Vulture’s most-read story of the year, Lila Shapiro’s incredible profile of a Joss Whedon still trying to process his fall from success and adoration, was published just a couple of weeks into 2022. Our second- and third-most-read stories, both by Nate Jones as part of a larger survey of the nepo-baby landscape, came out with two weeks remaining in 2022.
Between those remarkable bookends, we published an array of incredible work: more than 7,000 stories alongside our three podcasts, six newsletters, a limited-run video series, and Vulture Festival. Below, you’ll find our 20 most-read stories from the year based on total engaged minutes. What you won’t see on the list is our groundbreaking interview with Jeremy Strong’s pinkie ring, but only because the bauble’s publicist did a crackerjack job of burying the piece.
Exit Interview
20. The Long Road to Mordor
The Rings of Power creators explain Sauron’s identity and their plan to explore the edges of Tolkien’s map. Read the story ➼
Endings
19. Killing Eve Chose Cruelty
Let’s talk about the galling ending of Eve and Villanelle. Read the story ➼
Book Review
18. Ottessa Moshfegh Is for Us
The author has been hailed as a high priestess of filth. Really, she wants to purify her readers. Read the story âž¼
Anonymous in Hollywood
17. I’m a VFX Artist, and I’m Tired of Getting ‘Pixel-F–ked’ by Marvel
What’s it like to work as a visual-effects artist for the MCU? “I’ve had co-workers sit next to me, break down, and start crying.†Read the story ➼
Putting the Atoms Together
16. ‘No Aliens, No Spaceships, No Invasion of Earth’
An oral history of Contact, the sci-fi movie that defied Hollywood norms and made it big anyway. Read the story ➼
Let's Do It Again
15. The 102 Best Movie Sequels of All Time
Whether they come after, before, or between their predecessors, these films have their own indelible legacies. Read the story âž¼
Performance Review
14. What Was Brangelina?
They were known for their image-making savvy. As their divorce reenters the press cycle, we’re reminded of who’s better at it. Read the story ➼
Close Reads
13. Hanya’s Boys
The novelist tends to torture her gay male characters — but only so she can swoop in to save them. Read the story ➼
Molasses to Rum
12. 1776’s Sara Porkalob Has Some Notes
The actress behind the musical’s most explosive number on bringing a “dusty, old thing†to Broadway and the mistakes made along the way. Read the story ➼
Testimonies
11. Johnny Depp Says His ‘Goal Is the Truth’ During Defamation Trial
Johnny Depp talks drug use, Pirates, and his early days with Amber Heard during day one of his testimony in his defamation trial. Read the story âž¼
Remembrance
10. Jerry Lee Lewis Was an SOB Right to the End
The talented hell-raiser of early rock and roll died at 87. Read the story âž¼
Buffering
9. Netflix’s Bad Habits Have Caught Up With It
A hard look at what happened to the company, and what will happen next. Read the story âž¼
Oscars 2022
8. What I Saw Inside the Room When Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock
“This is the most unhinged evening of our lives.†Read the story ➼
Profile
7. Nathan Fielder Is Out of His Mind (and Inside Yours)
The comedian’s new show, The Rehearsal, is his grandest experiment yet. Read the story ➼
Backstories
6. Jessica Pressler on What’s Real and Not About Inventing Anna
And the surreal experience of seeing her reporting acted out on Netflix. Read the story âž¼
Power
5. The Curse of Kentwood
One year ago, Britney Spears was freed from a notorious conservatorship. What possessed her father to seize control of her life? Read the story âž¼
Performance Study
4. The Making of Silent Bruce
Willis was a fast-talking lead who became a man-of-few-words star. It made his mental decline that much harder to notice. Read the story âž¼
The Year of the Nepo Baby
3. How a Nepo Baby Is Born
Hollywood has always loved the children of famous people. In 2022, the internet reduced them to two little words. Read the story âž¼
The Year of the Nepo Baby
2. An All But Definitive Guide to the Hollywood Nepo-Verse
Actors, singers, directors who just happen to be the children of actors, singers, directors. Read the story âž¼
feature
1. The Undoing of Joss Whedon
The Buffy creator, once an icon of Hollywood feminism, is now an outcast accused of misogyny. How did he get here? Read the story ➼