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The critics
After dozens of concerts with my 15-year-old, I am in awe of pop’s biggest consumers
Tuesday, 23 December 2025
From the debut by Amsterdam-based DJ S!RENE to the Arabic electronic pop of Yasmine Hamdan, here are the eight albums that flew under the radar this year
Sunday, 21 December 2025
Katherine Rundell plays the perfect host to yuletide spectres, while the Grinch makes a strong showing. Plus, Radio 4’s satire on Woman’s Hour
This adaptation daringly delivers the novel’s broad-brush humour and unsanctimonious message
Saturday, 20 December 2025
Seriously, at London’s Sprüth Magers, tries to find the laughs in conceptual photography. Spoiler alert: there are none
Christophe Rousset conducts the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists with Gallic flair
It’s hard to imagine a more exciting rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s musical than this
Friday, 19 December 2025
Josh Safdie’s film starring Timothée Chalamet is an utterly exhausting visual onslaught. I loved every jangling second
Joachim Trier’s latest movie, acutely observed and frequently droll, explores the cracks of generational trauma
From the epicure’s favourite Carol to Eyes Wide Shut and LA Confidential
Brand Taylor reminds me of one of those nose-to-tail restaurants. Every last bit of the beast is used. Plus, Emily in Paris and Steve Backshall
The former German capital’s concert hall reopened in gleaming style after nine years of painstaking restoration
The Anglo-French art rockers sound groovier than their reputation suggests
Can The Observer’s dance critic overcome her allergy to the Tchaikovsky ballet
The director, found dead at the age of 78, directed endlessly quotable films that became genre-defining classics, from This Is Spinal Tap to When Harry Met Sally
Monday, 15 December 2025
Judges have been accused of virtue-signalling for awarding Kalu the Turner prize. But both critics and supporters fail to put the art before the artist
Friday, 12 December 2025
The BBC’s Art Class is about who gets to create art, who gets to appreciate it, and who gets to make a living through it. Plus, a riveting Radio 4 drama
Sunday, 14 December 2025
An entrancing take on the 1940s film about a ballerina driven to dance herself to death
Saturday, 13 December 2025
This docuseries unpacks the horror of the crimes of John Smyth
The Royal Opera goes grunge in a bold telling of the Nirvana frontman's final moments
