Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

On the 20th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough album, ‘Back to Black,' culture writers Hanna Flint and Leila Latif reflect on the album’s impact and its long-lasting influence on superstars ranging from Adele to Billie Eilish to Oliva Dean.

Plus, the new Hudson Williams and Carrie-Anne Moss horror series 'Yaga' just dropped on Friday. It's also Hudson Williams' first role since Heated Rivalry. But does it live up to its buzz? Kaiya Shunyata stops by Commotion with guest host Amil Niazi to give us their review of the supernatural show.

Nathan Fielder’s documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes challenges the very idea of what’s real, what’s performance. and whether we can tell the difference. Commotion guest host Amil Niazi talks with New York Times documentary film critic Alissa Wilkinson and Commotion regular film critic Radheyan Simonpillai why situating it within a specific tradition of documentary filmmaking helps us come to terms with what we just watched.

Plus, Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by culture critic Syrus Marcus Ware to review the latest TV adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel, Carrie — and unpack the praise and debate surrounding the series and its approach to bullying, online shaming and the original book’s notorious ending.

Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film and culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Barry Hertz and Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss two new films: ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ and ‘Wicker,’ plus the return of the controversial TV character Apu to The Simpsons.

With the release of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s ‘You Can See Everything,’ spoiler anxiety might be at an all-time high. And it’s not just about protecting big twists, some fans don’t want to know ANYTHING about the latest shows and films. So how does the anxiety of “ruining” a story affect the way we engage with film and tv? Critics Adam Nayman and Kathryn VanArendonk join Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about spoiler culture, entertainment's fixation on the big reveal, and why sometimes there just might be a case for spoiling.

Plus, comedy historian Paul Myers discusses Judd Apatow’s new Netflix documentary on the late Norm Macdonald.

Ethan Hawke is back as the wily gumshoe for season 2 of the neo-noir, mystery comedy The Lowdown. Film and tv critic Rachel Ho and musician Marek Tyler chat with Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the show and why they feel the critically-acclaimed series remains a somewhat hidden gem.

Plus, culture writer Samuel Eli Shepherd talks about how Josh Silver’s satirical thriller ‘Fruit Fly’ became the literary sensation of the season, parlaying BookTok buzz into a tv development deal.