The Queen's Gambit, His House, and stars to "defeat despair"

Episode Notes We discuss The Queen's Gambit (2020), a show of high watchability, and His House (2020), a film as scary as it is devastating. 00:30 The Queen's Gambit, a limited series from Netflix, is about trauma, but it is not traumatic. It is full of tropes, but not weighed down by them. It is a reminder that when Netflix gets it right, it's right (yeah whatever we're eating some of our words from last week). Plus, discussion about Jolene, one of the most interesting(?) characters on the show. 13:59 His House, also on Netflix, is the latest film in the current-day genre that roots its horror in real-world pain and atrocities, particularly those experienced by immigrants, Black people, and other survivors of the world's worst cruelties. 23:04 And culture notes about an attempt by the Trump administration to "defeat despair and inspire hope" amid the pandemic by recruiting celebrities for a PSA, resulting in one of the inadvertently funniest assessments of modern celebrity. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes—including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit—subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected]. Music: REEKAH Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu Special thanks: Dan Geneen Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co