Monday, December 15, 2025 |
Where editors share their weekly musings on pop culture—and recommend what to watch, read, and listen to right now. This week, we discuss Taylor Swift and the third Knives Out film. |
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| Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital content: My knives? They've been out since 2019. And they were sharpened again this weekend, thanks to a third installment of Rian Johnson's murder mystery series. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery follows Father Jud (Josh O'Connor), a priest who joins a small-town parish and becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Lauren, on a scale from 1 to 10, how obsessed were you? |
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| Lauren Puckett-Pope, culture writer: With Father Jud? 10, without question. I absolutely love Josh O'Connor in this role—he and Daniel Craig are unexpectedly brilliant together as a detective duo in this gothic setting. I saw the film at TIFF earlier this fall, and I think it might actually be my favorite of the Knives Out series so far…although it's tough to beat Chris Evans and that sweater. |
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Erica: The autumnal coziness of the first film plus the initial surprise and delight are hard to top. But Wake Up Dead Man comes close for me. As for the whodunit reveal, I predicted a few things, but overall, the surprise kept me on my toes.
Lauren: I agree, and I loved the performance from [spoiler] in those final scenes. If you're still processing that ending, check out our breakdown above.
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Benoit Blanc is so back. The third Knives Out film brings together one of the more unusual—and more exciting—ensemble casts in recent memory (Glenn Close! Josh Brolin! Andrew Scott! Kerry Washington!) to thicken the plot surrounding Daniel Craig's now-iconic Detective Blanc and his latest ally, Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a former boxer-turned-reverend. Ridiculous yet unexpectedly poignant, Wake Up Dead Man is an absolute treat.—LPP |
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Taylor Swift gives a behind-the-scenes look at her massive Eras Tour in this new six-part docuseries on Disney+. In the first two episodes, which dropped Friday, she shares memories from the rehearsal process with her dancers and surprise appearances from her friends Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch. (She even confirms she used a cleaning cart to enter and leave some of the stadiums.) But aside from the celebratory nature of the show, she also sheds light on the hard moments, like dealing with terrorist threats against her fans (including a fatal attack in England last year). Based on the episodes released so far, the series shows Swift's vulnerable side and honors her hardworking crew. A treat for Swifties and an enlightening watch for newbies to the Swiftieverse.—EG |
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It's end-of-year list season, and last week, ELLE published our picks for the best fantasy and science-fiction books of 2025. I wanted to use this space to call out a title that was featured in both that roundup and our best books of fall list—it's that good. Starling House author Alix E. Harrow's latest is The Everlasting, in which a historian must go back in time to meet an esteemed knight…and ensure she plays her expected part in saving his nation. Harrow is such a gift to the fantasy genre, and this remarkable time-travel romance is not to be missed.—LPP |
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WHAT YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO: |
You should be listening to Sasha Keable if you aren't already. (Even Beyoncé thinks so!) The British singer-songwriter's latest single may be the best place to start, even if it's a longtime fan favorite. "Tai Chi" is a smooth, buttery, and sensual R&B track that she's been performing for audiences on the road, and after overwhelming demand, she has finally released it in full.—EG |
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Amy Poehler dropped this bar while discussing the origins of her Good Hang podcast, but it can really apply to anything. The great Julia Louis-Dreyfus had the perfect response too: "Smart." There's a reason why Poehler is one of the first-ever podcasters nominated for a Golden Globe.—EG |
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