Sam Brooks is a playwright, journalist and critic. Email him on sam@thespinoff.co.nz
Eyeglasses + face mask = fog city. But there are some solutions.
She's Cheryl West, she's Ellen Crozier, she's the woman who makes headlines for throwaway jokes online.
A bestselling author sets out on a jolly adventure – but quickly becomes lost in the woods.
The author of Crazy Rich Asians opens a new series with his exquisite brand of glitz and skewering.
Muppets Now, the troupe’s first foray into the world of streaming, takes on the YouTube era with hilarious – if somewhat disjointed – success.
Taylor Swift's surprise album folklore marks a step away from the noise and into the dark lushness of the woods, writes Sam Brooks
How do the items on the new Kiwiburger hold up to a good ol' Spinoff power ranking?
Sam Brooks reviews the latest Netflix movie-of-the-week, the mildly erotic sex thriller Fatal Affair.
Sam Brooks reviews our capital’s most iconic stretch: Courtenay Place.
Sam Brooks pens a love letter to the after-school gateway drug of the late nineties and early aughts: anime on free-to-air TV.
Another PS4 exclusive, another game about the cost of violence.
Carlson has long been one of our best comedians, and now the world can see it too, writes Sam Brooks.
Netflix's The Old Guard succeeds because it shows us not what's great about superheroes, but what's human about them.
Ever wanted to be Iron Man? Sam Brooks prefers Pepper Potts, but he had a great time stepping into the iron suit anyway.
Michelle Boag has been one of the country’s most infamous right-wing political insiders. Here’s a brief rundown of her headlines over the past thirty years.
Lil O’Brien’s memoir Not That I’d Kiss A Girl is valuable, but unclear, story of the author’s struggle with her own acceptance, writes Sam Brooks.
The biggest musical of the past two decades is available to watch on Disney+. Sam Brooks takes stock of this extraordinary move.
The use of zombies in video games is getting the world's most inventive artform stuck in the mud, ready to have its brains eaten out.
Headlines about the ‘world’s gayest’ parliament only serve to highlight how far behind National has fallen on queer representation.
Sam Brooks talks to actress and director Miriama McDowell, fresh off a starring role in Head High and directing Ahikāroa.
Sam Brooks meets the woman who saved him from six weeks of living on wine and toast.
Many call it the greatest game of all time, but where does its legacy sit now?
Sam Brooks interviews Walter Iuzzolino, the man behind TVNZ’s new curated algorithm-free channel, Walter Presents.
The greatness of The Last of Us Part II lies not in the gameplay, but for the conversations it will start, writes Sam Brooks. Major spoilers for The Last of Us …
Sam Brooks talks to Matthew Goldsworthy, the 20-year-old founder and CEO of Youth Arts New Zealand, about helping young people access the arts both as creatives and as an audience.
Sam Brooks compares two of the most prominent on-screen bodyguards to see how they stack up.
