Madwomen & Muses

The Feminine Grotesque No.2: The Ugly Stepsister (2025) and What Women Mean When We Say Beauty Is Pain

It’s a gross, aesthetics-obsessed treatise on beauty as currency and trap for women. I may not love the movie but I can't stop thinking about it.

Nov 14 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

29

4

2

October 2025

A Wild Letterboxd List for Horror Lovers

If you're a paying subscriber you get to check out this private Letterboxd list I made of what I am watching for this year's spooky season and beyond…

Oct 21 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

17

9

1

September 2025

Movies That Fuck No.1: Juraj Herz's Beauty and the Beast (1978)

Sometimes the hottest moments in the film rest at the level of suggestion.

Sep 16 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

30

7

August 2025

Superhero Movie Fandom Is Diseased—and It's Destroying Our Understanding of What Film Can Be

On "Superman" (2025), the problem with treating film as a mirror, and the moral absolutism of the modern fandom crisis.

Aug 6 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

83

9

15

July 2025

Is It Time For The American Movie Star To Die?

In an era of Palestinian genocide funded by the US, ICE raids, and the curdling of celebrity glamour in the face of economic strife, is it time for the…

Jul 7 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

56

1

8

May 2025

The Feminine Grotesque No.1: Killing Time (1979) and the Black Madwoman

Where is the black madwoman in American cinema? What does she have to say about suicidal ideation, the way femininity is linked to death, and the…

May 29 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

50

4

7

I Am So Fucking Tired of Listening To Women My Age Complain About Being Old and Washed

In honor of my recent birthday at the end of Aries season, here’s an essay about the pleasures of getting deeper into your thirties and the pernicious…

May 7 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

3,194

292

449

April 2025

Angelica Jade Bastién and Marion Teniade Chop It Up About “Sinners”

A recording from my live chat with Marion in which we discussed "Sinners", what makes a star in today's Hollywood ecosystem, and what we have cooking…

Apr 22 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

 and 

Marion Teniade

69

5

4

1:45:34

March 2025

Marion & Angelica Jade Bastién: fave movie outfits

A recording from Angelica Jade Bastién and Marion Teniade's live video

Mar 29 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

 and 

Marion Teniade

31

1

43:47

If You're Anti-Kids, You're Anti-Community

But the way my generation (and those younger than us) think about community is a problem too, which came to mind watching the season five episode of…

Mar 27 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

76

6

11

February 2025

Black Bodies In Motion Are Never Without Consequence: Black History Month Film Recommendations & An Essay for Y’all

We are only a few days into Black History Month and it is already feeling wild. Here's a dynamic Letterboxd list and accompanying essay to guide your…

Feb 5 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

40

7

8

December 2024

Movies That Fuck: Notes on Cinematic Sensuality

Sex returned to American cinema in 2024 with works like "Babygirl" and "Challengers". But the lack of sex scenes wasn't the main problem. We're in a…

Dec 31, 2024 • 

Angelica Jade Bastién

110

17

11