
Monocle on Culture
Robert Bound and guests explore what’s new in art, film, books, and media. Expect lively discussions, in-depth interviews, and expert insights.
Latest Episodes

‘Crazy Rich Asians’
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ has been hailed as the film that’s put Asian cinema on the western map but how does it hold up as a rom-com in its own right? Andrew Mueller puts this question to the film critics, Simran Hans and Tim Robey.

‘Heathers the Musical’
The 1989 teen cult classic ‘Heathers’ has had a musical makeover on the West End. Monocle senior editor Robert Bound, Alice Vincent (arts and entertainment writer for ‘The Telegraph’) and Matt Wolf (theatre critic for ‘The International New York Times’) discuss how easy it is to turn a dark comedy…

‘Only To Sleep’ by Lawrence Osborne
From James Bond to Sherlock Holmes, plenty of our favourite investigators have had their legacy continued by authors other than their creators. Another such sleuth is the proto noir detective Philip Marlowe, originally the star of novels by Raymond Chandler. ‘Only To Sleep’ is the latest Philip Marlowe novel and…

‘Hunter’ by Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi’s new album ‘Hunter’ deals with the ideas and limitations of gender stereotypes, all told through her brand of cinematic indie rock. Robert Bound and journalists Sophie Brown and Kate Hutchinson discuss the new LP and the rise of the female rockstar.

Autumn lookahead 2018
Robert Bound and his team of cultural clairvoyants tell us what we will be watching, listening to and reading this autumn. Our guests are film critic Simran Hans, broadcaster and DJ Georgie Rogers and Ted Hodgkinson, head of literature and spoken word at London’s Southbank Centre.

‘Disenchantment’
‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Futurama’ creator Matt Groening has released his new animated series ‘Disenchantment’ on Netflix. But when you have a couple of hits under your belt, how easy is it to impress fans again? Tom Edwards and the TV critics Lucy Jones and Toby Earle ask whether ‘Disenchantment’ can…

‘The Meg’
Robert Bound, Fernando Augusto Pacheco and film critic for ‘The Telegraph’ Tim Robey talk shark movies and see if this summer’s offering, ‘The Meg’, has any bite.

‘Less’ by Andrew Sean Greer
This year ‘Less’ by Andrew Sean Greer picked up the Pulitzer prize for fiction, which was a surprise to critics as this accolade is rarely given to funny books. Robert Bound and writers Lucy Scholes and Andy Miller ask why this novel has been such a hit and whether we…

‘Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again’
Tom Edwards is joined in the studio by the film critic Anna Smith, deputy music editor of ‘The Guardian’ Laura Snapes and Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco to discuss why the sequel to ‘Mamma Mia’ is the shot of unabashed musical escapism that everyone needs right now.

Now That’s What I Call Music
As the king of compilations ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ celebrates its 100th edition, Henry Rees Sheridan sits down with Peter Robinson, journalist and founder of Popjustice, and Rob Copsey, editor of The Official Charts, to discuss the legacy of this musical brand.