Author Spotlight

Nathaniel Rich

Nathaniel Rich is the author of seven books, including the novels Cloudthief (2026) and Odds Against Tomorrow, and a work of film criticism, San Francisco Noir. He is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, and a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow.

4 Results
God Laughs: Stanley Kubrick’s Cinema

Throughout his enormously influential body of work, the great director explored the conflict between humankind’s obsession with control and our capacity for error and failure.

By Nathaniel Rich

How the Movies Captured Times Square’s Grimy Golden Age

During a tumultuous period in New York’s history, movies like Midnight Cowboy, Taxi Driver, and Shaft found excitement and squalor in one of the city’s most infamous tourist attractions.

By Nathaniel Rich

McCabe & Mrs. Miller: Showdowns

From its diffusely structured narrative to its innovative cinematography, this radical western is a showcase for Robert Altman’s iconoclastic style.

By Nathaniel Rich

Blood Simple: “Down Here, You’re on Your Own”

An exhilarating blend of noir and splatter-flick tropes, the Coen brothers’ debut feature established their unique brand of cosmic fatalism.

By Nathaniel Rich