A.O. Scott

Chief Film Critic, The New York Times

A. O. Scott joined The New York Times as a film critic in January 2000, and was named a chief critic in 2004. Previously, Mr. Scott had been the lead Sunday book reviewer for Newsday and a frequent contributor to Slate, The New York Review of Books, and many other publications.

Mr. Scott was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism in 2010, the same year he served as co-host (with Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune) on the last season of "At the Movies," the syndicated film-reviewing program started by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.

A frequent presence on radio and television, Mr. Scott is Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University and the author of Better Living Through Criticism (2016, Penguin Press).

Everything Videos

How to criticize, from a critic

Film critic A.O. Scott on how to be more constructive in your criticisms.

Who decides whether art is ‘good’ or ‘bad’?

Hierarchies of taste exist in our society, but their roots often reflect more than just the quality of work.

How does criticism affect popular culture?

Popularity is slippery, and shouldn't be confused with quality, says critic A.O. Scott.

How America’s Comedians Became More Intellectual than Many of Its Politicians

Anti-intellectualism isn't a random cultural event in the United States. It became an essential part of a political strategy that maligned cultural elites in favor of a more populist platform.

How Virtual Reality Will Supplant the Film-Going Experience

Chief film critic A.O. Scott discusses how virtual reality may change the movie-going experience. People have predicted the death of cinema over and over, he says, but people still love going to the movies.

Having Chris Rock Host the Oscars May Harm the Diversity Discussion

Chosen as host long before the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, Chris Rock's prominent presence at the Academy Awards risks appearing as compensation for inequality in Hollywood.

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