Emily the Criminal, Decision to Leave, and The White Lotus s2 finale
Emily the Criminal, Decision to Leave, and The White Lotus s2 finale
The cost of chasing desire, plus breaking down a fantastic episode of television
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss Emily the Criminal and Decision to Leave, two films about crimes of passion.
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02:05 Emily the Criminal, streaming on Netflix, is an impressive feature film debut that hits all the right notes, and then some.
Pelin describes Emily the Criminal as a diet Uncut Gems, which is pretty accurate: It has a similar current of tension running throughout, but without inspiring quite as much ambient dread and anxiety in the viewer. Depicting the everyday grind and desperation of a regular person — one trapped by debt, a shitty job, and a past stacked against her — this film feels like a much more grounded take on class struggle and inequality than other popular contemporaries with similar lanes of social commentary. There is not a second wasted here; its tight pacing keeps us moving along to a great climax and the natural endpoint of Emily’s moral arc. If the world is made up of those who are exploited and those who are exploiting, the film seems to ask, wouldn’t you rather be the one doing the exploiting?
18:27 Decision to Leave, streaming on Mubi, is stylish, unbridled, and utterly, unexpectedly romantic.
Decision to Leave is a love story. Love here means desire, obsession, deceit, regret, sacrifice; it is a chase, a dance, and, ultimately, a secret buried deep in the sea. Highly recommend!
35:34 Plus, The White Lotus SEASON 2 FINALE!!!
Was that great or what???
Bonus etc.
Another great piece about Andor.
Really don’t understand what is going on with HBO Max, can someone please explain:
And finally, here are some book recommendations, as promised:
Pelin (top 5 from 2022 or late 2021):
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley
I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
All This Could be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
Jenny (just some books I’ve read this year, various publish dates):
Beautiful People, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
The Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley
A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (honestly they’re very good, I’m glad I finally started)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Thank you and see you next week!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu