Justin Sayles

Turning the calendar on Brat Summer, beef, and our houseboats docked at the himbo dome

Turning the calendar on Brat Summer, beef, and our houseboats docked at the himbo dome

We’re launching our freshly redesigned website today, so we’re celebrating our past. And that includes a countdown of lists we got right, the ones we want back, and the just plain weird ones we want you to gawk at again.

In honor of Ringer Films’ latest movie, ‘Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary,’ we’re setting some definitions for the impossible-to-define genre

Don’t be fooled by ‘Anora.’ We crunched the data for 40,000 films, and it’s not just a fantasy: Sex is disappearing from our movie screens.

Don’t be fooled by ‘Anora.’ We crunched the data for 40,000 films, and it’s not just a fantasy: Sex is disappearing from our movie screens.

Justin and Jodi discuss the complicated nature of its virality, Alan Cumming’s major role in the search for Tonka the missing chimp, and PETA’s heavy involvement in the case

Sunday’s announcement is the capstone of a year that’s seen K.Dot rise to the highest levels of pop culture—and seen Drake sink to the lowest levels of his career

Justin Sayles highlights Mia Goth’s ascent as the most important actor in horror, and explores the history and evolution of Hollywood’s iconic scream queens

After the release of MaXXXine, The Ringer’s Justin Sayles highlights Mia Goth’s ascent as the most important actor in horror, and explores the history and evolution of Hollywood’s iconic scream queens.

Justin Sayles and Jodi Walker struggle for power to recap Ren Faire, a three-part HBO docuseries. They start by discussing their personal experiences with Renaissance fairs, the complicated trio of main characters at the heart of this absurd Texas Renaissance Festival conflict, and what makes the Safdie brothers–produced documentary so refreshing (1:23). Along the way, they talk about how Ren Faire illustrates themes indicative of our time regarding older people in positions of power (17:55). La…

Justin Sayles and Jodi Walker go back to the courtroom and recap The Jinx: Part Two finale. They start by discussing Season 1’s shocking conclusion, how true crime has progressed as a genre and since exploded into mainstream popularity between seasons, and why the opening scene is the most powerful moment in Part Two (1:43). Next, they unpack how the return of the HBO docuseries differs from the initial run of episodes and what worked (and didn’t) across this unexpected follow-up season nearly 1…

‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is one of the year’s most fascinating movies. Jane Schoenbrun’s new A24 film also has something else going for it: a throwback-style soundtrack filled with stellar, original songs. Could it be the start of a bigger trend?

I Saw the TV Glow is, on its surface, a movie about identity and teenage isolation. But it’s also about how we attach those ideas to art and entertainment consumption during our formative years. And on yet another level, A24’s new psychological coming-of-age drama is about the mediums through which art and entertainment are passed down. Largely set in the ’90s, the movie revolves around two teens, Owen and Maddy, who bond over a surreal YA television show called The Pink Opaque. (Think: Buffy me…

Challengers is a movie obsessed with making sure you understand its chronology. Throughout its 131 minutes, Luca Guadagnino’s new ténnage à trois flick deploys a barrage of scene-resetting phrases like “THIRTEEN YEARS EARLIER,” “THE NEXT DAY,” and even “MIDNIGHT,” in all-caps, pink-text title cards. (Also: “SET BREAK,” shortly after a match official explains that they’re going to take a break between sets.) I’m not sure all of this is necessary: Even as the plot volleys across two decades, most…

It’s already one of the most infamous set pieces of the year. It also uses a wildly era-inappropriate song. What gives?

Drake finally responded—and so did Rick Ross. There’s a lot to keep track of, so let’s ask all the important things about “Push Ups,” “Champagne Moments,” Kendrick Lamar, and, uh, Ja Morant.

You knew deep down it was real. When the rough version of Drake’s “Push Ups” leaked online Saturday afternoon, the big question at first was: Was it actually AI? If it was, it would mean someone random had just penned a pretty competent diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin, and a half dozen other rap luminaries. If it wasn’t, it would mean that Aubrey had finally taken the gloves off and was ready to chip a nail. Sure, there were a few lines anyone steeped in Drake lore could’ve gott…

It’s how Dougie would blog

Justin: All right, Charles. So, The Curse—the Nathan Fielder–Benny Safdie–Emma Stone cringe comedy (??) series on Paramount+ With Showtime (??)—wrapped this weekend with its finale, “Green Queen.” The show was a confounding 10-week journey that touched on everything from gentrification to art vs. commerce to grappling with one’s sense of identity to, uh, cherry tomatoes. But nothing was as confounding as the final installment, which (MASSIVE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW) saw Whitney and Asher Siegel’s HGT…