essays

Symbolism in The Birds (1963): story as sexual landscape

Birds as punctuation, punishment, and symbols of the unsayable

Published: 23 October 2022 | Last updated: 23 February 2023
23 October 2022

I Came By (2022) explained: a question of class

Basement thriller I Came By sheds light on social invisibility, and unmasks the problem with class

Published: 17 October 2022 | Last updated: 18 November 2022
17 October 2022

Life (2017) explained: monsters, Martians, them and us

Unpacking survival, sacrifice and genre rules in space horror Life

Published: 4 October 2022 | Last updated: 17 November 2022
4 October 2022

Napoleon Dynamite (2004): is Napoleon a good dancer?

Exploring the dance dynamics in Napoleon Dynamite, a comedy about being yourself – because who else can you be?

Published: 27 September 2022 | Last updated: 17 November 2022
27 September 2022

Unknown (2011) explained: the identity war

Identity is unpredictable in 2011 psychological thriller Unknown – and that spells trouble for its protagonists

Published: 16 September 2022 | Last updated: 18 February 2023
16 September 2022

Sphere (1998) explained: the abyss gazes back

Scientists find an alien sphere at the bottom of the ocean, but it opens a Pandora’s box of misery

Published: 4 September 2022 | Last updated: 15 January 2023
4 September 2022