Naomi Fry
Naomi Fry, a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2018, is a regular contributor to the weekly column Critic’s Notebook. Her writing on popular culture, books, and art has appeared in the Times Book Review, the Times Magazine, Artforum, and n+1, among other publications. She attended Tel Aviv University, holds a master’s degree in English from Johns Hopkins University, and has taught at New York University and the Rhode Island School of Design. She grew up in Israel, and now lives in Brooklyn.
The Cruel Abstraction of “Beast Games”
On a competition show made by the YouTube sensation MrBeast, the people are faceless and the challenges are vicious.
The New Western Gold Rush
Series like “Yellowstone” and “Landman” use classic tropes to depict modern-day concerns, while “American Primeval” frankly reassesses the past. What do these shows say about our country’s present, and its future?
The Elusive Promise of the First Person
RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys” shows us the world from its protagonist’s point of view—a perspective that’s ubiquitous in novels, video games, and personal essays, but remarkably rare in film. Does it work?
John Mulaney Tries Pirate Talk in an “S.N.L.” Reunion
“All In: Comedy About Love,” a collaboration between the comedian, his former writing partner Simon Rich, and the director Alex Timbers, brings lovelorn dogs, the Elephant Man, and babies to Broadway.
What to Binge-Watch this Week
From the daily newsletter: couch-potato shows. Plus: what good is morality?
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“Babygirl” Never Really Makes a Mess
The relationship at the heart of a new erotic thriller, starring Nicole Kidman, doesn’t explode power struggles; it exists within them.
Critics at Large Live: The Year of the Flop
Across culture and politics, 2024 was a year of great expectations followed by disastrous misses. What space might these upsets open up in their wake?
After “Wicked,” What Do We Want from the Musical?
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway hit is the latest iteration of a quintessentially American form. Why has the musical endured—and where might it go next?
The Animals That Made It All Worth It
This year, it was hard to feel good about humans. Moo Deng, Crumbs, and Pilaf kept us sane.
The Modern-Day Fight for Ancient Rome
Films such as “Gladiator II” underscore our long-standing obsession with the Roman Empire—a fixation that’s evident in both culture and politics. Why are we so desperate to reclaim ancient history?
Conner O’Malley Is the Bard of the Manosphere
The comedian’s absurd, poignant work captures the lives of the kind of frustrated young men who helped Donald Trump win the election.
Will Kids Online, In Fact, Be All Right?
A new documentary reveals social-media platforms’ iron grip on the lives of teen-agers, one that’s increasingly being linked to a slew of mental-health issues. How scared should we be?
The Value—and Limits—of Seeking Comfort in Art
In the days since Donald Trump’s reëlection, art has offered a distraction for those reeling from the news. But what does it mean to turn away when circumstances demand our attention?
Into the Phones of Teens
“Social Studies,” a documentary series by Lauren Greenfield, follows a group of young people, and screen-records their phones, to capture how social media has reshaped their lives.
Critics at Large Live: Julio Torres’s Dreamy Surrealism
In projects like “Problemista” and HBO’s “Fantasmas,” the multihyphenate uses uncanny flourishes to make sense of our most convoluted bureaucratic systems.
Living in the Shadow of an American Election
A photographer took a road trip across the country during the Presidential race. What did he see?
Help, I Need a Critic!
In the era of influencer experts and “Am I the Asshole,” advice-giving has become an integral part of our information landscape. The hosts of Critics at Large take stock of the phenomenon—and enter the fray.
Even in Her Memoir, Melania Trump Remains a Mystery
The former First Lady’s new book, “Melania,” promises to draw back the drapery and expose the person behind the persona. It obscures more than it reveals.
A Controversial Trump Bio-Pic and the Villains We Make
“The Apprentice” looks at the early career of the former President. Why are we so enamored with such origin stories, and what—if anything—do they have to teach us?
“The Substance” and the New Horror of the Modified Body
In the age of Botox and Ozempic, we have countless ways to tweak, boost, and polish our unwieldy physical forms. Two new films ask: at what cost?
The Cruel Abstraction of “Beast Games”
On a competition show made by the YouTube sensation MrBeast, the people are faceless and the challenges are vicious.
The New Western Gold Rush
Series like “Yellowstone” and “Landman” use classic tropes to depict modern-day concerns, while “American Primeval” frankly reassesses the past. What do these shows say about our country’s present, and its future?
The Elusive Promise of the First Person
RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys” shows us the world from its protagonist’s point of view—a perspective that’s ubiquitous in novels, video games, and personal essays, but remarkably rare in film. Does it work?
John Mulaney Tries Pirate Talk in an “S.N.L.” Reunion
“All In: Comedy About Love,” a collaboration between the comedian, his former writing partner Simon Rich, and the director Alex Timbers, brings lovelorn dogs, the Elephant Man, and babies to Broadway.
What to Binge-Watch this Week
From the daily newsletter: couch-potato shows. Plus: what good is morality?
“Babygirl” Never Really Makes a Mess
The relationship at the heart of a new erotic thriller, starring Nicole Kidman, doesn’t explode power struggles; it exists within them.
Critics at Large Live: The Year of the Flop
Across culture and politics, 2024 was a year of great expectations followed by disastrous misses. What space might these upsets open up in their wake?
After “Wicked,” What Do We Want from the Musical?
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway hit is the latest iteration of a quintessentially American form. Why has the musical endured—and where might it go next?
The Animals That Made It All Worth It
This year, it was hard to feel good about humans. Moo Deng, Crumbs, and Pilaf kept us sane.
The Modern-Day Fight for Ancient Rome
Films such as “Gladiator II” underscore our long-standing obsession with the Roman Empire—a fixation that’s evident in both culture and politics. Why are we so desperate to reclaim ancient history?
Conner O’Malley Is the Bard of the Manosphere
The comedian’s absurd, poignant work captures the lives of the kind of frustrated young men who helped Donald Trump win the election.
Will Kids Online, In Fact, Be All Right?
A new documentary reveals social-media platforms’ iron grip on the lives of teen-agers, one that’s increasingly being linked to a slew of mental-health issues. How scared should we be?
The Value—and Limits—of Seeking Comfort in Art
In the days since Donald Trump’s reëlection, art has offered a distraction for those reeling from the news. But what does it mean to turn away when circumstances demand our attention?
Into the Phones of Teens
“Social Studies,” a documentary series by Lauren Greenfield, follows a group of young people, and screen-records their phones, to capture how social media has reshaped their lives.
Critics at Large Live: Julio Torres’s Dreamy Surrealism
In projects like “Problemista” and HBO’s “Fantasmas,” the multihyphenate uses uncanny flourishes to make sense of our most convoluted bureaucratic systems.
Living in the Shadow of an American Election
A photographer took a road trip across the country during the Presidential race. What did he see?
Help, I Need a Critic!
In the era of influencer experts and “Am I the Asshole,” advice-giving has become an integral part of our information landscape. The hosts of Critics at Large take stock of the phenomenon—and enter the fray.
Even in Her Memoir, Melania Trump Remains a Mystery
The former First Lady’s new book, “Melania,” promises to draw back the drapery and expose the person behind the persona. It obscures more than it reveals.
A Controversial Trump Bio-Pic and the Villains We Make
“The Apprentice” looks at the early career of the former President. Why are we so enamored with such origin stories, and what—if anything—do they have to teach us?
“The Substance” and the New Horror of the Modified Body
In the age of Botox and Ozempic, we have countless ways to tweak, boost, and polish our unwieldy physical forms. Two new films ask: at what cost?