If you want in-depth critiques that actually wrestle with bodies—how they're represented, performed, costumed, and politicized—I usually start with a mix of longform journalism and academic-ish pieces. Major outlets like The New Yorker, The Guardian, and The Atlantic frequently publish critics who look beyond plot to discuss embodiment in shows; you'll find essays on the physicality of actors, the choreography of violence, and the politics of showing disabled or queer bodies. Specialty sites such as Vulture, IndieWire, and The A.V. Club often run thoughtful think-pieces on episodes or seasons and will name-check shows like '
euphoria', 'Pose', or 'The Handmaid's Tale' when talking about body image, makeup and prosthetics, or gender performance.
I also chase independent voices who do slow, immersive reads—Substack writers, Medium essays, and personal blogs where critics can afford to linger on details. Those are gold if you want a 'body critic' perspective because authors there will deep-dive into wardrobe, blocking, camera framing, and how those choices shape meaning. On top of that, academic databases like Google Scholar and JSTOR host peer-reviewed analyses in journals such as 'Feminist Media Studies' or 'Journal of Popular Television'; they read a lot like meticulous close readings and are particularly useful for topics like embodiment, disability representation, and race. If you want choreography- or stunt-focused critique, look for trade publications and interviews with fight coordinators and stunt performers—there’s a whole craft conversation that mainstream reviews often miss.
Finally, don’t forget community and multimedia critique. Reddit communities (r/television, r/TrueFilm), YouTube channels that do breakdowns (for craft-focused analysis, think of channels in the video-essay tradition), and podcasts that host scholars and practitioners are all places where body-focused criticism thrives. Use search queries like "representation," "embodiment," "physical performance," or "disability representation" paired with a show's title (for example, "embodiment in 'Euphoria'") to surface pieces that specifically address bodies rather than plot summaries. Personally, I keep an RSS folder for longform critiques and a separate playlist for video essays—it's my go-to when I want a layered take on how bodies tell stories on-screen, and I always discover new angles that reshape how I watch next time.