The Take
This is the Take. It's where you come to understand more about your favorite movies, shows and culture. Our video essays make the story worlds you enter richer and deeper. Think: Endings Explained, Character Studies, Hidden Messages and Symbols Revealed, Actor and Director Profiles, and more.
We want to share our love of visual culture with the world. So here's our Take.
251
The “Industry Plant” Problem: Harry Styles is n...
Ever since going solo post-One Direction, Harry has been on a mission to establish himself as a unique, creative voice. But has he done enough to really stand out as an original artist? And how does he fit into the larger conversation of the problem with industry plants and how hard it is for original artistic voices to break through?
10 min
252
Prince Harry’s Spare: What He’s Really Looking ...
Between Prince Harry's book Spare, the Netflix docuseries, and countless interviews, it feels like we finally got an inside look at the Duke of Sussex’s private life... so why does it still feel so unclear what Prince Harry really wants?
10 min
253
You S4, Explained: Everything you need to know....
Don't miss our new video on the first half of You's fourth season, how Joe’s new European surroundings becomes its sharpest-ever critique of class, and how the show keeps getting us to empathize with this serial killer.
10 min
254
Couples Therapy's Growing Problem: Weaponized T...
Couples therapy is on the rise – and that’s mostly a good thing. But is there a darker side of those seemingly good intentions that may be hiding something not-so-good?
8 min
255
Star-Crossed Lovers: Why Their Stories Must End...
Some of the best love stories of all time are tales of star-crossed lovers... is part of the reason we are so drawn to these stories is because there is something cathartic about seeing when things don’t work out?
11 min
256
How Magic Mike Complicated the Male Bombshell |...
Seductive, sensual and scintillating, Channing Tatum’s titular character, Magic Mike, is the epitome of the modern male sex symbol… so what’s the legacy and impact of the Magic Mike trilogy, as it finishes up with Magic Mike’s Last Dance?
10 min
257
Why Young Celebs Look Old and Old Celebs Look Y...
Older celebrities are looking younger, younger celebrities are looking older…it seems like no one wants to actually look their own age. In our heavily filtered, face-tuned world, are we all in danger of trying to reach for some idea of perfection that forces everyone to turn away from their natural looks?
11 min
258
Sex Work Onscreen: Old Tropes & Stigmas That Ar...
Sex work is slowly being de-stigmatized with more nuanced on-screen depictions that show what the reality of the industry is like — and it’s about time.
14 min
259
How Millennials Outgrew These Tired Tropes
Millennials in the real world are full-fledged adults now, so why does millennial representation on screen often feel like a caricature rather than the real thing?
12 min
260
Wakanda Forever: Shuri's Amazing Transformation
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri's evolution shows us the power of grief as her losses compound, one on top of another, and she’s forced to make a choice between what will feel good and what will be good.
9 min
261
Prince Harry’s Spare: The Conflicting Way He Pa...
With Prince Harry’s autobiography, Spare, we’re finally getting a look at their relationship from the inside... So does Harry’s loving account of Meghan humanize her more, or does it inadvertently throw fuel on the fire thanks to feeling like it has an agenda?
10 min
262
The Nepo Baby Rage Trend: It's All Worse Than Y...
These days, it seems like the only thing more common than nepotism babies, is people hating nepotism babies. In today's video we're looking at why the nepo baby rage is so intense this time around, and how the nepotism plaguing Hollywood is a symptom of a much larger issue.
11 min
263
Infidelity Onscreen: Why We Just Love Watching ...
Infidelity is one of the most traumatic, heartbreaking experiences someone in a romantic partnership can go through, so why does it often get glamorized on screen?
10 min
264
The Modern Feminist is a GIRL'S GIRL | FEMINISM
The “Girls’ Girl”: She believes in uplifting other women, has a strong group of girlfriends, and always abides by the girl code. And her modern version is a reaction to our current feminism in crisis.
11 min
265
Why Megan Thee Stallion’s Win is Huge For Hip-Hop
What’s happened to Megan Thee Stallion has exposed another layer of deep-seeded misogyny within our culture and serves as an indictment of how women in rap and hip-hop are treated as a whole.
9 min
266
The Fashionista Trope - Why She’s So Perfectly ...
The fashionista: Vapid and cruel, but oh-so beautifully dressed, they're one of film’s most reviled characters. But what's beneath that perfect veneer?
12 min
267
Why "Perfect-on-Paper" Love Interests Always Co...
That love interest that *seems* like the perfect choice, but just isn't *the one*... What exactly makes for a perfect-on-paper love interest, and how do these qualities differ between the male and female versions of those characters?
12 min
268
The Last of Us Ep 1: Does It Live Up to the Game?
The Last of Us is one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time, and it's HBO series might just be the first great video game adaptation. Here's how TLoU is breaking the adaptation curse.
9 min
269
The Dangers of Making Infamous People TV Antihe...
Everyone loves a story with a juicy villain—but what happens when those compelling, cinematic monsters are based on real people?
13 min
270
The White Lotus Symbolism & Ending: What You Mi...
The White Lotus season 2 had *so much* going on - here's our take on which characters came out of their stay at The White Lotus as winners, and how the show gave us all the clues to its ultimate ending along the way.
11 min
271
The "Good" Ol' Days: Romanticizing an Era That ...
Cinema loves reliving the so-called 'good old days' – but the reality is that the time period wasn’t good for everyone. Click to watch our take on why we should stop looking through the rearview with rose tinted glasses.
14 min
272
Revenge Stories: Satisfying or Problematic?
We love seeing revenge played out on screen, but do revenge narratives that celebrate the vindictive anti-hero enact an unhealthy fantasy that we should be trying to get away from?
11 min
273
Why People Are Turning Away From Harry and Megh...
By trying to set the record straight and elicit some sympathy, have Prince Harry and Megan Markle damaged what people liked about them in the first place?
13 min
274
Your Honor, Season 1 Explained & What To Expect...
SHOWTIME's Your Honor season 1 was full of twists and turns, secrecy and revenge... and now the dangerous cycle is set to continue in season 2! Click to check out our new video unpacking season 1 and sharing our favorite theories about season 2.
12 min
275
Tarot, Astrology, Crystals - Spirituality is re...
Tarot readings, healing crystals, witchcraft, and astrology… spirituality definitely seems to be on the rise both online & irl. But is it just for the aesthetics? Or does it reflect how, even as traditional religion declines, new generations still need to find frameworks that make sense of our troubled times?
10 min