What’s Happening: The latest feature film from director Yorgos Lanthimos reverses course from the topsy-turvy universe of Poor Things, bringing to light the not-so-subtle ways that cruelty and domination encroach on our domestic settings and interpersonal relationships.

The Download: Barbie may have dominated scenography discourse among design-minded cinephiles last year, but it’s easy to see why Poor Things scooped the Academy Award for Best Production Design. The eighth feature film by director Yorgos Anthimos follows the Frankenstein-like Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone, as she embarks on a chaotic tour de force of discovering the wonders and hardships of the universe. That involved crafting wildly imaginative, lavish, and freaky sets in-studio with the help of production designers James Price and Shona Heath that one critic described as “a steam-punk wonderland of garish colors, masked-ball costumes, squawking music, and obviously artificial picture-book backgrounds.”

Lanthimos almost completely reversed course with Kinds of Kindness, his ninth feature film that enjoyed a worldwide release in June. This time, he stepped outside the studio and opted to film on-site, the anthology film’s triptych format unfolding across a variety of locations in New Orleans. The realistic backdrop suits an engrossing if not unsettling allegory that luxuriates in absurdism as it unfurls the many facets of power and devotion in our relationships—mostly how we seek to escape domination yet often return to control after boundless freedom throws our lives into chaos. The domestic settings that Lanthimos picked with production designer Anthony Gasparro counter the eerie reality forged through the cast’s off-kilter delivery and random bursts of violence, reminding that oddity and casual cruelty can materialize in the everyday.

In the first story, every decision made by Robert Fletcher is controlled by his boss. Their houses illustrate this—Robert’s is stylish but lacks character, whereas his boss’s lavish 18th-century manor reflects the discerning touches (a Biedermeier sofa, a Julian Schnabel artwork) of a highly fussy man. The second part, which recounts a man mourning his wife who was lost at sea but mysteriously returns, mostly takes place in a rustic lake house whose humdrum, lived-in ambiance belies the disturbing events that unfold inside. The third story is by far the most visually stunning, centering on two cult members whose libidinous leader resides in a sprawling ‘90s mansion on Lake Pontchartrain. Complete with a drained pool and military barracks, it’s the location that Lanthimos secured first—a dazzling entry into his “sicko” sandbox where kindness is conspicuously absent.

In Their Own Words: “[The process] becomes more of a search instead of trying to find references and ideas and very specifically design something,” Lanthimos told AD. “I very much welcome that it becomes like a game of chance as well—the houses you’re going to find, the hospitals you’re going to find, how those fit in together. It’s a puzzle you have to put together.”

Surface Says: Though the three-hour runtime tested our patience, we wouldn’t mind seeing Lanthimos dabble more in exposing the dark underbelly of the everyday—just without severed fingers.

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London is known for many things: its unrivaled theater scene, its museums and historic architecture, and even for kicking off the membership club trend way back in 1693. What it’s not known for is Latin American cuisine, but perhaps that changes with Bolivar: an 18th century–inspired cantina at Annabel’s, one of the city’s buzziest private clubs. So far, its wagyu picanha, carved tableside, along with its cauliflower al pastor and Georgios Iordanidis’ wine list of standout Argentinian vintages are among the menu’s most lauded offerings.

To cultivate its moody interior, Fettle—designer Tom Parker’s studio that has become known for cutting-edge boutique projects in London, Los Angeles, and Rome—assembled antique furniture and textiles, custom-made wrought iron chandeliers and wall lanterns, and exposed timber planks to create a transportive sense of place. The effect pulls guests to a different continent and century from the rest of the club’s Gilded Age fever dream interiors. Custom and curated art, courtesy of Adam Ellis Studio, ties it together with a chef’s kiss.

New & Notable is a cultural catchall that highlights interesting new products and projects from our brilliantly creative members of The List. With new releases, events, and goings-on, these moments indicate their power to move the needle in architecture, design, fashion, and art.

The Madison Melle Agency: The Los Angeles design studio recently teamed up with Hollywood members club The Aster to craft marketing and design campaigns befitting the private hotel, wellness center, lounge, and recording studio’s status as a stylish playground for rising creatives and executives. The resulting website, photography, and overall brand storytelling create a digital footprint that’s as chic as The Aster itself.

Liaigre: Collectors would do well to note that pieces from Le Costes, Jean-Louis Costes’ hotel that Christian Liaigre fashioned in the style of a “neo-classical Parisian mansion” as his final project, are available for purchase. The Costes x Liaigre capsule collection includes the Castiglione sofa, Carrousel side table, Mont-Thabor armchair, Rivoli reading lamp, and Cambon chair—each of which were created for the five-star hotel Jean-Louis and Christian realized together. 

On June 29, the upstate sculpture park staged its annual day-long fête, a Summer Night, from its bucolic New Windsor campus. The institution’s supporters began the night with an opening dinner by Leah Guadagnoli’s Fancy Feast Supper Club before the park opened to a wider circle of attendees. After taking in the current exhibitions, including Arlene Shechet’s “Girl Group,” the crowd settled in for musical performances by Julie Byrne and Matty Lattimore.

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs in more than 40 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning. SCAD’s curriculum is enhanced by professional-level technology, equipment, and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and projects with corporate partners.

Surface Says: SCAD leverages its vast industry relationships and flourishing alumni network to equip the designers of tomorrow to thrive in a continuously evolving landscape.

Norman Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech enters its next chapter as meme fodder.

Anish Kapoor is tapped for a U.K. billboard commission to get the vote out.

Debts force self-help serial Chicken Soup for the Soul to file for bankruptcy.

Wild Thang, a toothless Pekingese, is crowned the World’s Ugliest Dog.