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Angelica Jade Bastién

Critic
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Angelica Jade Bastién is a critic for New York and Vulture focusing on pop culture. She was once described by a close friend as “deliciously vulgar”.

  1. chat room
    Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Bringing Heart to Homecoming’s Cerebral Head TripThe Oscar-nominated actress talks about why playing Walter’s fiercely protective mother was so much more than mastering an accent.
  2. vulture lists
    Homecoming: Every Major Pop-Culture Reference and InfluenceAmazon’s Homecoming is proudly in conversation with Hitchcock, De Palma, and ‘70s conspiracy thrillers.
  3. close reads
    In Defense of Prudence Night on Chilling Adventures of SabrinaFrom the beginning, Prudence is more than a mere mean girl.
  4. fashion du jour
    The 10 Best Outfits in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, RankedFrom Miss Wardwell’s fabulous green robe to Sabrina’s Dark Baptism dress.
  5. chat room
    Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Tati Gabrielle Modeled Prudence on Eartha Kitt“The way that Eartha Kitt carried herself was very elegant, but so powerful. She was like a conjure woman.”
  6. tv review
    Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Is a Decadently Malevolent Halloween TreatThe witchy teen drama offers chills, delights, and an intriguing spin on a young woman’s quest for freedom.
  7. tv review
    Charmed Is a Hollow Celebration of Sisterhood and Female PowerI wanted to like the CW’s reboot of Charmed. But it’s the wrong show coming at the right moment.
  8. roundtables
    How Do We Talk About Race and Pop Culture Without Going Insane?A panel of critics discuss Wesley Morris’s New York Times essay and some of the biggest anxieties plaguing criticism today.
  9. close reads
    The Hollow Joys of Insecure Season ThreeMuch like Issa herself, Insecure needs to decide what it wants to be.
  10. movie review
    Nappily Ever After Is a Well-Intentioned MisfireSanaa Lathan can’t save this mess.
  11. close reads
    Maya Rudolph Is a Revelation on ForeverI hate to break out this hoary cliché, but it fits.
  12. close reads
    Insecure Shouldn’t Bring Back LawrenceThe surprise return of Issa’s ex feels both unearned and deflated.
  13. appreciations
    Why Burt Reynolds Was Such a Compelling Sex SymbolNo film better synthesizes his appeal than Boogie Nights.
  14. overnights
    Sharp Objects Finale Recap: Don’t Tell Mama“Milk” is equal parts jarring and beguiling.
  15. set visits
    On the Set of Queen Sugar’s Rural Louisiana WeddingEnding its third season on a note of unfettered joy feels quietly radical.
  16. vulture lists
    The 11 Most Essential Episodes of Living Single25 years later, this ’90s sitcom about love, friendship, and black identity continues to delight.
  17. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: The Lost GirlsSome truths come to light as Camille makes a connection with a suspect in the series’ penultimate episode.
  18. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: Dead Girls EverywhereCamille and Amma share a night out with dark undercurrents.
  19. tv review
    Random Acts of Flyness Is Dazzling, But Emotionally InertWhose consciousness is this HBO show trying to shift?
  20. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: You’re Ruined“Closer” is a stunning episode about the lies Wind Gap tells itself.
  21. vulture lists
    Every Tom Cruise Movie Performance, RankedFrom Top Gun to Rock of Ages.
  22. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: Devil ChildCamille and Richard grow closer, sort of, as she takes him on a tour through Wind Gap’s dark past.
  23. profiles
    Patricia Clarkson Is Terrifying in Sharp ObjectsThe 58-year-old actress has made a career out of playing dark, alluring characters.
  24. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: War of the Roses“Fix” supplies an answer to one part of the mystery surrounding Camille.
  25. overnights
    Sharp Objects Recap: The Woman in White“Dirt” offers a clever twist on TV’s obsessions with dead girls as the series’ mystery deepens by touching on local folkore.
  26. overnights
    Sharp Objects Premiere Recap: HomecomingThe first episode of Sharp Objects aims to leave a bruise.
  27. chat room
    Luke Cage’s Simone Missick on Misty Knight and the Rise of Black Superheroes“The success of these shows is allowing people to see the humanity of black people.”
  28. chat room
    Luke Cage’s Showrunner on Criticism, Black Hollywood, and That Explosive FinaleCheo Hodari Coker gets candid about the challenges and triumphs of his Netflix series.
  29. tv review
    In Season Two, Marvel’s Luke Cage Evolves Into a ContradictionThe Netflix superhero series takes bold risks in its second season, with mixed results.
  30. close reads
    The Good Fight Is the Most Incendiary Portrait of Female Anger on TVIn season two, Christine Baranski’s performance brought complexity to conversations about #MeToo and politics.
  31. close reads
    The Blistering Vulnerability of The Americans Finale’s Best SceneThe parking-garage scene is a master class in acting and filmmaking.
  32. close reads
    The Meaning of Elizabeth’s Dream in The Americans FinaleIt’s a moving view into a woman skilled at building boundaries between herself and the world around her.
  33. chat room
    James Marsden on His Big Westworld Episode and Why He Wants to Play Sinatra“You get put in some pretty perverse situations on this show.”
  34. How Atlanta Used Horror in Season Two to Explore Black IdentityAnd how it compares to Donald Glover’s use of horror in the Childish Gambino video, “This Is America.”
  35. The Best Witchy Comic You Should Be ReadingBlack Magick is a comic that deserves to be read and studied.
  36. The Delicate Fury of Keri Russell on The AmericansRussell is giving one of the most complex performances ever on television.
  37. UnREAL’s Showrunner on What’s Next for Rachel and Quinn“I firmly believe that this is the love story of the series.”
  38. The 10 Essential William Holden PerformancesIn time for what would be his 100th birthday, celebrate the classic Hollywood icon by watching his greatest work.
  39. vulture lists
    Every Major Pop-Culture Reference in Atlanta’s ‘Teddy Perkins’From Michael Jackson and Sammy Sosa to Psycho and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
  40. close reads
    Let’s Talk About the Ending of Atlanta’s ‘Teddy Perkins’As the episode continues, it blooms into full-blown horror.
  41. Exclusive: Sneak a Peek at Michelle Pfeiffer in Where Is Kyra?Does this signal the beginning of a true Michelle Pfeiffer renaissance?
  42. In One Scene, The Good Fight Makes an Incisive Commentary on the #MeToo EraThis Sunday’s episode continues the series’ streak of being at the forefront of ongoing political conversations.
  43. UnREAL Star Brandon Jay McLaren on Dr. Simon’s Big ‘Conundrum’“The Rachel vortex is apparently a real thing.”
  44. What Jessica Jones Understands About Female RageThe second season is a messy yet fascinating story of women, anger, and trauma.
  45. Atlanta’s Silly Yoo-hoo Ad Is a Clever Commentary on Black ArtThe Yoo-hoo commercial isn’t just surreal and hilarious — it’s an acknowledgment of the fraught dynamic between black art and commerce.
  46. How Thoroughbreds Morphed From a Play Into a MovieFor Vulture Insiders, the writer-director and stars of Thoroughbreds discuss the venomous pleasures of shooting their film.
  47. Denzel Washington Quietly Gave a Tremendous Oscar-Nominated PerformanceIt’s unlike anything he’s done before.
  48. How Annihilation Nails the Complex Reality of DepressionNo film in recent memory captures the truth of self-destruction and depression quite like it.
  49. Losing Ground Is an Underrated Entry in the Canon of Black Female DirectorsKathleen Collins’s only film, Losing Ground never played outside of the festival circuit until long after she died from breast cancer in 1988.
  50. Why Star Trek: Discovery Needs to EvolveBeneath its superficially progressive appearance, Star Trek: Discovery remains too wedded to the past.
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