Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Film & culutre critics Roxana Hadadi, Riley Yesno, and Jackson Weaver join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new season of North of North and other shows on their radar this Fall.

SubwayTakes, the YouTube talk show featuring people sharing their hot takes while riding the New York City subway, is not only all over your algorithm, it’s also up for an Emmy this year. Critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Jay Smooth join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the popularity of SubwayTakes, and what it says about our viewing habits in 2026.

Plus, a new indie film out of mainland China is set to take the world by storm. 'Dear You' is a family drama about a young man from China who travels to Thailand to find his grandfather, and uncovers a family secret he never expected. Film critic Rachel Ho joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review the Teochew-language film and talk about its surprise success at the box office.

Going to the cottage in the summer is a beloved Canadian pastime, but with hit shows like Heated Rivalry, Sterling Point and Every Year After, it seems like the world is newly seduced by our trees, lakes and isolated retreats in the woods. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk (Vulture), who coined the genre “sexy feelings by a Canadian lake,” as well as Canadian culture critics Amil Niazi (The Cut) and Sadaf Ahsan (Frequencies) to talk about how Canadian cottage country got a titillating makeover on TV.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critic El Jones, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, and comedian Marlon Palmer to discuss the backlash to the return of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Ali G in the upcoming film Ali G: Who Iz I? They also review the new Netflix doc on Australian breakdancer Raygun, who made headlines around the world at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Gloria Steinem - feminist, author, activist and pop culture icon -- has died. She was 92. Culture writer Elizabeth Renzetti joins Elamin to talk about the life and legacy of Gloria Steinem, and how her feminism crossed over to pop culture.

Also, musician Donovan Woods and journalist Elizabeth Renzetti talk about how U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to rebrand Lake Ontario as Lake America—in retaliation to stalled trade talks between Canada and the U.S.—has galvanized Canadians to express an even greater degree of national unity, and prompted expressions of solidarity from artists near and far.