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Discovery, meanwhile, came out in the streaming era, where that kind of evolution just doesn’t happen. If anything, the opposite happened: on a surface-level, you’d be forgiven for thinking the show was in a state of constant evolution given how frequently and dramatically it changed its core concept: going from a prequel to a show set in the far future, for instance. But on a deeper level, the same storytelling and writing pitfalls persisted no matter how many new coats of p

What happens when stories made for everyone fail the people they purport to represent?

What began in the shadows of queer underground culture as a subversive celebration of identity has, over the decades, been transfigured into something far more palatable and considerably less dangerous. The evolution of camp in film tells a tale, not merely of aesthetic evolution, but of cultural assimilation, where the radical edge of theatrical transgression has been dulled by gradual mainstream appropriation.

Hollywood’s recent run of musician films seems to show more than just an interest in music. But can the modern music biopic still surprise us, or has it simply given in, step by step, to the predictable demands of awards season as the infamous ‘Oscar bait’?

I would suggest that Cregger’s follow-up, Weapons, is him trying to reverse engineer an even more successful movie by having multiple swerves throughout the entire thing. The whole film does follow one story, in which an entire classroom of children save for one shockingly disappear into the night, running out of their homes with seemingly no explanation, and throwing the entire community into turmoil.

When Fantastic Four was released in 2005, nobody knew what to do with superhero movies. It  is probably best understood as a mainstream studio’s attempt to capitalise on their recent unexpected success without quite understanding the catalysts of their popularity.

From subversive thrillers to gothic-pop odysseys, Pandora’s entertainment staff weighs in on the films and albums that have defined 2025 so far. Here are our mid-year favourites, spotlighting the boldest, strangest and most unforgettable works of the year.

In the 1920s, New Orleans saw the emergence of a new genre within its African-American communities. It was an expression of their musical culture and a form of resistance against classical styles. Since jazz in the U.S. was formed as a resistance against the oppression faced by the African-Americans, were these values retained in the Indian Jazz scene? Did it stay closely linked to the elite audiences who consumed it, or did it also culturally emancipate certain populations?

The gravitational pull of Cruise’s star power and the enticing spectacle of watching him do his big stunts warped the franchise into being predominantly about those two things — Cruise and his stunts.

When Ella Yelich-O'Connor uploaded a handful of songs to SoundCloud in November 2012, one could hardly have anticipated the shockwaves she was about to set off in the then-manicured landscape of pop music.

Long-running horror franchises are either defined by their reinvention or lack thereof. To watch the series in order is to witness a distinct evolution. From Bride of Chucky onwards, the series moves away from the familiar trappings of 80s slasher cinema into a much more distinctly queer text.

The cultural consensus couldn’t be defeated: Sinners was the movie of the moment. It shouldn’t have been nearly as much of a surprise.

While Viviani is often forgotten by many, his work serves as a lens into an Italy of the time. An Italy that was built on a violent mythologized past, one that led the way to fascism.

“Deceptive” is sort of the operative word when it comes to Theroux — the question of how much of his bemused, questioning affect is legitimate, and how much of it is him playing up for the camera. This is what makes Theroux the perfect documentarian for a topic like this — his straightforwardness in approaching a subject cuts through the mire and arrives at a crystal clear center.

Starring Rajit Kapur as Debu, Munisha Koirala as Juhi, and Sanjay Naval as Kaku, Deepti Naval's directorial debut was an attempt at alternate cinema enchanted with unconventional themes and unsettling portrayals of queerness, desire, and family. 

On March 21, 2025, Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White was released in theaters. Beset by controversy and bad press, the film ended up having an expectedly tepid performance at the box office. But according to Disney executives, the source of all the film’s woes could be placed at the feet of one person and one person only: Rachel Zegler, who tweeted her support for Palestine.

In contemporary film discourse, few films have stirred as much controversy and debate as Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez.

Wicked arrives on the big screen with lofty expectations based on its legendary Broadway legacy and tumultuous production journey.

Edward Berger’s Conclave isn’t your typical Vatican drama. The film is about power, who has it and who wants it.

In the neon-steeped underbelly of New York City, Sean Baker's Anora erupts onto the screen like a fever dream. (An Anora Review)