Sam Brooks
@sbrookbrooks.bsky.social
Playwright/journalist/stutterer. he/him. Staff Feature Writer/Kaituhi pūrongo at The Spinoff.
I reviewed Hoods Landing by Laura Vincent and Life on a Loop, playing at Q Theatre this week! dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
Critical Corner: Hoods Landing, Life on a Loop
In this edition of Critical Corner, a review of a fantastic debut novel and a moving show about aged care.
“All happy families are alike, unhappy families are unhappy in their own way” is something A...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io
November 11, 2025 at 10:37 PM
I reviewed Hoods Landing by Laura Vincent and Life on a Loop, playing at Q Theatre this week! dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
I'm doing a new series called How I Review for the newsletter! I'm talking to five New Zealand critics on their practice, their process, and their philosophies around criticism. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/how-i-review...
How I Review: A New Series
The introduction for a new series (for paid subscribers only!) of in-depth interviews with New Zealand critics.
A few months ago, I was sitting at an Auckland Phil concert, near a man who was clearly...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io
November 10, 2025 at 2:13 AM
I'm doing a new series called How I Review for the newsletter! I'm talking to five New Zealand critics on their practice, their process, and their philosophies around criticism. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/how-i-review...
Reposted by Sam Brooks
Professor Charles Xavier: “We are just simple men and women, and deserve to be treated fairly.”
Isaac Chotiner: “News reports indicate that your student Jean Grey devoured a star, killing 6 billion innocent aliens”
Xavier: “Now Isaac, who amongst us has not been possessed by a cosmic entity?”
Isaac Chotiner: “News reports indicate that your student Jean Grey devoured a star, killing 6 billion innocent aliens”
Xavier: “Now Isaac, who amongst us has not been possessed by a cosmic entity?”
like many ppl have pointed out that anti-mutant feelings in the x-men is an extended metaphor for racial prejudice but if there were actual x-men they SHOULD be under some kind of government supervision honestly
October 31, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Professor Charles Xavier: “We are just simple men and women, and deserve to be treated fairly.”
Isaac Chotiner: “News reports indicate that your student Jean Grey devoured a star, killing 6 billion innocent aliens”
Xavier: “Now Isaac, who amongst us has not been possessed by a cosmic entity?”
Isaac Chotiner: “News reports indicate that your student Jean Grey devoured a star, killing 6 billion innocent aliens”
Xavier: “Now Isaac, who amongst us has not been possessed by a cosmic entity?”
Reposted by Sam Brooks
the pinnacle of art is where someone thought "only me and maybe four other people will care about this" and then they made it anyway
October 28, 2025 at 7:12 PM
the pinnacle of art is where someone thought "only me and maybe four other people will care about this" and then they made it anyway
Reposted by Sam Brooks
CHOTINER: So you asked for a Birkin bag?
KOKO: Yes. Possession Bag.
CHOTINER: And you had the funds to acquire this?
KOKO: No, Professor Purchase Koko Gorilla
CHOTINER: That doesn't sound like the funds were justifiable.
KOKO: Hostility Interviewer
KOKO: Yes. Possession Bag.
CHOTINER: And you had the funds to acquire this?
KOKO: No, Professor Purchase Koko Gorilla
CHOTINER: That doesn't sound like the funds were justifiable.
KOKO: Hostility Interviewer
October 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
CHOTINER: So you asked for a Birkin bag?
KOKO: Yes. Possession Bag.
CHOTINER: And you had the funds to acquire this?
KOKO: No, Professor Purchase Koko Gorilla
CHOTINER: That doesn't sound like the funds were justifiable.
KOKO: Hostility Interviewer
KOKO: Yes. Possession Bag.
CHOTINER: And you had the funds to acquire this?
KOKO: No, Professor Purchase Koko Gorilla
CHOTINER: That doesn't sound like the funds were justifiable.
KOKO: Hostility Interviewer
joanna scanlan mvp slow horses season four
October 27, 2025 at 5:42 AM
joanna scanlan mvp slow horses season four
Reposted by Sam Brooks
I will not be jailing my political opponents - as a leftist i pledge to instead jail my political allies
October 26, 2025 at 10:03 PM
I will not be jailing my political opponents - as a leftist i pledge to instead jail my political allies
I reviewed Boots! It doesn't seem to know where it stands on queerness, let alone the military complex. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
Critical Corner: Boots
In this edition of Critical Corner, a review of Netflix’s muddled new gay-slash-military-slash-coming of age drama, Boots.
It took me a while while scrolling past the image on the carousel to realise...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io
October 21, 2025 at 12:50 AM
I reviewed Boots! It doesn't seem to know where it stands on queerness, let alone the military complex. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
Reposted by Sam Brooks
look if you email me about a project that uses AI you need to know that I immediately hate your fucking guts and think that your presence in my inbox is a plague, so, consider not doing that
October 20, 2025 at 8:11 PM
look if you email me about a project that uses AI you need to know that I immediately hate your fucking guts and think that your presence in my inbox is a plague, so, consider not doing that
verdict on boots so far: why is there so much yelling
October 20, 2025 at 2:52 AM
verdict on boots so far: why is there so much yelling
the amount of people calling stephen fry smart on the celebrity traitors only confirms how dumb mostly celebrities are
October 18, 2025 at 11:24 PM
the amount of people calling stephen fry smart on the celebrity traitors only confirms how dumb mostly celebrities are
I wrote about The Celebrity Traitors. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/the-celebrit...
The Celebrity Traitors finally converted me
... or how I learned to love the show that is apparently super easy to love.
The past two years have been hard for me, a serial talker, sitting in conversations with people as they talk about The Tra...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io
October 15, 2025 at 2:54 AM
I wrote about The Celebrity Traitors. dramatic-pause.ghost.io/the-celebrit...
Reposted by Sam Brooks
'There is an appealing giddiness to her voice, that of someone who becomes an expert through a perfect blend of enthusiasm and curiosity.' – Sam Brooks captures The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank beautifully in this new review 💛 @sbrookbrooks.bsky.social
dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
Critical Corner: The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank
In this edition of Critical Corner, a review of The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank, a collection of essays about the permanence and transience of our world.
dramatic-pause.ghost.io
November 20, 2024 at 3:00 AM
'There is an appealing giddiness to her voice, that of someone who becomes an expert through a perfect blend of enthusiasm and curiosity.' – Sam Brooks captures The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank beautifully in this new review 💛 @sbrookbrooks.bsky.social
dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...
dramatic-pause.ghost.io/critical-cor...