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.
326
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
327
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
328
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
329
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
330
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
331
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
332
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
333
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
334
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
335
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
336
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
337
The Hot Mess - Why we love a chaotic heroine | ...
The "Hot Mess" has been the queen of the female-led sitcom (and sad-com) for two decades now, but is it time to move on from her as the main representation of young-ish female protagonists onscreen?
16 min
338
Women Everywhere Are Reaching Their Breaking Point
Worldwide there are increasingly more attacks on women’s liberties and lives. Here’s our take on how the global war on women has reached a breaking point – and how we can fight back by learning from other women in similar positions around the world.
14 min
339
How "Toxic" Discourse Can Do More Harm Than Good
Is it time to retire the word “toxic”? It’s beginning to feel like the word is losing its meaning. If everything is toxic, then nothing is...
10 min
340
The Dirtbag is the New Sex Symbol - And We’re H...
For leading men on screen, it looks like the alpha male is out and the dirtbag is in. Click to watch our video on the rise of the dirtbag, and why it’s the perfect moment for men to embrace their rough edges, and show us a more chaotic side of themselves.
13 min
341
Death of the Movie Star - What It Means for Hol...
Hollywood is still full of A-listers, but the true movie star is dying out. But is this because the business has changed, or because actors have changed?
14 min
342
The Fab 4: Why 4-Person Shows Work So Well
The four-person ensemble creates a particular screen magic audiences love, especially on TV. So what is it that's so special about the Fab 4 set up?
13 min
343
You’ve Got Mail - In Defense of Joe's "Toxic" T...
Tom Hanks’ Joe Fox makes some questionable choices in You’ve Got Mail, but Joe’s duplicity gets at the ultimate message of the film – which is that a lot of us are actually living double lives, often without realizing it. Is Joe not actually as toxic as we thought?
14 min
344
How Prince Charming Became a One-Note Joke | TR...
It’s safe to say that the fairy tale princess archetype has been reclaimed, now a far cry from the stereotypical damsel in distress, waiting for her prince. But what about Prince Charming himself? Has he been updated?
16 min
345
The Ugly Pretty Girl: It’s the Stories That Nee...
In 2022, ideas of beauty and self-acceptance feel far more fluid than ever. So does the old-school “ugly-pretty girl” story even work in today’s context?
15 min
346
Gen Z Brought Twee Back and It’s Here to Stay
The "adorkable" trend is back, but Gen Z's new version of twee is a lot less smug and more unfiltered – striving to embrace the DIY creativity in a realer way.
14 min
347
How Kristen Stewart Became an Icon of Authenticity
How did Kristen Stewart go from child actress to Twilight superstar to indie darling? Above all, by owning her authentic self, no matter what anyone thinks. Click to watch our new video on how Kristen became an icon through her non-conformity & authenticity.
13 min
348
Disappearing Content: Media is still getting wi...
When content gets removed from the internet and streaming services…where does it go? And should we be worried about the future of shows that have only ever existed online?
12 min
349
The Millennial Mom - A New Brand of Anxious Par...
Both on screen & in real life, the millennial mom is a master of juggling, up on all the trends, and totally exhausted – expected to be a superwoman as the bare minimum.
15 min
350
House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra, Her Own Worst Enemy
How did Rhaenyra Targaryen go from the sweet, timid girl we met in episode one to a woman willing to burn down the entirety of Westeros to settle a grudge against her former best friend?
12 min