Welcome to Reactor’s yearly round-up of some of our favorite articles from the last twelve months! In case you missed it, there’s a separate list for discussions about fiction, reading, writing, and all things book-related; the list below highlights essays about other aspects of popular culture, with a focus on film and television in particular.
We’ve focused on standalone essays and articles, here, but we’re also quite proud of all the film and television coverage we’ve published all year long, as well as our regular columns and rewatches, including Keith R.A. DeCandido’s Babylon 5 Rewatch, which began early this year. Fans of manga and anime should check out Leah Thomas’ Anime Spotlight column, which covers everything from newer shows like Delicious in Dungeon to classics like Cowboy Bebop and the Ghibliverse. Also new this year is Kali Wallace’s weekly Science Fiction Film Club—every month, Kali explores a new theme, from time travel to weird futures to alien invasions to city-stomping kaiju, digging deep into each film’s history and legacy along the way…
We truly hope that you enjoy the selections below, and please feel free to tell us about the articles and columns (and movies and shows) that struck a chord with you over the last year…
SFF, Storytelling, and the Larger Culture
That Megalopolis Trailer Snafu Sure Could Teach Us a Lot About Art Criticism by Emmet Asher-Perrin
Let’s talk about that extremely awkward marketing decision, and what it says about our relationship to cultural criticism.
Black Futuras: How Three Pop Divas Adapted the Image of Metropolis’ Maschinenmensch by Kristen Patterson
Almost a century after her first appearance, Futura has continually been resurrected and reimagined as a performing persona for pop artists—and used to tell very different stories…
What One Horror Action Figure Line Taught Me About Fear by Jonathan Alexandratos
An action figure line featuring stories stitched together by horror legend Clive Barker was more than it seemed…
How Polite Society Conveys Its Characterization Through Martial Arts by Aamir Mehar
The combination of thoughtful fight sequences and Jane Austen-style humor created one of 2023’s best films.
WrestleMania and the Cure to Recursive Mythology by Dylan Roth
Tired of the endless reboots and canon resets? Wrestling might be the cure to what culturally ails us…
Marvel Comics and the MCU
Madripoor Examined: Orientalism and the MCU’s Fictional City by Thom Truelove
Never given a specific location in comics, Madripoor’s placement in the Indonesian archipelago of the MCU raises questions going forward.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Asked Queer Questions, and Empowered Us to Use FanFic to Answer Them; or, My “Date” With She-Hulk by Jonathan Alexandratos
Some thoughts about the canceling of She-Hulk, offered in the form of a short play.
Agatha All Along Nailed Some Profound Truths About Witchcraft by Asa West
Finally, a rich, thoughtful, respectful on-screen portrayal of witches and magic…
Dune, Dune, and More Dune
Adapting Dune to the Screen: Three Different Interpretations of Herbert’s Vision by Kara Kennedy
Which of these adaptations is the most faithful to the book—and does that make it the best?
Dune: Part Two Asks Questions That the Original Never Dared by Emmet Asher-Perrin
Denis Villeneuve’s new Dune film alters the arcs of key characters, but not everyone gets such careful treatment.
How Dune Solves the Problem of AI by Tenacity Plys
Maybe the Bene Gesserit have a point about the dangers of technology…
TV-Inspired Joy and Nostalgia
Butterfly in the Sky Will Make You Fall in Love With Reading, and Reading Rainbow, All Over Again by Leah Schnelbach
You should actually take my word for it.
A Work of Artiphys: The Crowning Glory of Xena’s Campiest, Queerest Episode by Nathan Tavares
In 1997, Xena beat Miss Congeniality out for the best pageant infiltration story… one that’s undeniably, unapologetically queer.
A Love Song to the Walker, Texas Ranger Lever, on the Occasion of Its 20th Anniversary by Leah Schnelbach
The funniest bit Conan O’Brien has ever done is the Walker, Texas Ranger Lever.
Meditations on Fandom and Community
I Saw the TV Glow Is a Meditation On Becoming That Will Haunt You by Emmet Asher-Perrin
Jane Schoenbrun’s new film uses ’90s nostalgia to a terrifying and provocative end.
The People’s Joker Re-Mixes and Re-Mx-es Our Modern Myths with Sheer Trans Joy by Leah Schnelbach
This movie definitely counts as a happy memory.
The Power of Positive Fandoms: A Reminder That Not Everything Is Terrible by Joe George
Two recent films help point the way toward a better future…
Looking Back at Classic SF Series
On Watching Farscape in an Election Year by Jenny Hamilton
It’s easy to feel like nothing you do makes any difference. Don’t despair—instead, take a lesson from Farscape.
Babylon 5 Was the Ultimate Exercise in Plotting vs. Pantsing by Tim Ford
With a possible reboot on the horizon, let’s take a look back at what made the classic series so profoundly unique…
Deep Space Nine and the Most Fantastical Concept in All of Fiction by Robert Repino
There’s a reason we’re still thinking and talking about the series’ final episode and its fascinating climax 25 years later…
Deep Dives into Characters and Representation
Dear Hollywood, Where Are the SFF Book-to-Movie/TV Adaptations From Black Writers? by Melody L. Simpson
Hollywood is missing out on billions of dollars by refusing to enact meaningful change.
Furiosa and the Disability Wasteland by Elsa Sjunneson
Even before she lost an arm, Furiosa had a sense of what a disabled body felt like.
You Fabulous Thing: Furiosa and the Struggle for Personhood by Sarah Welch-Larson
Furiosa is an iconic figure in pop culture, but Fury Road never treats her as such; she’s interesting because of her humanity, not in spite of it.
Our Flag Means Death and the Thematic Problem of Izzy Hands by Lindsay Ribar
Izzy had an arc rooted in true transformation before his death pulled the rug out from under it.
Filmmaking and Filmmakers
A Grand Unified Theory of Oppenheimer and Art That Speaks the Unspeakable by Leah Schnelbach
Five recent films that blur the boundaries of fact and fiction, irony and sincerity.
David Lynch’s Weirdness Cannot Be Separated From His Empathy by Joe George
Lynch’s films and shows are famously strange, but that strangeness pushes his audience toward profound emotions and empathy…
The Artistic Bravery of Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin by Leah Schnelbach
What are things we don’t want to look at, but should?
Reconsidering the Monstrous
His Mother’s Monster: Percy Jackson’s Nuanced Take on Medusa by Leah Blaine
Monster, victim, or survivor?
How Interview With the Vampire Remixed Its Source Material Into a New Kind of Classic by Tyler Dean
The AMC series captures the spirit of Anne Rice’s original novel while turning potential weaknesses into some of its greatest strengths.
And finally: The Weirdness of Madame Web…
Madame Web, Reviewed by the Spiders From Arachnophobia by Leah Schnelbach
Sometimes you need to find a reviewer who can bring a fresh perspective to a stale genre. This is why we asked two of the Venezuelan Spiders from Arachnophobia to watch Madame Web…
The One Truly Great Scene in Madame Web by Leah Schnelbach
About 20 minutes into Madame Web there’s a scene that so startlingly good that I’ve had to rewatch the film several times to make sure I didn’t imagine it.
As always, there’s so much to talk about, so let’s continue this in the comments—let us know what you think about all of the above, and please recommend any favorite shows, movies, or articles that haven’t been mentioned yet! And as always, if you’re feeling nostalgic or just looking for more deep dives into pop culture, you can always check out our “Some of the Best…” article round-ups from previous years. Thanks for reading!
