Kyndall Cunningham is a Baltimore-born entertainment reporter and cultural critic based in Brooklyn, NY. She currently works at The Daily Beast where she covers film, television, music, internet trends and celebrity culture. Prior to becoming a staff writer, she freelanced for multiple outlets, including Vulture, Bitch Media, Polygon, Hyperallergic, Glamour, Bustle, The CherryPicks and more. Barry Jenkins once said an essay of hers "tore [him] apart."
Interests and areas of expertise include reality TV, black film, women in music and celebrity analysis.
For commissions and other opportunities, email kyndall [dot] cunningham [at] yahoo [dot] com
See my work and media appearances below!
Selected Writing
Film
“Marriage Story” Doesn’t Reckon with the Misogyny of Its Male Protagonist
Zendaya and John David Washington's Odd Troll of a Movie
Telling the Stories of the Women Behind Chicago’s BLM Movement
Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘Another Round’ and Hollywood’s Weird Obsession With Remaking Foreign Classics
Television
How Barry Jenkins’ ‘The Underground Railroad’ Avoids the Trauma Porn of Slavery Movies Past
‘The Real World Homecoming’ Reminds Us How the MTV Reality Show Changed America
“Succession” Rejects the Redemption Arc for Its Ruthless Characters
"Tiger King" is about Murder, Mayhem and Misogyny
Music
Will Katy Perry Ever Be Great Again?
Drake Shoots Blanks on "Certified Loverboy"
Miley Cyrus Is Our Most Confusing Pop Star
Internet
Brie Larson’s laid-back YouTube channel is a surprising act of anti-troll defiance
YouTuber David Dobrik’s Fall from Grace and Why We Can’t Ignore a ‘Nice Guy’s’ Bad Behavior
The Cynical Truth Behind Will Smith’s Quarantine Bod Reveal
How Khloé Kardashian’s #PhotoGate Exposed the Toxic ‘Body Positivity’ of Kardashian Inc.
Reported Pieces
What "Below Deck's" Groundbreaking Sexaul Assault Episode Was Missing
Four Women Reveal Their Horror Stories of Teddi Mellencamp's "All In By Teddi" Diet
Why Sex Workers Are Pissed At Meryl Streep and Rashida Jones
Interviews
Robert Townsend on How Hollywood Shuffle Paved The Way For Modern Black Satire
"The Challenge" OG Mark Long on Being an All-Stars Player-Coach and Bringing Fun Back to the Franchise
Cheryl Dunye "Watermelon Women" Criterion Collection Interview
The Real Housewives Who Turned "Miami" Into Must-See TV
Recaps