Is Paul Verhoeven’s Twisted Thriller ‘Elle’ Offensive?

Long Takes is a brand new podcast from ScreenCrush that will dive into important social issues around film and TV – you know, the stuff that inspires countless hot takes and Twitter debates. ScreenCrush editors Erin Whitney and Britt Hayes will tackle everything from controversial topics around new releases to diversity and representations of minorities in Hollywood. Each episode will feature guest critics, writers, and industry insiders to foster discussions that include an array of different perspectives.

Our first episode of Long Takes is all about Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, a twisted French thriller starring Isabelle Huppert. The French actress plays Michele, a video game developer who’s sexually assaulted in her home and has a very unusual reaction to the attack. Erin, Britt, and guest film critic Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects discuss the film, how it handles sexual assault on screen, and depicts an empowering female lead. (Read our spoiler-free review of Elle and our interview with Verhoeven.) You can listen to that debut episode on iTunes and YouTube now, and subscribe for new episodes every other Monday.

The second episode of Long Takes will explore Asian representation in film and TV. Erin, Britt, and guest Shirley Li from Entertainment Weekly will look back on 2016’s incidents of whitewashing, the signs of progress, and social media’s impact on changing visibility for Asian-Americans on screen. Episode 2 will debut on iTunes and YouTube on Monday, December 5. Subscribe on iTunes so you don’t miss it!