Hump day recommendations, March 12, 2025

Watch: “Pina.” I’ve been a fan of German film director and photographer Wim Wenders since he was West German. Last weekend, I finally saw his Oscar-nominated documentary “Pina,” a tribute to legendary choreographer Pina Bausch. I don’t care about dance, but this film isn’t about one art form. It’s about art and artists. – Willis

Lap up: Smart detection. We could all use a bit of guilty TV-watching pleasure. “High Potential” to the rescue. This drama series on Hulu, which is based on the French show “HPI,” features a single mother who’s a cleaner-turned-detective with a 160 IQ. She solves crimes and imparts random facts that will leave you feeling a bit smarter – and wanting another episode. – Tracy

Watch (and read): The fourth and final season of “My Brilliant Friend.” Based on the wildly popular and trailblazing series by pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante, this series is available now on HBO. The novels are extraordinary, depicting decades of the conflicted friendship of two exceptional girls in post-war Naples. The television series is equally dazzling. If you haven’t watched it, what are you waiting for? – Ellen

Read: the “strong gods.”What explains the resurgence of populist nationalism in the US?Ultraconservative writer N.S. Lyons sees it, approvingly, as an overdue rejection of the West’s post-World War II pursuit of an “open society” in favor of the more exclusionary “strong gods” of religion and nationalism. It’s a provocative take, and there’s a lot to take issue with, but Lyons is an influential thinker who I think taps into something real about the zeitgeist. Read the essay here. For an alternative view, here’s a very good response from liberal commentator Noah Smith. – Alex

Read: Isaac Saul’s take on “Columbia University’s funding cut and Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest.” Protests at Columbia have proven to be such a polarizing issue, intersecting with people’s identities and deepest-held beliefs. Saul breaks down both sides but concludes that Khalil’s deportation is a free speech issue. I’m sure many won’t agree with him, but I think he makes a valiant effort to bridge the divide.

– Riley