Culture | TV

The film, with more than 70 million views on Netflix, takes its cues from “Rambo” – and police reform.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” has become entangled in culture war sparring. Yet some say the text has universal qualities that transcend politics. 

What did the first Black Barbie mean to a generation of children? A director who says she “hated“ dolls draws joy and inspiration from an icon.

The last enslaved people to arrive in the U.S. from Africa tried to get home after they were emancipated. More than 150 years later, their descendants make the journey for them – and consider the legacy they left. 

“Reading Rainbow” remains a touchstone for generations of American children. But as a new documentary shows, it – and host LeVar Burton – means so much more than nostalgia.

Steve Martin is known for turning high-style goofiness into an art form, the Monitor’s film critic writes. A new documentary offers the notoriously private entertainer an opportunity to consider what it takes for a funnyman to find happiness.

Ultimately, “X-Men ’97” is a blast from the past that resonates in this time, while retaining its ability to present difference in a humane way.

With the Season One finale of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” airing Tuesday, do fans think the Disney+ series has erased memories of two earlier movies?

“Succession” won best drama series and acting nods for Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen. “The Bear” won best comedy series along with every award it was nominated for in the first Emmys ceremony post-strike.

A new documentary offers a nonlinear, lyrical look at the activism and life of poet Nikki Giovanni. What our commentator comes away with is a sense of love and awe.