The director of the hit franchise talks to Rebecca about the first two films, which he calls “the biggest technical challenge of my life," and his plans for the future.

Back from the Venice and Telluride film festivals, Rebecca, Richard and David discuss all the movies they've seen so far and some of their favorite encounters. 

The Emmy-winning Mad Men star is nominated this year for two very different roles in Fargo and The Morning Show. But, as he tells David Canfield in a wide-ranging conversation, they share a prescience that’s hard to ignore this election year.

Elon Musk’s presence in our lives is inescapable: his cars roam our streets, his satellites orbit our skies, and his purchase of X—formerly known as Twitter—has reshaped the social-media landscape. The staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss a recent biography of Musk, by Walter Isaacson, tracing the familiar archetype of the genius tech founder from the nineteenth-century robber baron to “Batman” ’s Bruce Wayne. The critics examine how, in recent years, the idea of the unimpeachable Silicon Valley founder has lost its sheen. Narratives such as the 2022 series “WeCrashed” tell the story of startup founders who make lofty promises, only to watch their empires crumble when those promises are shown to be empty. “It dovetails for me with the disillusionment of millennials,” Fry says, pointing to the dark mood that the 2007-08 financial crisis and the 2016 election brought to the country. “There’s no longer this blind belief that the tech founder is a genius who should be wholly admired with no reservations.” 

New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/tnycriticsatlarge_feeddrop

A look at the events that may look a little more normal now that the writers are back to work, and how quickly the actors might follow suit. Plus, discussion of the New York Film Festival, Lily Gladstone's jump to lead actress, and the fascinating international feature race.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The actress worked hard to snag her first lead role in the indie drama Monica, and now finds herself in the odd position of being able to talk about it while still being on strike. (Monica has an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA) She talks to David Canfield about digging deep for the role, advocating for herself, and the potential to make history as a trans actress in the awards race.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The rise of American Fiction, the imminent return of Maestro, the mystery of Napoleon, and much more.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The director of Sing Street and Once thought at one point he might be done with music movies, but was inspired by his relationship with his mother, and his own misspent youth, to write Flora and Son, about a mother and son who both find their own kind of salvation through music.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

We handicap the titles most likely to win the festival's coveted Peoples Choice Awards, our personal favorites, and more highlights.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The director watched the 2021 GameStop stock frenzy unfold within his own home— and then was totally surprised to find himself making a movie about it.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

It's festival season, and there's so much to talk about! We dig into Priscilla, Poor Things, Saltburn, All of Us Strangers, Maestro, Hit Man, and much, much more.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

As the Toronto International Film Festival prepares to kick off, the CEO of TIFF reveals how the SAG-AFTRA strike affected this year's event, how the festival's international focus got even stronger this year, and how he went from attending TIFF as an aspiring film critic to one of the most influential film programmers in the world.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Your guide to the biggest premieres at both Labor Day weekend festivals, from Ferrari to Janet Planet and beyond.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Rebecca, David, and Richard take a look back at how election years have influenced the Oscar race and ceremony, and debate which films might be affected this year. Plus, the LGM team launches August's Director Discussion series, focusing this week on Steve McQueen's filmography and his upcoming film "Blitz."

This week we’ve pulled interviews out of the archives with two filmmakers who are up to big things this year. First we go back to 2019, when Julie Miller talked to future Barbie director Greta Gerwig about her adaptation of Little Women. Then we hear Julie again in conversation with Emerald Fennell, talking at the time about her debut feature Promising Young Woman, and back this fall with Saltburn.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Rumaan Alam’s apocalyptic, domestic thriller published in 2020 is only more unsettling today, which might make it the perfect time for the upcoming Netflix adaptation. Plus, a look ahead at festival season thanks to our first-look features on All of Us Strangers, Foe, Fingernails, and many more.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Two conversations with Emmy-nominated directors who surprised us this year. First, Hoar digs in on the making of The Last of Us's emotional love story "Long, Long Time." Then, Trachtenberg reflects on the long journey that brought the ambitious horror movie Prey to Hulu.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Martin Amis's 2014 novel set at Auschwitz is very, very different from Jonathan Glazer's film adapted from it — but that doesn't mean they don't shed light on each other. Plus, Chris Murphy talks to Professor Stacy L. Smith of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative about their new study tracking representation in Hollywood, and how much further the industry has to go.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 , @christress

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The Emmy-nominated editor of The Bear shares how the surprise hit comedy came together in its first season, and how she and the series creators learned to break their own rules for season two.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Priscilla Beaulieu Presley met Elvis when she was 14, divorced him when she was 27, and was only a minor figure in last year’s blockbuster film about Elvis’s life. In Sofia Coppola’s new film Priscilla will take center stage, and in her memoir, which Coppola adapted, Priscilla tells her side of the story. The episode also includes discussion of And Just Like That, Red White & Royal Blue, and the new season of Only Murders in the Building.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 , @hillibusterr

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The writer and director discusses his provocative new movie, the hurdle of its NC-17 rating, and how seeing 197 movies over the course of three months changes his life.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

A dive into David Grann's 2017 nonfiction book that Martin Scorsese has adapted for his upcoming film. Plus, a look at the state of the strike and festival season, and a celebration of the new season of Heartstopper and Ira Sachs's new film Passages.

Share your thoughts via our Listener Survey here: https://selfserve.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/222b/75187?pin=1&uBRANDLINK=5&uCHANNELLINK=2

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

In a conversation recorded on the eve of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the Emmy nominee and Oscar winner reflects on what it took to get to this point in her career, and what she learned from the decade-plus journey to get George & Tammy to the screen.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Lineups for two of the biggest fall film festivals have been announced—and they are stacked, despite the strike. This week's Little Gold Men takes a look at the films soon premiering at home and abroad, plus a Barbenheimer post-mortem.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The first-time Emmy nominee reflects on her more than two decades in show business, from I Am Sam to Man on Fire and culminating in perhaps the most exciting period of her career so far as an actor. Plus, Fanning teases where we might see her next, including the starry Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple.

The always inspiring veteran actress, who just earned her second consecutive Emmy nomination for the hit ABC series, weighs in on the SAG-AFTRA strike.

SAG-AFTRA members are currently on strike; as part of the strike, union actors are not promoting their film and TV projects. This interview was conducted prior to the strike.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Nearly a week into the SAG-AFTRA strike, it remains entirely unclear how the Emmys, the fall festival season, and even the Oscars will be affected. That won't stop us from speculating! Plus, a discussion of American Prometheus, the biography adapted by Christopher Nolan for his new film Oppenheimer, with special guests Erin Vanderhoof and David Sims.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Follow our special guests: @vanderhoofy, @davidlsims  

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The King Richard star has been incredibly busy since her Oscar nomination last year, and keeps surprising herself in the process.

SAG-AFTRA members are currently on strike; as part of the strike, union actors are not promoting their film and TV projects. This interview was conducted prior to the strike.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The team shares their immediate reaction to this year’s Emmy nominations, from the shocking snubs, the thrilling inclusions, and the continued dominance of HBO.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The star of the new Steven Soderbergh-created series says that she's only beginning to show the world what she can do.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

A look at the films that might make it from spring and summer releases all the way through Oscar season. Plus, welcoming the latest crop of Oscar voters and some final Emmy nomination predictions before they’re announced July 12.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

First, Rebecca Ford talks to Tony nominee Ashley Park about her big year in film and TV, including the upcoming raunchy comedy Joy Ride. Then, David Canfield finds Glenn Howerton dealing with the new experience of Oscar buzz, thanks to his acclaimed performance in the indie BlackBerry.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

A look back at Todd Haynes's 2002 melodrama that pulls off a nearly miraculous balance of past and present. Plus, Franklin Leonard joins to discuss the Academy's recent theatrical requirements and which films might suffer as a result; a discussion of the newly announced Governors Awards winners; a look at Asteroid City's surprising box office success; and rumors that the Emmys might be delayed as the writers strike continues.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The Emmy winner chose his big followup project to When They See Us very, very carefully — and Boots Riley's provocative new series I'm a Virgo, in which Jerome plays a 13-foot-tall man living in Oakland, turned out to be just the thing.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

In 1999 Ian McKellen became the first openly gay male actor to be nominated for an Oscar — and, unbelievably, he remains the last. Plus, a look at the Emmys limited series race and the campaign strategies revealed in the Emmy ballot. 

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Rebecca, David, and Richard wonder if "A Complete Unknown" will be a late-breaking Oscar frontrunner when it's released in December, and examine how feature films that skip the fall festivals have done in the past. Plus, they take a look at the landscape in the documentary feature race.

Helen Mirren tells Rebecca Ford about how eager she was to take on the challenges of the Western frontier in Taylor Sheridan's historical epic. Padma Lakshmi talks to Natalie Jarvey about her decision to step away from Top Chef and what she's still eager to explore on Taste the Nation. And Bridget Everett tells David Canfield that she's particularly glad her warm. empathetic Somebody Somewhere is airing in this particular moment of peril for queer people in America.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

From the moment he arrives onscreen in Stephen Frear's 1986 film My Beautiful Laundrette, Daniel Day-Lewis is impossible to look away from. But there's even more to recommend in this culture clash comedy, which combines sharp critique of the Thatcher era with swoon-worthy gay romance. Plus, a look at the surprisingly successful writerless Tonys, the changes at the Golden Globes, and our Reunited series, running now on VF.com

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Part of the ensemble cast of Wes Anderson's new film Asteroid City, and Emmy eligible for both Your Honor and a return appearance as Walter White on Better Call Saul, Cranston shares his continued sense of surprise at where his varied career has taken him. Then Molly Shannon, who plays a suddenly famous momager on the comedy The Other Two, answers the eternal question: is fame really a prison.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

William Hurt made history in 1985 as the first person to win a best actor Oscar for playing a gay character in Kiss of the Spider-Woman—but, as you might guess, the film's legacy has only become more complex since then. Plus, Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy join guests Esther Zuckerman and Jackson McHenry for a deep dive on the Tonys season, and fearless predictions about who will prevail at Sunday night's awards. 

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 , @christress

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Follow our guests on Twitter: @ezwriters @McHenryJD

When Dominique Fishback was first offered a role on the Prime Video series Swarm, she said no — and after talking to co-creator Donald Glover, she wound up with the lead instead. That's just one of many ways, she tells David Canfield, that she's betting on herself these days. And for Paul Walter Hauser, the experience of embodying a serial killer on the Apple series Black Bird stuck with him so deeply that he changed his entire life, including getting sober. He tells Rebecca Ford about the role's impact on his life, and the surreal awards season that has already followed.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

A look back at the 1932 best picture nominee and what might be the definitive role for the gender-bending star. Plus, some final Cannes thoughts, some solutions for the Oscars' acting category problems, and why spring TV has felt so crowded. 

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The writer and director of Past Lives reveals how a specific moment from her life — sitting at a bar with her husband and childhood sweetheart— led to her Sundance-winning new film, out in theaters this week. Then, the Barry star digs deep on the finale —spoilers ahead! — and what he'd do with his Emmy if he had the neck strength for it.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Richard and Rebecca call in from Cannes to share the films they're most excited about — and, of course, which ones might be the most likely to be part of this year's Oscar race. Plus, a discussion about David's report on the push for gender-neutral acting awards, and why it's worth the fight.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The director of the FX documentary series reveals what surprised her when she sat down with disgraced pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura. Then, the comedian and star of both Party Down and The Other Two shares the secret to a good pratfall, even in your 50s.

Read more of Vanity Fair's Hillsong coverage: https://www.vanityfair.com/topic/hillsong

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97, @juliewmiller, @hillibuster

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The prestigious French film festival is underway, and if the past few years are any indication there are a handful of future Oscar contenders lying in wait. Plus, a look at the the WGA strike's impact on the Peabody and Tony Awards, and a celebration of the character actors who can only be described with two words: Always Great.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

The Emmy-nominated actress speaks with Rebecca Ford about playing the brilliant scientist Elizabeth Zott, and her initial worries that she might not be able to relate to her. Plus, Larson explores how she's handled sexism as a member of the Marvel universe and what working in TV at a young age taught her.

Fresh off Connor Roy's election night disappointment, Alan Ruck reflects on four seasons of Succession and how to move on toward something new. Then, Beef star and executive producer Steven Yeun reveals on how he drew on his own childhood for his role as Danny, and what kind of future he imagines for the character in potential future seasons.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, a look back at 1961's Flower Drum Song, a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that was the first major Hollywood film to star an almost entirely Asian and Asian-American cast— and the last one for decades. Plus, updates on the status of the WGA strike and a look at promising series Yellowjackets and A Small Light.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.

Broadway icon Patti LuPone is less interested in the stage than the screen these days— and in Ari Aster's new film Beau Is Afraid, she tells Richard Lawson, she found the mammoth challenge she was looking for. And for Jason Segel, who is currently on strike alongside the rest of the WGA, it's a little tricky to talk about the Apple series he co-created, Shrinking, as he tells Rebecca Ford. But his experience on that show as an actor, including watching Harrison Ford improvise, makes for some excellent storytelling all the same.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @vfawardsinsider

Email us at littlegoldmen@vf.com

Follow our hosts: @kateyrich, @rilaws, @beccamford, @davidcanfield97 

Our editor and producer is Brett Fuchs.