Once you get past the aliens’ appearances, it’s easy to be mesmerized by the film at large, which is a sweeping and heartfelt examination of colonization, voyeurism, capitalism, and humanity.
Author Archives: Brianna Wellen
Posted inFilm
Review: Theater Camp
The film deftly captures the high emotional stakes of being a theater kid, whether you’re still a child or a full-grown adult.
Posted inFilm
He’s All That
He’s All That is an update to the 90s teen rom-com classic that we didn’t really need. This time around the Freddie Prinze Jr. role is filled by TikTok star Addison Rae, playing high-school influencer Padgett who after being meme-ified during a livestream breakup must for some reason make over the school loner (breakout heartthrob […]
Posted inCity Life
More comedy, movies, and art, please
Upcoming events and recommendations for the next seven days
Posted inArts & Culture
Comedy is back, baby!
A glimpse at how stand-ups coped during the pandemic and made their triumphant return to telling jokes again.
Posted inArts & Culture
Alex Grelle is back with grelley.
Alex Grelle’s second livestream special breaks out of the confines of his home for something bigger than ever.
Posted inArts & Culture
Cards with humanity
Two comedians want their new game to get people talking.
Posted inMusic
Ezra Furman scores life’s uncertainties on Sex Education
Ezra Furman’s soundtrack for Netflix’s Sex Education provides coming-of-age anthems for all stages of life.
Posted inBest of Chicago
This week’s cover
We have a tradition here at the Reader of tasking one of the city’s most talented illustrators, Jason Wyatt Frederick, with creating a Where’s Waldo-esque tableau every year for Pitchfork, filled with a who’s who of Chicago personalities and small visual puzzles spelling out the music fest’s lineup. When it seemed clear that we would […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Losses and gains: Best of Chicago 2020
The positives of the year look different for everyone. The losses and gains have been very personal, so in turn the issue turned out that way too. It reads like group therapy—writers were given space to acknowledge what’s being left behind and then move forward with optimism, maybe even excitement about what the city still has to offer us. Reader poll results were determined by you, the readers!
Posted inBest of Chicago
Yes, please
Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You. is just what the doctor ordered.
Posted inBest of Chicago
A microdose will do ya
Not every edible needs to knock you on your ass. It’s a lesson that took me until 2020 to learn. My first experience with eating weed was in high school (sorry, mom) when some friends baked a birthday cake for us to eat in the woods. The ratio of pot to cake was, ahem, very […]