Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 13, 2026
May 13, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Arts & Entertainment



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Celebrate Lunar New Year and survive midterms with these upcoming releases!

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 16

Maybe you’re spending this week single and recovering from the onslaught of cute couple’s posts. Maybe you’re hunkering down for a week of midterms. Maybe you’re procrastinating calling your parents back home. Regardless of what it is you’re looking for, this week’s To Watch and Watch For has something for you. 


POMPEO BATONI / CC0 1.0
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter’s Arts & Entertainment section presents a list of personal favorites from writers and editors, gifting readers love-related arts for Valentine’s. 

Our picks for 2026 Valentine's Day art

The time of selfless love and devoted yearning has not come to an end, but we are putting it on pause. Regardless of if you do or don’t have a special love in your life, remember this: the Arts & Entertainment section always loves you — and here are our specially curated picks of Valentine’s Day art.


GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0
Nguyen explains how Avatar: Fire and Ash is visually stunning, but narratively subpar. 

Avatar: Fire and Ash or fire and cash?

In 2022, the release of Avatar: The Way of Water reaffirmed the cultural relevance and cinematic ambition of the original story. Unfortunately, in 2025, Avatar: Fire and Ash has given me clarity into the consumerist agenda that undermines the series’s foundational critique of exploitation. 


COURTESY OF MELISSA CLARKE
The witness theater opened their I-Show this weekend, featuring three plays that included seafaring-comedy Mutinous Ink. 

Witness Theater’s 2026 train-themed I-Show leaves the station

Despite encountering last-minute venue difficulties, Witness Theater’s I-Show was, by all accounts, an incredibly strong set of student performances. Whether you’re searching for a foray into theater practitioning or just looking for things to do over the weekend, Witness Theater is a great excuse to go out and appreciate the incalculable efforts of fellow Hopkins students.


SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
This Valentine’s Day, indulge in new, specially curated love-related releases in arts.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 9

Whether you’re spending this Valentine’s with a significant other, platonic or familial relationships, or by yourself, the Arts section has the latest installment of To Watch and Watch For, guaranteed to hold media picks that will either enhance your experience with someone else or at least distract you from a double-edged holiday.


SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR 
Stop by Arellano Theater and watch student-written and directed plays! Admission is $4 for Hopkins affiliates.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 2

February is promising; students are regaining their academic footing as the spring semester starts and looking forward to the warmth the rest of the month will bring as Valentine’s Day approaches. Regardless of your relationship status, if you’re seeking comfort from the snow and wind this week, we have media recommendations for you to sink your senses in.


JENGOD / CC BY-SA 4.0 
Hallet provides an overview of various perspectives and recent events regarding Hollywood’s relationship with AI.

Hollywood’s struggles in the age of AI

AI has become prevalent in a remarkably short amount of time. It regularly infiltrates our day-to-day lives while industries wrestle with the ethics and legality of using it in their businesses. Take Hollywood, which must now come to terms with AI and determine not just if the artificial can create art, but also what rights creatives have to their works.



JUKOFF / CC BY-NC 4.0
Sankar can’t help but feel fond for Wicked: For Good, despite some issues with the film. 

Turbulent translations from stage to screen: Wicked sequel pulls through

Wicked: For Good is far from perfect, and I would wager many will hold the first part much closer to their hearts. Nonetheless, it is made with clear heart and love for the story that shines through despite its stumbles, and it is worth the watch for longtime fans and those seeking to complete the first film’s journey.



HARALD KRICHEL / CC BY-SA 4.0
Nathan provides a nuanced take on del Toro’s film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein.

Reviving Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s modern Prometheus

In a world that seems to have lost its creative spark, doomed to forever remake the same stories in an eternal cycle of references, Guillermo del Toro creates Frankenstein — one of the most adapted works of all time. With its gorgeous visuals, Frankenstein was a respectful take on Mary Shelley’s original 1818 novel. 


COURTESY OF MYRA SAEED
Nguyen and Saeed outline their distinct experiences and varied takes on the Hopkins theater department’s recent performance.

Gross Indecency: everything but indecent

From Nov. 6 to Nov. 9, the Hopkins theater program presented show-stopping performances of “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.” Written by Moisés Kaufman and directed by Sean Elias, the show offered a unique look at the downfall of Wilde’s career and an introspective view on the role of the artist in society.


CINÉ ZOOMS 2 / CC BY 3.0
Die My Love, like the most complicated relationships, will pull you into unusual and ugly territory but offers a first-hand account of the suffocating and raw reality that emerges when you engulf yourself in another.

How Die My Love makes a desolate marriage surprisingly captivating

Another picture about a woman slowly losing her sanity in an unhappy relationship doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel of storytelling. But Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love executes a familiar trope with more depth; there’s more to linger on than the usual visceral feelings that arise from being in a frenzied, emotional coma. 


SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Tune in to these Thanksgiving-appropriate media recommendations.

To watch and watch for: Week of Nov. 17

Slowly but surely, we are inching our way closer to the end of the semester. These final few weeks come fast. During those precious days of rest leading up to and during fall recess, we encourage you to seize the time to relax and unwind with some of these hand-picked, timely media recommendations. 


NICOLAS PADOVANI / CC BY 2.0
Nguyen provides a convincing defense of The Weeknd in the wake of her disappointment with this year’s Grammy nominations.

Hurry Up Tomorrow: The Grammys are stuck in yesterday

Call me biased, but the worst snub this year for the Grammy nominations was The Weeknd – Abel Tesfaye. As Abel’s #1 fan (you’re talking to someone who is seriously considering getting a “Stargirl” tattoo), this year’s Grammy nominations were nothing short of criminal.


EVA RINALDI CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Life of a Showgirl is one of Taylor’s bravest reframings yet: proof that joy, camp and glamour can be just as revealing as melancholy whispers.

Why The Life of a Showgirl feels like Taylor Swift’s big, bold leap

On Oct. 3, the moment I got to press play on The Life of a Showgirl at midnight, I felt something completely electrifying: excitement, nerves and, above all, the certainty that I was about to witness a turning point in the music industry. This album is everything I wanted it to be, even if not everyone agrees.


SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Check out FKA twigs’ upcoming album, “EUSEXUA Afterglow,” a continuation of this year’s “EUSEXUA.”

To watch and watch for: Week of Nov. 10

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another installment of To Watch and Watch For! The sky is starting to get dark by 6 p.m., and we get to show off our seasonal fashion instincts with the heavier layers and stylish coats of winter clothing. Enrich your winter experience with the following works of art.



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
See Kim Kardashian, starring in the new TV series All's Fair. 

To watch and watch for: Week of Nov. 3

This week, we grapple with Halloween hangover and the countdown to fall recess. In this liminal space on the calendar, days feel like weeks. However, have no fear — the Arts section is here with this week’s installment of To Watch and Watch For, our specially curated list to help you keep track of time while also whiling it away, beginning with these four personal recommendations.


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