In recent issues of The Communist, readers review the hit show ‘Severance’; Laura Carreira’s ‘On Falling’; new Somerset House exhibition ‘SOIL’; Des Warren’s ‘The Key to My Cell’; Steppenwolf’s ‘The Ostrich’; and the Strugatsky brothers’ 1965 sci fi-fantasy ‘Monday begins on Saturday’.
The new Netflix mini-series Adolescence has made waves for its skilful, evocative depiction of misogyny and violence against women. Viewers are left with a deep-seated, unsettling feeling that something is deeply wrong with society.
A new drama about the life of fascist leader Benito Mussolini masterfully illustrates the rise of fascism in Italy. Rather than focussing on individual psychology and ambition, this series depicts the process of revolution, counter-revolution, and opportunist betrayals.
A new collection of James Connolly’s earlier writings by Irish historian Conor McCabe reintroduces us to the life, intellect, and work of the most outstanding Marxist revolutionary that this part of the world has ever produced.
Political thriller ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ depicts the uprising following the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian state in 2022. Secretly filmed in Iran, the film’s director Mohammad Rasoulof was forced to flee the country to avoid imprisonment.
Written for the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony is one of his most magnificent works. It was performed in London in January, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the 1905 revolution which it commemorates.
Brady Corbet’s latest film ‘The Brutalist’, starring Adrien Brody, is as monumental and ambitious as the architectural style it is inspired by. Following a Holocaust survivor’s gruelling pursuit of an elusive ‘American Dream’, the film excels in both content and form.
Bad Bunny’s ‘Debí tirar más fotos’ blends Puerto Rican rhythms with fierce resistance, exposing the scars of US imperialism and celebrating a culture’s resilience. Embraced by Latin American youth, the album inspires cultural pride and reflection on shared struggles.
A major exhibition of the golden age of Mughal art and culture is currently on display at London’s V&A Museum. The treasures inside display the magnificent artistic developments and achievements of this once great civilisation and their lasting impact on the sub-continent to this day.
Visually, Robert Eggers’ iteration of the horror classic ‘Nosferatu’ provides viewers with a technical masterclass in its execution of the modern vampire myth. Yet beneath its ghoulish, gothic melodrama is a muddled social commentary that leaves the film faltering.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s recent novel ‘Alien Clay’ is an excellent read. Set in a dystopian future where all knowledge and scientific progress is stifled by an authoritarian regime, the story deftly explores the relationship between science, society, and revolution.
‘Archive of Dissent’ exhibits 50 years of the work of Peter Kennard. Best known for his powerful photomontages and iconic anti-war images, Kennard’s art unapologetically exposes the brutal ties between capitalism, war, and poverty.