The Dress That Cemented Anya Taylor-Joy as a Star
In & Out is W's weekly newsletter rundown of what's necessary to know in fashion and culture, and what you can just let pass you on by. To get it in your inbox every Thursday morning, subscribe here (be sure to check the "In & Out Weekly" box when signing up). This week, we ruminate on the Dior gown that cemented Anya Taylor-Joy as a true Hollywood star, the upcoming royal (or is it ex-royal?) interview that promises to be like none before it, and the odd happenstance of this weekend's entertainment options practically forcing us to have family time.
In: The Golden Globes Red Carpet
Out: The Golden Globes Telecast
Golden Globes? Absolutely horrible little television program this year. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler tried their best. They really did. Their monologue gave us hope for the larger show, but one awkward Daniel Kaluuya sound error later and we realized we were in for a long night. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s “Barb & Star” bit sort of made sticking with it worth it, but only if you’ve actually seen the movie (we recommend!). Though, what the show lacked in production polish, the fashion more than made up for. We may not be back to full traditional red carpets just yet, but glamour-wise, this was one of the best we’ve seen in a while. Let's start with Anya Taylor-Joy. If you didn’t think she was a star destined for bigger things before, then her gorgeous green Dior Haute Couture gown alone should convince you. It was Hollywood glamour at its finest—though Elle Fanning in Gucci certainly gave her a run for her money. Other stars decided to use the odd set up as a way to push the boundaries: take Cynthia Erivo’s geometric green Valentino gown, Rosamund Pike’s Molly Godard dress paired with combat boots, or Jodie Foster’s Prada pajamas (or Sarah Paulson’s custom Prada arm cast, for that matter). Even many of the men dressed up, with The Crown’s Josh O’Connor and Leslie Odom Jr. continuing the recent development of the boys not being afraid to wear more than a simple black tux. Find our picks for best dressed here, and a rundown of almost every look here.
In: The Biggest Royal Interview of all Time?
Out: Undermining Meghan
You’ve got to hand it to the British Royal Family. Just when we think, “How much more attention do these old, rich, British folks deserve?” they somehow hit us with a new drama that draws us back in. We assume Queen Elizabeth II is some nice lady born into royal circumstances, but are we sure she’s not hiding some Kris Jenner-level marking genius? The latest drama is, of course, centered around the Sussexes. Prince Harry recently sat down for a wide-ranging talk with James Corden in which he shared his thoughts on everything from waffle makers to his thoughts on The Crown. This weekend, however, he’ll be joined by wife Meghan Markle for a potentially explosive interview with Oprah in which they hope to clear the air once and for all about their exit from the Royal Family. Though, in the run-up to the interview’s premiere on CBS on Sunday night, word leaked that Markle was once the subject of a bullying complaint launched by Royal staff. Markle’s reps, however, say the entire thing is a well-timed smear campaign. She does have a history of sniffing them out. She was just awarded $625,000 from British tabloids after a successful lawsuit.
In: Family Movie Weekend, Apparently
Out: Reality Reboots
Hollywood has apparently decided in uniform that we should all have a family moment this weekend, because a lot of your options seem best for varying degrees of family viewing. Amazon Prime Video gives a new generation a chance to get into the magic of Eddie Murphy’s comedy classic Coming To America with the homophonous sequel Coming 2 America. Though, reviews aren’t in yet, so who knows if it actually captures the original's spirit. Still, not only are Murphy, Shari Headley, and Arsenio Hall back, but Leslie Jones, Teyana Taylor and KiKi Layne are along for the ride this time as well ...as is Murphy’s real-life daughter Bella, who is making her film debut. Disney counters with its latest animated fantasy Raya and the Last Dragon (it’ll be in both opened theaters and, for an extra fee, through Disney+). The well-reviewed fantasy adventure features the voices of Sandra Oh, Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina, among others. It’s easy to call Netflix’s Amy Poehler-directed Moxie “Woke Mean Girls,” but it deserves consideration apart from Poehler’s past roles. Yes, it's about teenage outsiders shaking up their high schools' status quo, but the film goes deeper into themes of how one should best use their voice for good. For good measure, there’s also a new SpongeBob movie available on Video on Demand, as well as a SpongeBob spin-off series on Paramount+ (which this week has officially changed its name from CBS All Access).
So what if you’re a childless adult (or at least want to pretend you don’t have children for a few hours this weekend)? Well, there’s Robin Wright’s decently review directorial debut Land available On Demand. Though, it’s Wright’s own performance as a woman who tries to escape her grief in a cabin in the woods that has won the most praise. Paramount+ also has a reboot of The Real World, which finds the original season one cast living together in an NYC apartment. Truly, truly wild that we’re now living in a world where reality TV reboots are even possible. Our little guilty pleasure watch this weekend may be WeTV’s The TS Madison Experience, which gives the beloved web personality her own docu-series.
Of course, what we’ll really be watching this weekend is the series finale of WandaVision to figure out what, exactly, was going on.
