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Roxana Hadadi

TV Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@roxana_hadadi
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Roxana Hadadi is a TV critic who also writes about film and pop culture, with the closed captions on and motion smoothing off.

  1. spoilers
    The Last of Us Humanizes a Monstrous Turning PointThe changes the series makes to a pivotal moment from the game give it even grander existential stakes.
  2. close read
    The Makanai’s Twin AppetitesHirokazu Kore-eda’s live-action manga adaptation serves up cozy nourishment with a side of feminist ambition.
  3. vulture investigates
    The Last Of Us Fungal Outbreak Is Terrifying, But Is It Realistic?Out: zombie apocalypse. In: Cordyceps apocalypse.
  4. highs and lows
    The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of the 2023 Golden GlobesFirst whoa: We’re doing the Globes again.
  5. backstories
    ‘Every Movie Is a Coming-of-Age Movie’: A Conversation About My Father’s DragonThe screenwriter and director of Cartoon Saloon’s latest, My Father’s Dragon, break down three pivotal scenes.
  6. close reads
    Holy Spider’s Ending Uncovers a Tangled Web of MisogynyHoly Spider is at its most precise and upsetting in the film’s final scene.
  7. what’s in the bottle
    We Want to Taste the Jeremy Renner Hot Sauce From Glass OnionMake space in the Hot Ones lineup!
  8. performance review
    It Was the Would-Be Year of Jon Bernthal on TVIn his most active TV year, Bernthal did the work, whether or not people were watching.
  9. remember that time
    When Lindsay Lohan Was the Best Part of a Paul Schrader MovieThe Canyons makes the case that Lohan possesses more self-awareness than we give her credit for, then or now.
  10. best of 2022
    The Standout TV Performances of 2022Individually and collectively, these 14 performers embody what made this year’s television interesting and special.
  11. year in culture 2022
    This Year’s TV Female Friendships Were KillerIn their final seasons, Dead to Me and Kevin Can F*** Himself made misandry look a lot like love.
  12. here kiri kiri
    In Praise of Sigourney Weaver’s Teen Angst in Avatar: The Way of WaterYou’re wild for this one, Jim!
  13. finales
    The White Lotus’s Watery EndThe season finale plunges into the unknowable depths of Mike White’s favorite symbol.
  14. character study
    How Ava Coleman Became Abbott Elementary’s Engineer of ChaosScammer, step instructor, sorority girl: Janelle James made the role of a “precocious child trying to do the job of a principal” her own.
  15. hear me out
    Let’s Speculate Wildly About the White Lotus EndingOne episode left and still so much backstabbing, frenemy friction, marital infidelity, and financial messiness to resolve.
  16. tv review
    South Side Enters Its Golden AgeIn its fantastically funny third season, the Chicago-set comedy exudes a sense of unparalleled confidence.
  17. best of 2022
    In 2022, Good TV Was a Gut FeelingOur critics break down what goes into naming the best of the year.
  18. emergency discussion
    How Is His Dark Materials Going to Pull This Off?The series’ final season takes on the difficult task of translating many heady, absurd, and arguably heretical elements from The Amber Spyglass.
  19. best of 2022
    The Best TV of 2022Television’s future looks hazier than ever, but these shows make a clear case for optimism.
  20. the vulture transcript
    Gangs of London Won’t Hold Anything BackThe cast and creatives behind AMC+’s brutal action series discuss their choreography of chaos.
  21. close read
    Luthen Rael Embodies Andor’s Gray SideIn his similarities to Star Wars’ biggest villain, Stellan Skarsgård’s character challenges what we expect and accept from the franchise’s good guys.
  22. chat room
    Raúl Castillo on The Inspection’s Unexpected Gallows HumorEven his brother thought the A24 military drama was “really, really funny.”
  23. music notes
    How Nicholas Britell Made Star Wars Sound Nothing Like Star WarsThe Andor composer created an individual soundscape for each episode of the 12-part first season.
  24. lingering questions
    How Much Can We Believe in 1899’s Reality?Let’s navigate this show’s sea of unreliable narrators in search of the “wake-up” key that unlocks season one’s big reveal.
  25. exit interview
    Tony Gilroy Built Andor’s Finale Crescendo FirstThe showrunner illuminates the long road to Maarva’s big moment.
  26. chat room
    Ramy’s MaameYaa Boafo Wants to Be More Like Zainab in Real Life“She is not afraid to ask for things, and when she’s in a situation that doesn’t serve her, she will remove herself.”
  27. never been kissed
    What Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Needed Was a KissImagine having the chance to kiss Namor … and not doing it.
  28. behind the scenes
    Everything Has a Story in Wakanda ForeverProduction designer Hannah Beachler breaks down the Black Panther sequel’s most meaningful new sets.
  29. close read
    The Crown Did Diana DirtySeason five’s diminishment of the “people’s princess” as petulant and reckless feels like nefarious intent hidden behind fictional license.
  30. vulture lists
    The Best Horror to Stream As You’re Falling AsleepScience says this is a bad idea. Screw science.
  31. vulture lists
    The 20 Best Movies to Stream As You’re Falling AsleepHours of “agitation”-free programming.
  32. vulture lists
    The 17 Best Documentaries to Stream As You’re Falling AsleepLet nonfiction be your pillow.
  33. emergency discussion
    Where Does For All Mankind Go From Here?We have some humble suggestions/demands for season four.
  34. lingering questions
    10 Unanswered Questions to Worry About After Seeing Don’t Worry DarlingWhat’s up with the dancing ladies? And the plane? What happens in Kiki Layne’s cut scenes? More important, where can I get Alice’s nail polish?
  35. sleep schedules
    Tucked In by Cable TVForget the choices on streaming. Before bed, all I want is a broadcast I can drift off to.
  36. backstories
    ‘Everything Was Incredibly Challenging and Beautiful at the Same Time’Ramy captures life in Palestine while exposing its protagonist’s greed.
  37. movie review
    Something in the Dirt Gets Paranoid in Los AngelesDirectors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s latest feels more familiar than the duo’s other work, but its enthusiasm goes a long way.
  38. chapters
    To Fix the Broken Game of Thrones Pilot, HBO Called on Its Secret WeaponThe blockbuster dragon show may have never taken flight if not for the efforts of a trusted fill-in director.
  39. tv review
    The White Lotus Retracts Its FangsMike White’s HBO series remains well appointed and well acted in season two, but a creeping timidity undermines its satire.
  40. fire & blood
    House of the Dragon’s Biggest Book OmissionsSeven Fire & Blood details that could’ve made these characters’ bonds more tangible, their romances more sensual, and their losses more tragic.
  41. finales
    A Few Questions for That House of the Dragon FinaleExposition, dragons, and more excruciating childbirth leaves us with the promise of bigger and bloodier things to come.
  42. chat room
    Interview With the Vampire’s Jacob Anderson on Power Struggles and Ethical Meals“I was swilling water to get fake blood and rat hair out of my mouth for days afterwards.”
  43. fire & blood
    What’s Going on With House of the Dragon’s Mysaria?Her fate in the season’s penultimate episode is as confusing as everything else about this character.
  44. chat room
    The Rings of Power’s Sophia Nomvete on Moving Mountains as Princess Disa“She’s fiercely loyal and protective and will push boundaries and revolutionize if she needs to.”
  45. close read
    To Understand Athena, Watch The Battle of AlgiersWhat the films have to say about the long-lasting impact of colonial structures is as illuminating as it is rare.
  46. overnights
    Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season-Finale Recap: Mask-Off Middle-earthThe season finale finally reveals Sauron’s identity, and there are some actual rings of power in The Rings of Power.
  47. emergency discussion
    What Is Time on House of the Dragon?The series’ frantic rush forward tests the efficacy of the TV time jump — and viewers’ ability to keep up.
  48. austin’s power
    Austin Powers References Are Comedy’s Hottest Mini-TrendAnd they’re perfectly tucked inside This Fool, Ramy, and Bros.
  49. chat room
    House of the Dragon’s Paddy Considine Had His Eye on Viserys’s Dagger“They were like, ‘No, no, that’s a really important knife,’ and I go, ‘Yeah, I know. That’s why I want it.’”
  50. let the right one in
    We’ve Drunk This Blood BeforeTwo vampire remakes are currently competing for TV audiences’ attention. Surprisingly, they both have teeth.
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