Books & Culture

The comedian talks about the suppression of political speech under Donald Trump, why social media doesn’t mix well with democracy, and the future of “The Daily Show.”

Finding my own words.

The city has often been spoken about as a war zone in need of saving from itself. But at home, as abroad, America’s enemies are so often of American invention.

A new wave of digital tools has emerged to help citizens monitor Trump’s crackdown. But internet surveillance can also be used against you.

The actor recalls his life, from provincial Wales to Hollywood, in stop-start rhythms with curt, unflinching reckonings.

“The Fort Bragg Cartel,” “We Survived the Night,” “The Mind Reels,” and “Pick a Color.”

Writing about a son’s vigil at his dying father’s bedside, Georgi Gospodinov examines what parents and their children reap and sow.

“Big Kiss, Bye-Bye” is a portrait of frustrated intimacy—and the ungovernable force of a woman’s mind.

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson exert themselves strenuously to give this fervent drama of marriage and motherhood a semblance of reality.

The first feature by the Portuguese filmmaker Marta Mateus, featuring nonprofessional actors in natural settings, explores and expands modern traditions of political cinema.

The latest reanimation of Mary Shelley’s classic tale, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, is a labyrinthine tour of a filmmaker’s career-long obsessions.

Scott Cooper’s tightly focussed bio-pic, about the making of Bruce Springsteen’s D.I.Y. album “Nebraska,” leaves out the wide-ranging passion that went into the music.

Home-cooking culture has leaned into the loose and unfussy. Stewart’s 1982 classic, newly reissued, makes the case for hosting as an endurance sport.

Our food critic advises a reader on where to find out-of-town restaurant recommendations, and answers another about a salad-dressing shortcut.

Fine-dining restaurants are premised on exclusivity and scarcity. What happens when patrons can pay what they want?

At the Williamsburg restaurant Johnny’s, a family of rotisserie-chicken veterans presents chifa outside the takeout formula.

Style and substance.

The technology is now popping up onscreen in everything from “The Morning Show” to “St. Denis Medical”—but nothing on air this year could compete with reality.

A new documentary, now on Netflix, shows how disconnected from one another Americans have become—and also how cohesive some of us still are.

The late-night host’s show was pulled from the air after an F.C.C. pressure campaign—one that’s part of a much broader Presidential agenda.

The playwright Samuel D. Hunter tailors a family drama to the actress’s specific gifts; at Powerhouse: International, the artist Carolina Bianchi explores violence against women.

Heather Christian and Jordan E. Cooper create two very different versions of spiritual inquiry.

The British buzz merchant Jamie Lloyd directs Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Samuel Beckett’s 1954 tragicomedy; plus, “All Right. Good Night.,” from Rimini Protokoll.

Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris play friends who spar over almost everything.

Both composers remain intriguing outliers, notable for the stubbornness with which they have held to their youthful convictions.

High notes.

The late German conductor, who came from a heroic anti-Nazi family, made one believe in the inherent virtue of the core repertory.

The musician Kevin Parker discusses his method of restless tinkering, a deafening bout of tinnitus, and his new album, “Deadbeat.”