Rachel Handler is a features writer at Vulture and New York Magazine who covers movies, TV, music, pop culture, and bucatini. She was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2020.
dear diary
Bed HabitsOne insomniac’s descent into the world of sleep research to understand what screens before bed are doing to our brains.
The 102 Best Movie Sequels of All TimeWho in the world wanted a Top Gun sequel? Not even Tom Cruise, but that didn’t stop Maverick from getting made and soaring in our ranks.
encounter
‘The Gays Are Here’Titanique, a jukebox fantasia that imagines Céline Dion survived the Titanic, has found its audience.
David Cronenberg Explains HimselfHe says his latest film Crimes of the Future works on multiple levels. “But I really do think we’re kind of destroying the earth.”
Chie Hayakawa’s Plan 75 Quietly Devastates CannesThe heart-wrenching dystopian film, about a government program for euthanizing senior citizens, marks the arrival of an exciting new writer-director.
Tom Cruise Is Being Boring at CannesThe once-infamous agent of chaos has overcorrected his press strategy as he promotes Top Gun: Maverick at the French festival.
encounter
‘What Would You Like to Know?’An afternoon of pleasant negotiation with actor, stealth musician, and Taylor Swift muse Joe Alwyn.
community theater
‘We Should Hate It, But It Works’An oral history of the inexplicably star-studded, hallucinogenic ending of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.
Aline Was Inspired by a True DivaHow do you write, direct, and star in a Céline Dion biopic? According to Valérie Lemercier, you start by changing the singer’s name.
Quiz: Which Cult Are You In?Do you worship Search Party’s Dory, Yellowjackets’ haunted forest, or the almighty dollar over all else?
behind the seams
How to Dress Like Alana Haim in Licorice PizzaThe costume team behind Licorice Pizza on the details of Alana Haim’s vintage ’70s fits, from babydoll dresses to halter tops and miniskirts.
A Long Talk With the Hot Gay Nuns of BenedettaVirginie Efira and Daphné Patakia discuss working alongside Paul Verhoeven, the feminist bona fides of their movie, and Virgin Mary dildos.
a long talk
‘Should I Call You Daddy?’How C’mon C’mon director Mike Mills convinced Joaquin Phoenix to father his movie son.
Under Her SkinJulia Ducournau lets us in on the years of fury, angst, and comedy that fueled the Palme d’Or–winning, genre-smashing Titane.
encounter
You Don’t Know Amalia UlmanThe enigmatic artist cast herself and her mother in her new movie, El Planeta, set in her hometown. She swears it’s fiction anyway.