Each week, Daily Arts writers evaluate the latest movies, shows, books, music, games and more. They watch, read and listen for the next standout artistic trends and then write about what that means for us in the art world and beyond. Come Friday, we highlight what Daily Arts loved most — here’s what will keep you captivated this weekend.
— Elise Godfryd & Zoe Phillips, Managing Arts Editors
Browse: The Daily Arts Best of 2020 B-side
If you’re anything like us, January is all about catching up on the stuff we missed last year. Check out our Best of 2020 B-side, where you’ll find seven lists carefully curated by our writers about the best art 2020 had to offer. Though an objectively terrible year in most other respects, the arts found ways to flourish in spite of it all.
Watch: “Euphoria: F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob”
The latest episode of “Euphoria” somehow manages to top the Zendaya-led special episode that came before it with “Euphoria: F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob.” Daily Arts Writer Ben Servetah praises the episode in his latest review. Focused on Jules, a character beautifully brought to life by Hunter Schafer, the episode is “remarkably courageous” and “wonderfully profound.” Servetah says it best when he writes, “‘Euphoria’ is one of the most well-crafted, important shows on television right now. If they didn’t prove that in the first season, they certainly have now.”
Watch: “The White Tiger”
Adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name, Netflix’s latest drama film “The White Tiger” is, in the words of Daily Arts Writer Jacob Lusk, a “bona fide rags-to-riches story,” a rarity in contemporary cinema. Following one young man’s (Adarsh Gourav, “Mom”) journey toward success, the film is both a compelling character study and a revealing exploration of the lingering caste system in 21st century India.
Watch: “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer”
Netflix’s newest installment of true crime promises many of the same things as its predecessors: gory photos, disturbing crimes and an analysis of the killer, his community and his victims. The ordinary crime locations make “Night Stalker” particularly unnerving, says Daily Arts Writer Sarah Rahman. Serial killer Richard Ramirez faced his victims during their morning commutes or in the middle of their own bedrooms. The eerily familiar settings are sure to leave everyone on edge — “it’s up to the viewers to reconcile the bloodied friends, neighbors, parents and children they see harmed in cold blood,” Rahman writes. Watch at your own risk, and reward.
Listen to: Drunk Tank Pink by shame
Drunk Tank Pink comes together atop a mountain of influences — there is indie, there is rock and, as Daily Arts Writer Drew Gadbois emphasizes, there is a lot of post-punk. The amalgamation of sounds works well together, reinventing one another to improve upon and update what’s come before. This happens in the backdrop of lyricist Charlie Steen’s haunting message of isolation. “Perhaps it represents the antidote to their insecurities,” Gadbois writes. The end result, he says, suggests a new era of post-punk.