Anthony M. Barr

Jul 20, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Ethan McGuire |Guy Denton |Hannah Long |Anthony M. Barr

In his essay “The Myth of the Old West,” the American literary critic T.K. Whipple wrote, “All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past but still lives in us. … Our forebears had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created, but within us the wilderness still lingers.”This claim, of America’s struggle with the wilderness, permeates director Kevin Costner’s new four-part film series, Horizon: An American Saga.

Jul 6, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Guy Denton |Stephanie H. Murray |Anthony M. Barr |Jonah Goldberg

There’s no clearer sign of a decaying horror franchise than a gimmicky change of location. Although A Quiet Place (2018) was marred by an often facile screenplay, its rustic, simple setting of an isolated farm helped conjure up a distinctly haunting atmosphere. But after a sequel that largely retained this austere aesthetic to uninspiring effect, the series seems unsure of how to expand on a premise that’s already nearing exhaustion.

Jun 21, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Guy Denton |Anthony M. Barr |Luke Phillips |Sean Keeley

Culture Richard Linklater’s newest movie unevenly blends screwball comedy with philosophical musings. Published June 22, 2024 In American popular culture, hit men are a ubiquitous force, the focus of countless movies, TV shows, and video games. Given the omnipresence of contract killers, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they must abound in reality.

Jun 1, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Samuel Kronen |Anthony M. Barr |Guy Denton |Sean Keeley

Some of the most significant characters in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy realms—which inspired the HBO sensation Game of Thrones and its more recent prequel House of the Dragon—have some kind of disability, deformity, or disadvantage. They spend much of their lives compensating for it, often in destructive ways. In the process, they exemplify an essential part of compelling storytelling: using suffering as a way to craft convincing motives and scenarios. So it is with Prince Aemond Targaryen.

May 18, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Anthony M. Barr

Few people in Flannery O’Connor’s life seem to enjoy her stories—at least according to Wildcat, the new biopic about the acclaimed Southern gothic writer. Her mother wonders why she can’t write “nice stories.” A family friend asks for “cute stories.” Even her editor complains that her stories feel like they’re sticking pins in the reader.