Manohla Dargis

I’m the chief film critic for The New York Times.

What I Cover

I review a wide range of work across the globe, from blockbusters to independent productions. I also write movie-related essays and report on festivals, which are crucial to the vitality of the international film ecosystem. Reviews are news as well as a type of service journalism: I steer readers toward good movies, warn against bad ones and encourage filmgoers to seek out the unexpected. I strive to offer more than a plot synopsis or a catalog of faults and beauties. I examine how movies work and why (or don’t), and how they work on us. I am interested in beauty and feeling, style and form, culture and history. My personal history and preferences factor into my writing, but these are in service to the reader and to the art.

My Background

I grew up in the East Village in New York City, where I attended public schools and spent a lot of time going to the movies. My life in journalism began when I started writing for The Village Voice while getting a master’s in cinema studies. In 1994, I moved to Los Angeles to join the L.A. Weekly as a staff film critic, and later I became its film editor. From there, I went to The Los Angeles Times, where I was a co-chief film critic; I joined The Times in 2004. I wrote a monograph on “L.A. Confidential,” and my work has been published in several anthologies. In 2007, I returned to graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in cinema studies. I have taught at several colleges, which I loved. I’m a repeat finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Journalistic Ethics

As a Times critic, I am committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. As a consequence I don’t belong to film critic organizations, I don’t sit on prize juries and I don’t accept payment from institutions I write about; in addition, I don’t write about movies directed by friends and avoid Hollywood parties (although I like going to the Oscars). The Times pays for my work-related travel so that means I usually fly economy. I do not publicly broadcast my politics, but I do vote. And while I may be a tough critic, I always strive to be fair.

I may not be able to respond, but I will read your email.

• Email: dargis@nytimes.com