I spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube. I really admire people who use the platform to critically examine different aspects of pop culture and history and modernity, and so the video essay is my favorite type of YouTube content to consume. I mostly watch essays about video games, but here are a few of my overall favorites, other topics included.
Why Do Horror Games Sound So Beautiful? by Jacob Geller - Jacob Geller is probably my number one video essayist. He covers video games, books, pop culture, and art in such an engaging way that almost always has me considering aspects that I'd never thought about before. I could recommend any of his videos, but this one is probably my favorite, in large part because it covers two of my favorite topics: horror games and music.
The Unreality of Pro Wrestling by Super Eyepatch Wolf - This video made me get into wrestling after realizing that the way its stories are woven and expanded upon over years is actually quite brilliant.
Josie and the Pussycats is the Greatest Film Ever Made by Amber Flannery Field Essays - The greatest video essay about the greatest film ever made.
Pathologic is Genius, And Here's Why by hbomberguy - A long but very worthwhile deep dive into one of the most unique games out there.
Superposition: The Genre of Life Is Strange by Innuendo Studios - An in-depth critical analysis of a game that rams two entirely different genres headfirst into each other.
Why We Can't Build Better Cities by Philosophy Tube ft. Not Just Bikes - A fantastic critical look at how cities (particularly in the US) have changed to become more hostile to the people living in them, and how third spaces and community are not prioritized the way they should be.
The Real Horrors of Silent Hill 3 by eurothug4000 - A great look at one of the best horror games of all time and how it mirrors the day-to-day anxieties that women and young girls face.
The Most Disturbing Painting by Nerdwriter - An overview of Francisco Goya's "Saturn" that feels like a short horror film in and of itself.
Bo Burnham's Inside and "White Liberal Performative Art" by F.D Signifier - "I'm being critical here, but I loved this special." An analysis of Bo Burnham's "Inside" comedy special as white liberal performative art. It doesn't fully sway positive or negative about the special, but it's a critical examination of it and white-focused media in general from a Black perspective.
How Indika Weaponizes Game Mechanics Against You by Jenna Stoeber - Indika was one of my favorite games of 2024, and one of the most surprising games I've played. I love how this essay gets into all of the intentional details the developers included to drive home the game's religious themes and how it uses gamification to have a discussion about free will and choice.