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.
126
The Mean, Hot Mom Problem On Screen, Explained
11 min
127
Big Bang Theory: Why Bernadette Was The Meanest...
28 min
128
Paris Geller: from Villain to Smart Girl Icon |...
10 min
129
The O.C.'s Marissa Cooper: The Darkness Behind ...
13 min
130
The Love Bomber Trope: Rom-Com Dream to Total N...
15 min
131
The Curse: That Crazy Ending Explained, and Nat...
11 min
132
Boy Meets World's Angela: The Sad Story of the ...
10 min
133
Annoying Overachiever Trope: Obnoxious, Ambitio...
13 min
134
Gilmore Girls: A Coffee-Fueled Recap of Every S...
36 min
135
Poor Things, Explained: Empowering or Exploitat...
11 min
136
How Sheldon Became The Heart Of Big Bang Theory
13 min
137
Best of 2023: Our Favorite Films & Shows, Perfo...
14 min
138
Modern Family’s Alex: The Dark Side of Being th...
Let’s unpack Alex Dunphy's life as the Smart Girl, what actually caused her problems, and how she overcame them (plus the real reason she and Haley were always fighting.)
12 min
139
Inside The Hollywood Method Acting Backlash
After being heralded for decades, method acting has in recent years begun receiving a lot of backlash .So what’s really behind this turn?
13 min
140
Niles Crane: The Moments That Prove He Was The ...
Frasier might have been the titular character of the hit sitcom, but Niles was clearly the star of the show. Let’s take a look at what made him so hilarious (and lowkey relatable) and unpack why he provided such an important balance to the show!
14 min
141
Netflix vs Carl Rinsch: The Mystery of the Miss...
How did some basically unknown director allegedly scam Netflix for over $50 million dollars? And why is Keanu Reeves involved?!
9 min
142
The Gilded Age: Yes It’s Boring, Yes We Love It...
HBO’s The Gilded Age initially got off to a pretty rocky start, but even with all of its faults, there was just something about the show that kept viewers coming back. So what is the show's true magic?
9 min
143
Saltburn, Explained: Does The Ending Ruin The F...
Saltburn, the new film from writer-director Emerald Fennell, was initially hailed as a shocking eat-the-rich psychological thriller, but upon its release, audiences have found that while it’s definitely a fun ride, it ends up lacking much of the promised bite.
16 min
144
How A24 Built Its Own Fandom & Saved Indie Film
A24 has become known for producing deep, introspective indie films that feel different from Hollywood’s usual fare. What's their secret?
13 min
145
The Crown on Diana's Final Weeks & Her Tragic E...
In the first four episodes of The Crown season 6, the show paints a touching, insightful picture of the weeks leading up to Diana's passing. So let's analyze this portrayal of her relationship with Dodi and the loss the world felt at large.
21 min
146
May December: Analyzing A Shocking True Story &...
How close are May December's portrayals to the real Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau? Let’s unpack the true story behind the film, and what the film's really trying to say.
12 min
147
Sex and The City, A Total Analysis | Total Take
Why exactly was Sex and The City so different from what came before, and why did it have the impact it did?
22 min
148
The Blue-Eyed Girl Trope: What Blue Eyes Really...
Whether she's a sweet innocent or an alluring vixen, let's take a deeper look at the blue-eyed girl, analyze her two main types, and explore what really drives the blue eye obsession.
9 min
149
Our Flag Means Death Season 2, Unpacked: Why It...
We’re unpacking the show’s deeper messages, taking a look at why the show works so well, and exploring where a possible season 3 could take our favorite pirates!
13 min
150
How Indie Films Are Fixing Hollywood’s Intimacy...
After seemingly falling out of fashion for a while, it looks like sex scenes are making a comeback in one arena: prestige indie films. So what’s really going on here, and what does it mean for films (and audiences?)
11 min