The Film Comment Podcast: Wrapping Up Sundance 2026

On the last night I will probably ever spend in Park City, I hung out with Bilge Ebiri, Maddie Whittle and Devika Girish to discuss some of the films we saw at the tail end of Sundance. Those include The Weight, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, Chasing Summer and more. It was an epic conversation, which you can listen to below.

Sundance 2026: 'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York' Review

John Turturro rarely gets to be the lead in a movie. So there's plenty of reason to rejoice at the existence of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, in which he plays an expert thief who gets into a bind. Even better, though, is that the film is so darn entertaining. You can read my review here. 

The 101 Best Los Angeles Movies

This has been in the works for a little while, so I'm glad it's finally out there in the world. The Los Angeles Times has put together a list of the all-time best L.A. movies. I didn't have a say in the final rankings, although I contributed a ballot alongside my fellow critics and journalists, but I did write several of the capsules. I was very happy to heap praise on Barton Fink, Devil in a Blue Dress, Die Hard, Inherent Vice, Killer of Sheep, Safe and A Woman Under the Influence. Check the whole list out here. 

My Interview With the Cast of 'Severance'

This was fun. For the Los Angeles Times, I chatted with seven members of the Severance ensemble. (From left to right, that's Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Adam Scott, Dichen Lachman, Tramell Tillman and Patricia Arquette.) The interesting wrinkle? I talked to them all separately and at different times over the span of a few weeks. What this created was a fascinating experiment in seeing how each of them, on their own, reacted to the challenges of living up to the show's first season. I found them to be candid, even confessional, about the anxieties and issues they faced while filming Season Two. The result is this very satisfying piece, which I hope you enjoy.

(Photos by Jason Armond.)

Welcome to the John Turturro Appreciation Society

The other day, I noticed that social media was getting excited about the idea of John Turturro being in The Batman. So I wrote about that online love affair, and why the veteran character actor is underappreciated. My piece is live over at MEL.