#113: Jessica Kiang, Film Critic & Writer

Best Girl Grip

I am thrilled to say that my guest this week is Jessica Kiang.

Jessica is an International Critic for Variety, covering all the major European and Asian festivals. She also writes for Sight & Sound, BBC Culture, The New York Times and The Playlist, where she also spent five years as Features Editor. She also regularly features on the Film Comment podcast, which if you like film and discussion and why would you be here otherwise, I highly recommend.

Jessica mentions some of the pieces of writing of which she is proudest in the interview, including her New York Times review of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and her essay for the Criterion release of David Cronenberg’s Crash, which I urge to you to check out but there are very few and perhaps none of her reviews where I haven’t marvelled at her perceptiveness and agility. There is a line towards the end of her Sight & Sound review of The Worst Person in the World where I actually stopped and clapped when I read it.

Which is all to say this was rather a joyous occasion, to be able to sit down with Jessica and probe her writing process and how she configures her reviews and what she keeps in mind she writing them.

We talk about how she transitioned from a career in advertising to writing about film full-time, her tips for aspiring film critics, managing relationships with editors and other writers the she looks to for inspiration.

I was really honoured to have Jessica as a guest and I don’t think our conversation disappoints.

This episode 113 of Best Girl Grip.