Review: 'Queer' (2024) - "I'm not queer, I'm just disembodied"
Queer’ is a story of obsession and addiction, manifesting itself in the form of William Lee’s love interest, (If you can call it that) Eugene Allerton. Director Luca Guadagnino masterfully takes us through the story of an aging William Lee battling with his inner turmoil as he clings to the idea of love that never existed. The story takes us from 1950s Mexico City to the Ecuadorian jungle, much of its 137 minute run-time is spent unravelling Lee’s obsessive nature, but the final act feels like a slow descent into madness. Guadagnino allows for the long, drawn out nature of act three to explode into a cinematic moment, a payoff for a 3rd act that might test some viewers patience. While act 3 draws to a long close - it highlights the long and challenging journey our two characters have been on.
Curtains Up, Crisis Offstage: Trump’s Inauguration as a Divisive Spectacle
Last week, the Oscar nominations marked the official start of awards season. However, another theatrical performance from the week demands further attention, one defined not by artistry, but by calculated divisiveness: Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration. A meticulously staged event steeped in controversy, it ignited fierce debates over hateful gestures dismissed as “Roman salutes” and inflammatory rhetoric like “crises of trust”. While theatrics dominated headlines, the event exemplified Trump’s core strategy: the deliberate use of spectacle to distract from pressing national issues.
Album Review: Ethel Cain - 'Perverts'
Ethel Cain’s latest album, Perverts, is a sharp departure from the haunted Americana of Preacher’s Daughter. If her 2022 debut mapped a Southern Gothic narrative of faith, familial trauma, and martyrdom, Perverts is a harsh confrontation with desire, decay, and defiance. The album avoids easy categorisation, leaning into experimental production and fragmented storytelling that feels deliberately unruly—as though Cain, Hayden Anhedönia’s musical persona, is both exorcising demons and summoning new ones.
Unapologetically GANNI: Paris Fashion Week SS25 Review
GANNI made its debut at Paris Fashion Week at the Palais de Tokyo, a fitting venue since Balenciaga's deputy CEO, Laura du Rusquec, took the reins earlier this year. There's nothing more exciting at Paris Fashion Week than a debut, creating high anticipation for what's to come. Ahead of the show, Creative Director Ditte Reffstrup promised nothing short of magic with the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, aptly titled "The Craft."
“An incantation to individuality, The Craft proposes a wardrobe for the future, and the GANNI girl holds the magic formula” said Ditte Reffstrup”
Orebella by Bella Hadid: Cash Grab or Authentic Fragrance Revolution?
Bella Hadid, the fashion icon and supermodel, launched her new perfume brand, Orebella, in May 2024. The brand offers three scents: Window2soul, Salted Muse, and Blooming Fire, available online and at Ulta stores in the US. Orebella distinguishes itself as the first intentional skin parfum, featuring alcohol-free, vegan, dermatologically tested, clean, and hydrating formulas infused with essential oils. The bi-phase formula combines hydrating snow mushrooms and five moisturizing oils (camellia, almond, olive, jojoba, and shea). It requires shaking before use to create a long-lasting fragrance.
The Social Class Satire: How the Ultra-Rich Lost Their Allure
Poking fun at those in positions of power or privilege is nothing new; in fact, it’s the very foundation of satire. Yet, the 21st century has introduced a new generation of the rich and famous, complete with a fresh set of mannerisms and stereotypes for those on the outside to laugh at. Films such as Triangle of Sadness – a scathing satire centred on models, influencers, and oligarchs – and TV series such as The White Lotus – a darkly comedic take on luxury resorts – suggest that being inordinately wealthy has lost its chic, if fact, it’s actually quite embarrassing.
Why the Vampire Trend is Immortal
Twilight was a big deal. The 2008 supernatural romance film hit screens with a bang, and everyone had something to say about it. Even though the craze for the saga has faded with time, nobody can deny the impact it’s had on teen pop culture. Hitting the peak of its popularity with the final film’s release in 2012, it seemed that every girl had an opinion on whether glistening vampire Edward or broody werewolf Jacob made the better match for Bella. This was the pinnacle of the so-called ‘vampire trend’, which also saw the success of TV series like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. Many look back at this time with nostalgia (even if such feelings are met with ridicule from the actors themselves), but the 2020s are seeing a resurgence in vampire-related content.
Christmas Films and the Demonisation of the Big City
The Hallmark Christmas movie formula is one so well-known that it has an almost mythical status in popular culture. A woman living in the city, with a high-powered career and an endless stream of meetings and espressos, goes back to her rural hometown, falls in love with a man in a plaid shirt, all while discovering the joys of Christmas, and ultimately, becoming a housewife. They’re undeniably cosy and sweet, and the formulaic approach means you can half-watch whilst wrapping presents and still follow the plot. But why does festivity have to come at a cost to life in the metropolis?
Why the 2022 John Lewis Christmas Ad Matters
Every year, British retail giants John Lewis release a heart warming festive advert, and 2022’s edition has been met with both praise and criticism. Ranked as the 3rd best Christmas ad of this year (Saville, 2022), ‘The Beginner’ tells the story of a soon-to-be foster father learning to skateboard, trying his best to fit in practice sessions between his regular 9 to 5; at first, it appears as though he may be pursuing a hobby simply to escape the mundaneness of life, as much as it may hurt and frustrate him. It’s then revealed that he’s doing it to share a common interest with a teenager he’s fostering, who arrives at his doorstep with her own skateboard, nervous about joining a new family for Christmas (John Lewis, 2022). Viewer opinions seem to be divided; on the one hand, some appreciate the sentiment that the idea of a picture-perfect biologically-related family on Christmas doesn’t have to set the standard for ‘traditional’ norms. On the other hand, some viewers have noted that the ad could be misinterpreted and any foster children watching might receive the wrong message (more on this later). You may also be wondering how 2022’s ad has compared to previous years — and what other elements have led to the public deeming it a success or a flop.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Commercialism and Cynicism
Christmas is a time we typically overspend and overstress. In the run-up to Christmas, stressed-out shoppers run riot. And to that end, the overworked staff in these retail spaces, who rarely get to spend meaningful time with their own family and friends at Christmas, get abused by customers daily. While shopping this year - keep that in mind!
‘Everything I Know About Love’: A Review
Despite its mixed reviews, I was glued to the screen while watching the BBC adaptation of Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love — and it’s because I saw my own life recalled before me. I’m twenty-two at the time of writing this review, a couple of years younger than the show’s protagonist Maggie, but it’s like we were one of the same — from the career goals, messy situation-ships, relationships with illicit substances, down to the haircut. Maggie is an aimless graduate sharing a house with her three best friends, trying to bridge the gap between her partying student days and growing up into a full-time career with serious relationships. Her life is a little bit of a disaster at every turn, but her growing understanding of adulthood as she navigates her twenties is what makes the show so gripping and realistic.