El Estoque

‘Bewitched’ flawlessly paints a portrait of unrequited love

Ananya Chaudhary • September 11, 2023

From the buoyant “Lovesick,” to the melancholy of “Second Best,” jazz musician Laufey produces another unskippable album. Released Friday, Sept. 8, “Bewitched,” foregrounds the stages of a...

‘Jawan’ points out flaws in India’s government system with a powerful message

Manas Kottakota and Sagnik Nag Chowdhury • September 10, 2023

Ever since veteran actor Shah Rukh Khan made a name for himself in Bollywood, fans have expected Khan to walk on screen serenaded by flowers and rosy guitar music in a romantic context. “Jawan” portrays...

‘XO, Kitty’ is an unnecessary spinoff

Ananya Chaudhary • May 27, 2023

Finally stepping into the spotlight, Lara Jean's (Lana Condor) fan-favorite younger sister Katherine Song Covey (Anna Cathcart), or Kitty to her friends, stars in her own Netflix rom-com. Released May....

‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’ artistically portrays growing older

Aashi Venkat • March 28, 2023

Lana Del Rey’s ninth studio album blends adulthood and childhood

“The Last of Us” subverts the typical zombie show

Lillian Wang • March 26, 2023

The adaptation’s focus on characterization explores survival in the apocalypse

‘Aurora’ is a manifestation of classic-rock nostalgia

Jami Lim • March 14, 2023

The fictional ‘70s-esque album struggles to find its voice in the contemporary world

Dessert Detectives: Q Baking Corner

Sarah Liu and Lillian Wang • March 8, 2023

Reviewing popular menu items based on quality and taste

Metro Boomin proves producer albums shouldn’t be disregarded in “Heroes and Villains”

Samika Bhatkar • December 9, 2022

“Heroes and Villains” rich and dark ambiance perfectly pairs masterful production with feature artists

‘SMITHEREENS’ paints an incomplete canvas

Aditya Shukla • November 20, 2022

Joji fails to bring artistic growth in his third studio record

Enola Holmes 2 is a mediocre sequel

Ananya Chaudhary • November 12, 2022

The Netflix original, “Enola Holmes 2,” touches upon topics such as misogyny, poverty and corruption but fails to create a distinguishable plotline. Released Nov. 4, the story follows the protagonist...

“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” is a comedic mess

Minjae Kang • October 15, 2022

Marvel’s seventh Disney+ series struggles to form a coherent plot

‘Sorry 4 What’ is an unapologetic failure

Chiran Arumugam and Sameer Maheshwari • October 13, 2022

“I'm not tryna be here for a long time / Just, just a good, good time / I got a lot of s— weighin' on my mind” “Sorry 4 What” encompasses aspects of Lanez’s personal and musical growth in...