Below is a curated selection of 10 recommended art books and works for this month, covering a broad spectrum from biographical studies to activism history, contemporary neuroscience to social fiction. Grand Finales: The Creative Longevity of Women Artists (Susan Gubar) At eighty, author Susan Gubar examines the creative dynamism and adaptability of aging women artists

If someone asks you what day it is, you should reply, “Wow, it’s Sam Raimi trailer day!” The director who turned The Evil Dead, an indie horror flick, into one of the most consistent horror franchises of all time, is back in the genre for the first time since 2009 with Send Help. The film

Gen V has always excelled at subverting audience expectations. In the penultimate episode of its second season, the true nature of Godolkin University’s dean, Cipher (Hamish Linklater), is finally revealed. True to form, the show delivers a shock: Cipher is nothing more than an “organic puppet” controlled by the university’s founder, Thomas Godolkin. Behind this

Directed by Mercedes Stalenhoef, I Shall See (Ik zal zien) is a poetic and profound story of loss that takes viewers beyond the act of seeing. Written by Britt Snel, the film begins with a young woman, Lot (Aiko Beemsterboer), suddenly losing her vision. As colors, shapes, and faces vanish, her world becomes shrouded in

Written and directed by Karan Kandhari, Sister Midnight is a genre-defying film that unearths the suppressed emotions of marriage through dark humor. Starring Radhika Apte as Uma, a woman grappling with society’s expectations after marriage, the film traces her growing unrest, which, combined with a sense of domestic entrapment, propels her into the strange world

Directed by Marcel Walz, Garden of Eden is a disturbing religious allegory that blurs the line between faith, sin, and redemption. The affluent and devout Eden family hosts lavish garden parties, promising the guest who finds a hidden key the fulfillment of their deepest desires. But within this seemingly paradisiacal garden, every wish comes at

The Portuguese-French co-production The Tree of Knowledge (A Árvore do Conhecimento), directed by Eugène Green, continues his distinctive theatrical cinematic language in a three-part allegory. Blending fantasy, philosophy, and politics, the film confronts the exhaustion of the modern world with ancient myths. Within an Existential Fable Gaspar, a young man, escapes Lisbon’s outskirts seeking a

Can the mundane moments and financial struggles behind a work of art be observed with such honesty? Directed by Ira Sachs, Peter Hujar’s Day, adapted almost verbatim from a 1974 audio recording, presents an intimate and tender portrait of artist Peter Hujar before his rise to fame. The film flows like a series of languid

At New York Comic-Con (NYCC) 2025, DC Comics thrilled fans with a major announcement: the final four unpublished issues of Rick Veitch’s Swamp Thing series will be released after 27 years under the title Swamp Thing 1989. This is a long-awaited moment for dedicated DC fans. According to DC Executive Editor Chris Conroy, these issues

Directed by Ibon Cormenzana, Four Walls (Cuatro paredes) tells the story of a mother and daughter learning to live with loss. Set in the working-class neighborhoods of Bilbao, the film unfolds in the shadow of economic collapse, grief, and fragile love. At its heart are Sofía, a girl not yet ten, and her mother Juana,

Imagine a story that begins in Berlin’s backstreets: a young woman searching for her identity, clashing with society’s boundaries, and ultimately finding refuge in her rage. Directed by Aslı Özarslan, Elbow (Ellbogen), adapted from Fatma Aydemir’s award-winning novel, is a raw and emotionally gripping coming-of-age tale. Centering on 17-year-old Hazal, the film unflinchingly explores the

German director Ulrich Köhler delivers a bold film in Gavagai, confronting both the process of filmmaking and today’s societal tensions. Set initially on a film shoot in Senegal adapting Medea, the story shifts to a Berlin premiere night disrupted by a racist incident, adding a new layer to the narrative. The film is both a

Prime Video’s Reacher has become one of its most-watched series, not just for its gripping fight scenes but for its storytelling that stays true to its core character. Adapting Lee Child’s universe of 29 novels and a short story collection for television, the show is the product of a writers’ room governed by simple yet

Directed by Pierre Monnard, Bisons emerges as one of the most intense and emotional films from Swiss cinema. The film follows young wrestling champion Steve Chappuis, whose quiet, structured life is shaken by the return of his estranged older brother, Joël. To save their family’s debt-ridden farm, Joël drags Steve into illegal fights across the

Directed by Tony Burke, Protein is a chilling crime-horror hybrid set in the bleak Welsh countryside. The film follows Sion (Craig Russell), a muscle-obsessed former soldier with PTSD, whose life spirals after he kills a drug dealer in a moment of madness—and eats him. This single act of frenzy triggers a chain reaction of violence

Imagine a reality show with deadly rules and a million-dollar prize. The only way to survive? Never be alone. Written, directed, and starring Jake Johnson, Self Reliance holds a sharp mirror to modern loneliness through this bizarre premise. In his feature directorial debut, Johnson blends dark comedy, existential anxiety, and a hunger for human connection

Horror remains a reliable harbor in the choppy seas of box office waters. 2025 has been bountiful in this regard: fresh ideas bared their vampire fangs, established franchises flexed their muscles, and another Stephen King adaptation burrowed deep into our psyches. Below, I’ve summarized the must-sees for your radar before the year ends—spoiler-free, in bite-sized

Saying something new about Martin Scorsese is no easy task. In his early eighties, he’s still making films, still taking risks, still defending cinema like a faith. Directed by Rebecca Miller, the Apple TV+ documentary series Mr. Scorsese centers this passion and obsession, serving as both a tribute to the director and a bittersweet farewell.

In the misty hills of New Zealand, a son returns home for his mother’s funeral. But this return becomes less a reckoning with the past and more a rebirth in the shadow of a spirit. Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven, Went Up the Hill begins like a ghost story built on grief, trauma, and belonging

Since bursting onto the scene with Nick Park’s stop-motion masterpiece A Grand Day Out in 1989, Wallace & Gromit has carved a unique place in animation history. Blending British humor, absurd inventions, and themes of loyal friendship, the series has spanned short films to an Oscar-winning feature (The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 2005). The latest

One of the greatest surprises of streaming platforms is when overlooked gems resurface years later. Netflix’s Dead End: Paranoid Park, canceled in 2022 after two seasons, is a prime example. Recently rediscovered on the platform, this animated series has captured a new audience. So, what makes this short-lived yet unforgettable show so special? First, the

October brings a collision of cinema’s timeless gems and today’s boldest stories. MUBI’s October lineup opens doors for every viewer, from restored masterpieces to fresh festival darlings, reigniting our passion for film. This month, a special retrospective celebrates Turkish cinema master Reha Erdem’s cinematic legacy. From the restored A Ay to films like Life Exists,

The Good Place was a masterpiece that blended existential questions, ethical lessons, and laughter. Eleanor Shellstrop’s (Kristen Bell) accidental arrival in heaven sparked a journey that made us ponder what it means to be a “good person,” all while surprising us with its season-finale twists. If you’re searching for a new series like the indecisive

Kelly Reichardt’s new film, The Mastermind, strips the art heist genre of its cinematic glamour, rooting it instead in the banality of everyday life. No red lasers or James Bond-esque intrigue here—just a group of misfit youths in early 1970s Framingham, Massachusetts, attempting to steal Arthur Dove paintings by outwitting a sleepy security guard. As

History sometimes presents absurdities so stark they only find meaning in a film frame. Directed by Felipe Carmona, Prison in the Andes tells such a dark, true story from Chile’s Pinochet dictatorship: five former military officials, despite committing heinous crimes against humanity, serve their sentences in a luxurious prison nestled at the foot of the

How much can boundless wealth protect you when the world above crumbles? Billionaires’ Bunker, the latest project from La Casa de Papel creators Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato, seeks a gripping answer to this question. The series follows a group of billionaires retreating to Kimera Underground Park, a lavish subterranean shelter, revealing how even