Justin Chang

{{Infobox person

| name = Justin Chang

| image = Justin Chang Jury of the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.jpg

| caption = Chang at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1983}}

| birth_place = Southern California, U.S.

| education = University of Southern California (BA)

| occupation = Film critic

| years_active = 2004–present

| awards = Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2024)

}}

Justin Choigee Chang is an American film critic and columnist currently working at The New Yorker. He previously worked for Variety and for Los Angeles Times. His 2023 reviews at the Times won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.{{cite news |last1=Gerard |first1=Jeremy |title=L.A. Times Hires Justin Chang As Film Critic & Columnist |url=https://deadline.com/2016/04/l-a-times-hires-justin-chang-as-film-critic-columnist-1201733310/ |access-date=July 20, 2018 |work=Deadline |date=April 6, 2016}}

Early life and education

Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004.{{cite web |title=Justin Chang '04 |url=https://alumni.usc.edu/people/justin-chang/ |publisher=USC Alumni Association |access-date=August 6, 2024}}{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-justin-chang-staff.html|title=Justin Chang|last=Staff writer|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 12, 2017}} Chang first became interested in film critique while in high school because he found it fascinating that intelligent people could have very different reactions to films.{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1y96m9/i_am_justin_chang_chief_film_critic_at_variety/|title=I am Justin Chang, chief film critic at Variety. Ask me anything.|last=Chang|first=Justin|date=18 February 2014a|work=Reddit|access-date=May 12, 2017}}

Career

Chang was hired by Variety magazine in 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/chazs-blog/justin-chang-hired-as-film-critic-for-la-times |title=Justin Chang Hired as Film Critic for L.A. Times |date=April 7, 2016 |work=RogerEbert.com |access-date=May 12, 2017}}{{sfn|Chang|2014a|loc=[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1y96m9/i_am_justin_chang_chief_film_critic_at_variety/cfigwte/ § 7]}} and became a senior film critic for the magazine in 2010 before being promoted to its chief film critic in 2013. He is the author of the book FilmCraft: Editing.{{cite book |title= FilmCraft: Editing |publisher=Focal Press |location=Waltham, Massachusetts |last=Chang |first=Justin C. |year=2011 |isbn=9780240818641 |oclc=1049517066}} In 2016, he joined the Los Angeles Times, where he remained until 2024, when he joined The New Yorker.{{cite news|url = https://variety.com/2024/film/news/justin-chang-leaves-la-times-new-yorker-1235891650/|title = Film Critic and Variety Alum Justin Chang Leaves L.A. Times to Join The New Yorker|last = Moreau|first = Jordan|date = January 30, 2024|accessdate = January 30, 2024 |work = Variety}} He is a regular contributor to the NPR programs FilmWeek and Fresh Air.

Chang is the chair of the National Society of Film Critics and the secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. In 2014, he received the inaugural Roger Ebert Award from the African-American Film Critics Association. While accepting the New Generation Award for Creed at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards ceremony in January 2016, American film director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler praised Chang for his contributions to criticism.

Chang won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism on May 6, 2024, for his articles published during his final year with the Los Angeles Times. His selection of work was led by an opinion piece that defended British-American film director Christopher Nolan's decision to avoid depictions of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in his film Oppenheimer (2023).{{Cite news |last=James |first=Meg |date=May 6, 2024 |title=Los Angeles Times' former film critic Justin Chang wins Pulitzer Prize for criticism |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-06/pulitzer-prize-la-times-former-film-critic-justin-chang |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240506195407/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-06/pulitzer-prize-la-times-former-film-critic-justin-chang |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=August 11, 2023 |title=‘Oppenheimer’ doesn’t show us Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That's an act of rigor, not erasure |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-11/oppenheimer-atomic-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-christopher-nolan |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230822145321/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-11/oppenheimer-atomic-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-christopher-nolan |archive-date=August 22, 2023 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

= End-of-year lists =

Chang produces an annual "best-of-the-year" movie list, thereby providing an overview of his critical preferences. His top choices were:

2013: Before Midnight{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 13, 2013 |title=Justin Chang's Top 10 Films of 2013 |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/columns/justin-changs-top-10-films-of-2013-1200946674/ |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
2014: Boyhood{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 17, 2014 |title=Justin Chang's Top 10 Films of 2014 |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/columns/justin-changs-top-10-films-of-2014-1201374182/ |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
2015: The Assassin{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 17, 2015 |title=Justin Chang's Top 10 Films of 2015 |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/top-10-films-of-2015-justin-chang-1201656078/ |website=Variety}}
2016: Silence{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 15, 2016 |title='Silence,' 'Moonlight,' 'Manchester' highlight Times film critic Justin Chang's Top 10 movies |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-top-10-movies-chang-20161207-story.html |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
2017: Call Me By Your Name{{Cite web |date=December 15, 2017 |title='Call Me by Your Name,' 'The Florida Project' lead Justin Chang's 12 best films of 2017 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-year-end-justin-chang-top-10-20171215-htmlstory.html |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Chicago Tribune}}
2018: Burning{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 12, 2018 |title=Justin Chang's best movies of 2018: 'Burning' and 'First Reformed' lead a year of mystery |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-best-movies-chang-top-20-20181212-story.html |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
2019: Parasite
2020: Vitalina Varela{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 11, 2020 |title=The best movies of 2020 — and where to find them |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-12-11/10-best-movies-2020-justin-chang |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
2021: Drive My Car{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Jevon |date=March 27, 2022 |title=How 'Drive My Car' crashed the Oscars — with the help of film critics |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-27/oscars-2022-drive-my-car-best-picture-explained-japan |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
2022: No Bears{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=January 13, 2023 |title=In 'No Bears', a banned filmmaker takes bold aim at Iranian society |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/1148414249/no-bears-review-jafar-panahi-iran |website=NPR}}
2023: All of Us Strangers{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 8, 2023 |title=The best movies of 2023 — and where to find them |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-08/best-movies-2023-where-to-find-them|website=Los Angeles Times}}
2024: Close Your Eyes {{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=December 18, 2024 |title=The Best Films of 2024 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2024-in-review/the-best-films-of-2024|website=The New Yorker}}

Personal life

Chang is a Christian.{{cite web |last1=Chang |first1=Justin |date=March 30, 2018 |title=A Christian critic wrestles with new biblical films and the hope of a better 'faith-based' cinema |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-faith-based-movies-chang-20180330-htmlstory.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 30, 2020}}