Henry Wong

2 days ago | esquire.com | Henry Wong

It took two days to find a new leader of the Catholic church — congratulations to the most famous man from Chicago, Pope Leo — and yet we are still without a James Bond. Daniel Craig, as you will no doubt know, hung up his MI6 key card with No Time to Die. Other sweeping changes: Amazon Studios bought the rights to all things Bond in 2021 and producer and long-time franchise producer Barbara Broccoli exited the scene (not without a little behind-the-scenes drama).

5 days ago | esquire.com | Henry Wong

There is a fleeting period between late winter and early spring when self-respecting cinephiles can feel pretty pleased with themselves. They have watched all of the past award season’s frontrunners, checked out the smaller international fare on Mubi, and come up with a few hot takes (The Brutalist was too short! There weren’t enough songs in A Complete Unknown!). And then, just as you get outside to enjoy the warming air – maybe with a martini? – Cannes kicks off.

1 week ago | esquire.com | Henry Wong

On the spectrum of gently exasperated to let’s feed a kitten to an ATM, I am leaning towards the former when it comes to the maybe/probably happening Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of American Psycho. I enjoy both the source material, Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 controversial classic about a finance bro-cum-serial killer and Mary Harron’s well-liked 2000 big-screen version, which starred Christian Bale as the titular psycho.

1 week ago | esquire.com | Henry Wong

There’s a scene in the second half of The Great Gatsby — turning 100 this year, FYI! — that I think about whenever the weather in London approaches 20 degrees. Nick, our misfit narrator, is taking the train to visit his more refined friends, and it is the hottest day of that fateful summer. Newspapers are damp from sweat, the carriage feels like it might combust.

2 weeks ago | esquire.com | Henry Wong

July, 2005. London is reeling from a series of coordinated terror attacks across public transport that resulted in the death of 52 people. Temperatures soar, as do suspicions. A fortnight later, more attacks, though this time, the terrorists are foiled. The next day, police shoot dead a man at Stockwell tube station. A collective exhale, until it emerges that there has been a terrible mistake. This man was innocent, though he had been acting suspiciously.