Boots Riley on strikes, sedition and sex: ‘Being a communist is the closest to being a superhero there is’
The musician, activist and writer’s lo-fi superhero drama I’m A Virgo is so radical it’s the epitome of anti-Marvel. He talks mental health, battling Amazon from within and keeping it ‘janky’
August 2022
Cultural prescription
Food for thought: film, music and art to help you through the cost of living crisis
From a 16th-century worker’s humble lunch to raging rap, our critics find the works that grapple with the challenges of hard times
February 2021
Lakeith Stanfield: ‘I don’t hold anything back’
Imagination, energy and a surrealist streak have made Lakeith Stanfield one of Hollywood’s most unusual – and sought-after – stars. Here, he talks about his toughest role yet
October 2019
Kate Berlant: 'There's a connection between being psychic and improv'
She’s had small roles in hipster thriller Search Party and the new Tarantino movie but comedy is Berlant’s first love. Why? Because it’s ‘a place of terror’
March 2019
Culture's race problem: ‘For white hipsters, blackness is a thing to consume but not engage with’
From Dave to Green Book, artists and the art they create are too often critiqued for being ‘too black’ or ‘not black enough’
February 2019
No such thing as bad publicity: five ways to win an Oscar in 2019
The endless party-going and hoop-jumping tactics involved in Academy success
January 2019
My Oscar goes to... Our film critics reveal their personal shortlists
Ahead of the official Academy nominations, the Observer’s critics pick their own winners
December 2018
Box office analysis: UK
Ralph Breaks the Internet hangs on as Redford's swansong makes UK box office debut
And the 2018 Braddies go to … Peter Bradshaw's films of the year
Culture highlights of the week
What to see this week in the UK
Peter Bradshaw's film of the week
Sorry to Bother You review – white privilege gets a wacky wake-up call
Top US films 2018
The 50 best movies of 2018 in the US: the full list
Top UK films 2018
The 50 best films of 2018 in the UK: the full list
November 2018
Boots Riley: ‘In film, the more personal you get, the more universal you get’
The musician turned director discusses how firsthand experience, and having Dave Eggers as a fan, shaped his hit debut movie, Sorry to Bother You
Modern Toss
Modern Toss
On the signs of gentrification
Is Lakeith Stanfield the coolest actor of 2018?
He’s the sharp-dressing eccentric who’s appeared in landmark films and TV shows, from Get Out to Atlanta. So why is he Hollywood’s ultimate outsider?
August 2018
Boots Riley attacks Spike Lee over ‘made up’ BlacKkKlansman
Sorry to Bother You: is this the most shocking anti-capitalist film ever?
July 2018
Sorry to Bother You, black Americans and the power and peril of code-switching
AT McWilliams
Oakland's Hollywood moment: films shine light on city's 'grit and beauty'
