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Caryn James

@carynjames.bsky.social

Film and TV critic, novelist. Film Critic BBC Culture. Contributor to The Hollywood Reporter, among others.

771 Followers  |  251 Following  |  68 Posts  |  Joined: 17.12.2023
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Posts by Caryn James (@carynjames.bsky.social)

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The Bride! review: Maggie Gyllenhaal's riff on the Bride of Frankenstein is 'exhilarating' ★★★★☆ A ferocious Jessie Buckley and a heartbreaking Christian Bale star in a bold film of "huge scope and ambition" that is "loaded with surprises".

It's gigantic, sprawling and impressive. Maggie Gyllenhaal doesn't wrap things up in a neat bow, but why should she? Her ambition is exhilarating.
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

04.03.2026 21:07 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Perfect headline, perfect column. No notes.

27.02.2026 21:43 — 👍 20    🔁 6    💬 1    📌 0
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Will the credits on Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights be as honest as the credits on the Morecambe and Wise version?

10.02.2026 21:50 — 👍 278    🔁 52    💬 4    📌 1
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Wuthering Heights review: This bold reinvention of Emily Brontë's novel is 'sexy, dramatic and swoonily romantic' Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, Emerald Fennell's new take on the classic romance is far from faithful to the original book – but it is "utterly absorbing" in its own right.

Wuthering Heights is pretty dazzling. Pure Emerald Fennell on the surface, but she channels something essential in Bronte too: the anger and jealousy beneath the passion.
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

09.02.2026 20:25 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 1

And the composition of that scene is exquisite, as well as beautifully played. One of my favorites too.

04.02.2026 20:43 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

British-American alliance is strong. This is perfect, Jimmy Kimmel.

27.12.2025 01:30 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I'd also love some reporting on who orchestrates it all behind the scenes. It's not spontaneous combustion that makes them all spout those very similar, gag-inducing odes to his "leadership". Some staffers are wrangling them.

03.12.2025 21:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

BEST ACTOR: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

02.12.2025 17:20 — 👍 751    🔁 174    💬 25    📌 144

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: The Secret Agent

02.12.2025 15:37 — 👍 784    🔁 188    💬 21    📌 85
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Marty Supreme review: Timothée Chalamet's ping-pong comedy is 'fresh, funny and exhilarating' Timothée Chalamet is "captivating", alongside an "impeccable" Gwyneth Paltrow, in this "madcap" film about a young man who scams and steals his way to becoming a table-tennis champion.

Whatever you think of Timmy off-screen, he makes this film soar. More fun than you'd expcet a ping-pong movie to be.
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

01.12.2025 17:14 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I agree – it's beautiful and does stay with you more than most films. Slow to start, I think, but worth it.

22.11.2025 22:56 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Pluribus review: This new sci-fi from Breaking Bad's creator is 'one of 2025's smartest shows' This series from Vince Gilligan stars Rhea Seehorn as a cynical woman living in a world where people are constantly happy. It's George Orwell meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Orwell meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in Vince Gilligan's brilliant, entertaining Pluribus
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

07.11.2025 02:06 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, in a historic victory for progressives Mamdani, a democratic socialist and state assemblymember, will make history as the first Muslim and South Asian person — as well as the youngest in over a century — to serve as New York City mayor.

Mira Nair, in addition to being a brilliant filmmaker, is now officially the mom of the MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY!

05.11.2025 02:57 — 👍 154    🔁 24    💬 1    📌 3

Highlights of the NYFilm Festival 1st weekend: On screen, Wagner Moura in Kleber Mendonca Filho's searing The Secret Agent. Off-screen, Bruce Springsteen performing after Deliver Me From Nowhere. Honorable mention to Luca Guadagnino's glittery silver jacket on opening night. @FilmLinc #NYFF

29.09.2025 03:33 — 👍 6    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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We join our colleagues in @lafilmcritics.bsky.social and @nsfc.bsky.social in condemning the actions taken by Nexstar and Disney-ABC to pull "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air.

18.09.2025 20:17 — 👍 157    🔁 54    💬 3    📌 3

Can't wait to see this. Paterson is so lovely.

31.08.2025 19:50 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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‘The Last Viking’ Review: Mads Mikkelsen Is Funny and Poignant in Danish Crime Comedy About Delusion and Brotherly Love Revolving around an unusual pair of brothers, Anders Thomas Jensen's latest absurdist feature premiered in Venice out of competition.

I love this weirdo movie.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

30.08.2025 23:01 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship

Huge respect to Amy Sherald for not giving in. I'm sorry for the people in D.C. who won't get to see her show, one of the most bracing by a contemporary artist in recent years. Her Michelle Obama portrait is, frankly, the least of it. Show is still up at the Whitney.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/a...

24.07.2025 18:12 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Mystery sauces! You're a martyr for your profession, Matt.

23.07.2025 20:57 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

One of the first things Vladimir Putin did on becoming president was take over NTV, the TV channel that hosted a satirical puppet show because he didn't like the Putin doll and how he was portrayed. He arrested NTV's owner and only released him when he signed the channel over. #Colbert

18.07.2025 00:45 — 👍 8625    🔁 3047    💬 134    📌 112
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‘Late Show’ Shocker: CBS Ending Late-Night Franchise in 2026 Host Stephen Colbert announced the news during the taping of Thursday’s show.

No one believes the CBS line that this is all about finances. No one.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/c...

18.07.2025 00:37 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Is the New York Times trying to wreck Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid? | Margaret Sullivan With their made-up scandal, combined with the pre-election editorial, the Times looks like it’s on a crusade against Mamdani

Typically astute, to-the-point take from @sulliview.bsky.social "The Mamdani story, however, fell far short of the newsworthiness bar."

07.07.2025 22:46 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

They buried the lede: NYT is poring over the hacked confidential information.

04.07.2025 01:15 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Maybe you can DM me here?

01.07.2025 00:25 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Jurassic World Rebirth review: 'Stale' and with 'few thrills', it may be the weakest of the franchise Starring Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, the latest in the dinosaur blockbuster series follows the template created by the original Jurassic Park – but it's no match for it.

In a word: Eww! Jurassic World Rebirth is pretty stinky.
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

30.06.2025 16:23 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Oh no – please don't call them Karens! (No one takes spelling into account.)😊

24.06.2025 17:03 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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28 Years Later review: Zombie-apocalypse horror is a 'never-dull' monster mash-up Alex Garland and Danny Boyle have reunited for a follow-up to their 2002 classic. It has visual flair, terrifying adversaries and a scene-stealing performance from Ralph Fiennes.

Part zombie-apocalypse, part Heart of Darkness, but best of all: Ralph Fiennes.
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

18.06.2025 21:56 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

It's not a very good show, but no one blames you.

10.06.2025 02:01 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Materialists review: This 'captivating' romantic drama explores love and money with 'piercing honesty' Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal make for a starry love triangle in this exquisite new film from director Celine Song, who previously made the Oscar-nominated Past Lives.

Celine Song beautifully sidesteps the romcom

www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

09.06.2025 16:21 — 👍 2    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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Neon Appoints Ryan Werner from Cinetic Marketing to Newly-Created President of Global Cinema Role Ryan Werner is exiting Cinetic Marketing to be Neon's President of Global Cinema.

Ryan Werner is exiting Cinetic Marketing to be Neon's President of Global Cinema.

15.05.2025 13:05 — 👍 2    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0