stumbling through conversations, trying to please his parents and figuring out how to love someone else while
still learning how to truly love himself. His chemistry with Groff’s character isn’t the kind of sizzling and fast paced tension from rom-coms of the past. Instead, it is soft and sweet. It works because both characters are equally unsure and vulnerable, and that mutual nervousness is what makes their connection feel so genuine.
Groff is utterly hilarious as Jay. He is truly the comedic heart of the film. His physical comedy alone makes the film worth watching, from the random nervous vaping in the most chaotic of moments to the impromptu musical performance that includes actual body percussion, he delivers some of the film’s most unexpectedly funny moments. He brings a lovable goofiness to the role, balancing Soni’s inward awkwardness with an unbridled chaotic energy. His presence adds life and levity to the film, making the romance feel even more nuanced and dynamic.
One aspect of the film that stood out was just how specific a lot of the humor and references were. As an Indian-American viewer, I found myself laughing out loud at the little details — specific lines, family inter-
actions and cultural quirks — that didn’t seem to register with much of the audience around me. The movie leans into its cultural specificity unapologetically, not attempting to explain itself or water anything down. It is made with the diaspora in mind, and that makes it an even better representation.
One such thoughtful detail is that its love story is based on “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” a film that is foundational to Bollywood culture. This framing creates a bridge between generations, introducing the classic story to new audiences while also reframing it through a more inclusive lens. Almost everyone I know within the South Asian diaspora has watched “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” at some point in their life, and seeing it woven into this narrative felt like a quiet reminder of where we come from and how we are continuing to evolve these stories to reflect who we are becoming today.
Beyond its fresh take on rom-com tropes and charming performances, “A Nice Indian Boy” does something even more impactful by giving us queer South Asian representation — representation that is still
A sweet love story, “A Nice Indian Boy” is your next rom-com obsession, says Tanvi Gorripati (CAS ’27).
far too rare. This is one of the first and only major films on the big screen that centers around a queer Indian-American love story. That alone makes the film worth celebrating. The story doesn’t treat queerness as a tragedy or a punchline. Instead, it is tender and authentic. It is full of love — not just romantic, but familial, cultural and self-affirming love. There’s something heartwarming about imagining younger queer South Asian kids watching this film and seeing themselves reflected within its narrative. So many kids grow up without seeing their identities represented on the screen, and when they do, it’s often in limited or stereotypical ways. However, this film tells these kids that they all deserve love. That message, in itself, is powerful.
Of course, not everything in the film works perfectly. Some moments lean a little too far into the cringe. There is a fine line between “aww, they’re awkward” and “oh god, please stop talking,” and the movie definitely dances across that line a few times. The dialogue, at times, also felt a little stilted, with some scenes lingering longer than they needed to and some exchanges feeling unpolished. However, the film is smart enough not to overstay its welcome, wrapping things up before the pacing ever becomes a real issue.
In the end, “A Nice Indian Boy” is more than a rom-com — it is a film about being seen. It is about seeking acceptance from your partner, your family, your culture and, most importantly, from yourself. While the film does have its issues, it is meaningful, joyful and definitely worth a watch.
Isabelle Cialone Deputy Guide Editor
Every May, the Cannes Film Festival takes the cinema world by storm as it showcases the upcoming year’s slate of new films to industry professionals and journalists. Last year’s festival previewed some of the most-awarded releases, including Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” and the Academy Awards’ Best Picture winner, Sean Baker’s “Anora.” It also featured some of the year’s most polarizing and underwhelming movies, such as Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” and Francis Ford Coppola’s massively disappointing “Megalopolis.”
The official selection for the upcoming 78th edition of the festival was announced April 10, with movies Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater directed competing for the highest award of the Palme d’Or, among many other films both in and out of competition.
Films showcased in the primary competition are contenders for the best overall award, the Palme d’Or, as well as a number of other awards that highlight different components of the film, like the prizes for Best Director and Best Actor/Actress. There is also a smaller category of competition, Un Certain Regard, which is a subdued version of the larger contest that often features new directors or non-traditional stories and styles of film. Alongside the films in competition, the festival showcases a number of premieres and special screenings of films that do not compete.
Among the competing films in the main category is Wes Anderson’s upcoming “The Phoenician Scheme,” starring Benicio del Toro and premiering to the public May 30. The recently released trailer promises an actionpacked and comedic film, which should
hopefully easily outdo Anderson’s most recent and rather disappointing “Asteroid City.”
Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” an homage to the legendary French New Wave film director Jean-Luc Godard, will be an interesting shift from Linklater’s previous nostalgic and personal filmography, especially with it being his first film in French.
“Midsommar” Director Ari Aster joins the Cannes lineup with his upcoming movie “Eddington,” a black comedy western set during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in a small New Mexico town. This timely tackling of tense American politics boasts an impressive cast, including Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler.
The festival will also feature a number of films from returning Cannes directors, including “Alpha” directed by Julia Ducournau, whose 2021 Palme d’Or win marked only the second time in the festival’s 74-year history the award was received by a female director. Chie Hayakawa, the Japanese film writer-director whose debut feature “Plan 75” showed in the festival’s 2022 sidebar competition, Un Certain Regard, is now set to enter the main competition with “Renoir.”
I’m particularly excited about Joachim Trier’s return to the festival with the film, “Sentimental Value,” starring Renate Reinsve, as his “The Worst Person in the World” was one of my personal favorites from the 2021 Cannes lineup.
What I look forward to most with Cannes, however, isn’t the returning of well-known directors, but the opportunities offered to new and lesser known directors, providing the perfect platform for them to make a name for themselves.
A competition film to keep an eye out for is Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind,” an art heist
movie starring Josh O’Connor. O’Connor, who proved his immense talent by transforming into the insufferably cocky and overconfident Patrick Zweig in “Challengers,” will also be starring alongside Paul Mescal in Oliver Hermanus’ historical drama “The History of Sound” at the festival. Talk about being a booked and busy actor!
The Un Certain Regard category will feature a number of first-time directors, some of whom are seasoned actors venturing into the directorial sphere. Harris Dickinson, who viewers might remember as the sexy but boring intern from “Babygirl,” will make his directorial debut with “Urchin.” Scarlett Johansson, best known for her portrayal of Marvel’s Black Widow, also joins the competition with drama “Eleanor the Great,” starring June Squibb. Squibb recently charmed audiences with her eponymous role in “Thelma.”
Six more directors competing in this sidebar category join Dickinson and Johansson in their feature directorial debuts.
In addition to films in competition, the results of which will be available May 24, the festival showcases a number of out of competition premieres. The eighth (and hopefully last) installment of the “Mission: Impossible” series, titled “The Final Reckoning,” will premiere at Cannes, although with the number of trailers I’ve seen for it, it feels like it’s been out for months.
Another non-competition feature, “Highest 2 Lowest,” Spike Lee’s English reinterpretation of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s “High to Low,” should be an interesting standout at the festival, although A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice’s involvement somewhat perplexes me.
While many of the films won’t be made available to the public until much later this year, the Cannes Film Festival promises a barrage of publicity and Letterboxd reviews, which I will be gleefully devouring in anticipation of another year of (hopefully) wonderful new movies.
Nick Williams Hoya Staff Writer
“This summer is the apocalypse,” wrote Taylor Swift in August 2016. Kim Kardashian had recently released an edited video of a phone call between Swift and Kanye West, Kardashian’s then-husband, regarding his song “Famous” and its infamous line: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous.” Swift seemingly assents to the line, but shortly after its release, she decried the track in a public statement. The former narrative — that West did not mention either using the word “bitch” or the music video featuring a naked mannequin of Swift — fell through the cracks, and the #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty overtook Twitter.
A year later, Swift cleared her Instagram account, repopulated the page with pictures of snakes — a recurring motif in her new project “Reputation” — and, prior to the album’s November release, dropped the lead single “Look What You Made Me Do.” The song hit number one for three weeks in the United States and became her first chart-topper in the United Kingdom, prompting a clue-ridden music video in which she coined the iconic line, “The old Taylor can’t come
to the phone right now… ‘cause she’s dead!” While the record garnered praise from Swifties, selling upwards of one million copies in its first week, the album divided critics.
“Reputation” marked a departure from the positive reception of Swift’s earlier works, earning a 71/100 on Metacritic — not a terrible score, but still among her lowest to date. Geoff Nelson of Consequence criticized the album’s brash sound. He noted an overuse of synthesizers and denounced Swift’s experimentation with hip-hop on tracks like “End Game.” Sal Cinquemani of Slate and Jamieson Cox of Pitchfork agreed that the album’s outdated EDM sonic palette overshadowed Swift’s otherwise sturdy lyricism.
The sound of “Reputation” was a stark departure from the country pop of “Fearless” and “Red” or the nostalgic synth-pop of “1989.” Swift employed heavy electronics, trap beats and distorted vocals, leaning toward darker musical textures and emphasizing cadence over melody in her vocal delivery. It was the first time Swift seemed to hop onto trends, internalizing the growing popularity of rap and R&B in mainstream music. However, despite the harsh production and gothic persona, the
writing on “Reputation” communicated to fans that the old Taylor wasn’t really dead.
While pre-release singles “Look What You Made Me Do” and “...Ready For It?” positioned the album as Swift’s response to the Kardashian and West situation, much of the record sees Swift attempting to balance the private and public aspects of her life. In late 2016, Swift began a relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. She explores that burgeoning romance amid a career crisis during which the media scrutiny and public backlash felt unmanageable. These themes appear in “Delicate,” “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” and “Call It What You Want.” While she’s certainly taking shots at Kanye on “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” and “I Did Something Bad,” the core of “Reputation” centers around Alwyn — protecting her private life while navigating the rockiest stretch of her public life thus far.
In recent years, “Reputation” has won affection in the hearts of fans and critics alike. I can attest that, at the Eras Tour, the crowd screamed the loudest when Swift emerged in her snake bodysuit to the blaring bass of “Ready For It?” The album spawned sleeper hits such as “Delicate,” which charted on the Hot 100 for 35 weeks in 2018, and “Don’t Blame Me,” which became
popular on TikTok for its gospel-style bridge and cracked one billion streams on Spotify.
Critics have reappraised “Reputation” in hindsight. In a 2024 ranking of Swift’s albums, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times ranked “Reputation” at number one, opining that Swift took accountability while also becoming increasingly vulnerable in her lyricism. Mary Siroky wrote for Consequence in 2022 that the publication’s negative review reflected Swift’s controversial public image and not the value of the music. Kara Voght agreed in a 2022 article, suggesting that the detail-dense and narrative-oriented songwriting pioneered on “Reputation” set the stage for Swift’s triumphant later releases “Folklore” and “Midnights.”
“Reputation” proved that Swift could weather the storm of controversy and return to commercial and cultural dominance. It reasserted her versatility as an artist, knack for reinvention and implicit understanding of industry trends. Although critics missed the message, fans took the record in stride, and “Reputation” stood the test of time. As Swift wrote in the prologue to the album: “There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation.”
Thick carpet 2. It may be struck for an Instagram post 3. Everyone’s favorite Sesame Street character
Cake or vegetable
Standard unit for measuring length
Fill with a crayon
Soaked to the bone 9. Dachshund, informally
By Jackson Roberts
1. Job detail, briefly
5. Colorful parrot
10. Small rugs used in yoga
14. Hello, in Havana
15. Carlo Levi’s “Christ Stopped at _____”
16. Rounded, voluminous hairstyle
17. Whispery Spotify genre and TikTok trend
18. Bridal-veil material
19. Dove sounds
20. With 52-Across, this beloved institution
22. With 51-Across, “What rocks?”
23. Rower’s need
24. Modified again, as in writing
26. Abandons, like a lover
29. Petrol measures
30. Obamacare’s official name, abbr.
31. 007 creator Fleming
32. Cause harm to
36. Applaud
39. Incessantly
40. Genuflects
41. One dog’s sign they’re happy, with tail
42. Agreement, in French
43. Island WSW of Kauai
45. Kirsten of “Spider-Man”
47. Nail polish removers
50. Alpha, Z, Y or X
51. See 22-Across
52. See 20-Across
57. Shrinking Asian sea
58. Specter on Capitol Hill
59. Vegetable gumbo ingredient
60. Opposite of heaven
61. President with 15 children
62. Low in fat
63. Pair of bitty
64. French for “widened at the top”
65. Mild expletive
10. Exaggerated sense of masculinity
11. In progress, like a game
12. Singer Sivan, formerly of Guide cover fame
13. “Bummer”
21. Tank filler
25. Sobanet, Almeida, Hellman, King or Waite
26. __ the bulldog
27. Sacred image
28. Poor, as excuses go
29. A little one loves berries and cream
31. Imply
33. An alternative long, long time
34. African beasts that sound like what the Hoya provides
35. CapCut product, informally
37. Intellectually
38. “Call Me By Your Name” name
39. Sigma follower
41. Alaska city where Sarah Palin was mayor
44. Agincourt victor, immortalized by Shakespeare
45. Austrian article
46. In stock
47. Japanese beverage giant
48. Insertion mark
49. Elevate in status
50. Literary category
53. Victory signs, maybe
54. Blue & yellow furniture giant
55. Actress Kelly Marie ___
56. Yin’s opposite