The Indiependent

The Indiependent publishes music, books, film, tv, gaming, theatre, opinion and lifestyle content by early career stage journalists.

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Featured Writers

Marcus Wratten

Hello! My name is Marcus Wratten. I am a London-based freelance journalist with a particular interest in feature writing. I have bylines in Reach publications including MyLondon, The Mirror, SomersetLive …

Federica C. Battiato

Hello! I'm Federica and I'm a freelance writer, video producer, content creator, and social media manager. I'm a MA student in Television, Cinema and New Media and I mainly write …

Harriet MacDonald Eggers

Gemma Cockrell

Paul McAuley

Breaking News & Hearts.Interests in Entertainment, Fashion & Pop-CultureNCTJ trained in Media Law & Court Reporting

Rebecca Cook

TV Reporter for The Mirror | Gold Standard NCTJ-qualified

Latest Articles

Seven of Literature’s Greatest First Lines : The Indiependent

Sometimes the most difficult thing about writing is getting started. A writer may have an idea about how they want their story to end but they may not know where, or even how to begin. There is no exact formula to make the perfect opening but it is certainly easy …

By Jennifer Cartwright
1st January 2025 • The Indiependent

Carry-On Review: An Airport Action That Struggles to Take Off : The Indiependent

TSA agent Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) finds himself finally progressing in his career when he is offered the responsibility of supervising hand luggage checks. With a pregnant girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson), this promotion is a step towards the job security he needs. Unfortunately, on Ethan’s first day on the X-ray …

By Jennifer Cartwright
21st December 2024 • The Indiependent

TV Diaries: Everything I watched in October and what I’m excited about : The Indiependent

While I’m still relishing the cosy autumn evenings, I’m not as happy about the cold, dark mornings kicking in. “Go on, just one more episode” feels like such a great idea at the time, but it does make waking up on a gloomy Monday morning that little bit harder. Now, …

By Hannah Bradfield
16th November 2024 • The Indiependent

Fortnite's Original Map Set To Return And Is 'Here To Stay' : The Indiependent

Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, has announced that the original season one map is set to return in a special in-game event, and it is “here to stay”.

By Jamie Calder
15th November 2024 • The Indiependent

Team Fortress 2 receives update fixing 17-year-old bug : The Indiependent

Valve, the developers of Team Fortress 2, have recently announced an update to the 17-year-old game that has irritated players since day one.

By Jamie Calder
28th October 2024 • The Indiependent

New Football Manager Game Delayed Again Until March 2025 : The Indiependent

Sports Interactive, the developer of the popular sports simulator series Football Manager, has announced that the highly anticipated Football Manager 25 has been delayed again.

By Jamie Calder
12th October 2024 • The Indiependent

Wuthering Heights Casting Controversy: Glamour Over Grit

The recent casting of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation highlights issues of whitewashing and Hollywood’s historical casting issues.

By Libby Jennings
11th October 2024 • The Indiependent

Things to See in The Louvre (That Are Not The Mona Lisa)

I’ve seen the Mona Lisa many times: in movies, in TV shows, on mugs and T-shirts. However, I’d always dreamed of seeing the real thing and making eye contact with the eyes that follow you around the room. So when I went on an impulsive trip to Paris, I booked …

By Jennifer Cartwright
30th September 2024 • The Indiependent

September TV column: What to watch this month

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for season three of Emily In Paris and The Jetty.I’m ready for Autumn. There, I said it. Not everyone will be on my wavelength, but there’s just something about those early Autumn evenings: settling in with a new drama and a cuppa, feeling cosy …

By Hannah Bradfield
15th September 2024 • The Indiependent

Album Review: Cacophony // Paris Paloma : The Indiependent

Paris Paloma’s Cacophony is a treasure chest of contradiction. The 23-year-old artist’s generally delicate song-writing, mismatched music and lyrics, and contrasting imagery flawlessly translate the intensity of emotional turmoil into music. Though only a debut, she cements her maturity as a singer-songwriter and emerges from this album as the hero …

By Harriet MacDonald Eggers
6th September 2024 • The Indiependent

The Future of 3D Cinema: Revival or Obscurity?

Recently, a remastered 3D version of Coraline hit cinemas for its 15th anniversary, and unsurprisingly, the seats were filled mostly with adults rather than the film’s intended audience of children. This can be attributed to the strong sense of nostalgia that Coraline holds for those who were once, and perhaps …

By Libby Jennings
3rd September 2024 • The Indiependent

Movie Monday: 'Set It Up' : The Indiependent

Set It Up (2018), however, is an exception. This film is focused on two overworked assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), who, driven by a selfish intent to make their own lives easier, team up to try and matchmake their nightmare bosses Kirsten (Lucy Liu) and Rick (Taye …

By Jennifer Cartwright
26th August 2024 • The Indiependent

‘Twisters’: A Breath of Fresh Air for Disaster Films

Twisters roared onto the cinema scene armed with compelling characters, a new storyline, and, most importantly, many a tornado.

By Gemma Nettle
3rd August 2024 • The Indiependent

Suns Out, Guns Out: How To Stay Fit Even In Summer : The Indiependent

Despite what this year’s weather has given us in the UK, summer is meant to be a time of blaring heat and wine in the sun.

By Jamie Calder
2nd August 2024 • The Indiependent

How 'Love, Simon' Redefined LGBTQ+ Representation In Cinema

As Pride Month’s celebrations come to a close, it’s important to recognise films that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community all year round. One standout example is the 2018 box-office hit Love, Simon, notable for being the first major studio coming-of-age film with a gay male lead character. This groundbreaking film not …

By Libby Jennings
17th July 2024 • The Indiependent

TV Diaries: Everything I’ve seen this month and what I’m excited about

In the latest instalment of her TV Diaries column, Hannah Bradfield recounts her month in TV and what she’s excited to watch next. Spoiler alert: This feature contains spoilers for season two of The Outlaws. May was a stressful one. Full of exams and farewells, I didn’t have much time …

By Hannah Bradfield
20th June 2024 • The Indiependent

Football Manager announces partnership with The Premier League : The Indiependent

Sports Interactive, the developer of the popular sports simulator series Football Manager, has recently announced a partnership with The Premier League.

By Jamie Calder
12th June 2024 • The Indiependent

A Guide to Buying Books on a Budget : The Indiependent

Picture this: you’re ambling around a bookshop. Judging multiple books by their covers, you’ve decided that several are must-reads. Your arms grow heavy as you juggle all these books between your hands. You head closer to the till and just hope that you’ve done the maths right. Any book-lover knows …

By Jennifer Cartwright
7th June 2024 • The Indiependent

IKEA Set To Launch Virtual Store In Roblox : The Indiependent

IKEA—the Swedish home furnishing giant, has recently announced the launch of “The Co-Worker Game”. The game will be hosted as a virtual universe inside of Roblox.

By Jamie Calder
6th June 2024 • The Indiependent

Netflix To Release Animated Series Based On ‘Minecraft' : The Indiependent

Netflix has recently announced that Minecraft will be turned into an animated series. As the best-selling video game of all time with over 300 million copies sold worldwide, there is already a fanbase ready for the upcoming series.

By Jamie Calder
3rd June 2024 • The Indiependent

How ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Saved Disney Animation

In the latest instalment of our ‘Changed Film Forever’ series, Libby Jennings tells the story of Disney’s lesser-known mouse: Basil of Baker Street. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) is an often-overlooked Disney classic, but behind the scenes, it is recognised as the film that saved Disney. Disney had struggled with …

By Libby Jennings
29th May 2024 • The Indiependent

EA Forms New ‘The Sims 4’ Team Dedicated To Improving The “Core Game Experience”

Electronic Arts (EA) has formed a team to invest in the The Sims 4 “core game experience” after years of reported technical difficulties from players. The developers acknowledged players’ frustrations within the game and pledged to tackle the reported concerns by increasing the number and frequency of fixes. Players can …

By Libby Jennings
25th May 2024 • The Indiependent

BBC Greenlights 'Motherland' Spin-Off, 'Amandaland' : The Indiependent

The BBC have announced that a new series Amandaland, a spin-off from hit sitcom Motherland, is in the works. This is welcome news to fans after the quiet cancellation of the BAFTA-winning original series earlier this year. Leading star Diane Morgan who plays Liz in the series, confirmed the cancellation …

By Jennifer Cartwright
23rd May 2024 • The Indiependent

Teaser Released for 'That ‘90s Show' Season Two : The Indiependent

“Times change. Teenagers Don’t”. Netflix has confirmed that That ‘90s Show is returning for season two this summer in a teaser trailer. The first eight episodes of the new season will be released on June 27, followed by eight more episodes on October 24.The That ‘70s Show spin-off is set …

By Jennifer Cartwright
17th May 2024 • The Indiependent

TV Diaries: Everything I’ve seen this month and what I’m excited about

Spoiler alert: This feature includes spoilers from the first season of Blue Lights. In the second instalment of her TV Diaries column, Hannah Bradfield recounts everything she has watched recently and what she’s excited about next. And so, in the blink of an eye, it’s May. The mornings are lighter, …

By Hannah Bradfield
16th May 2024 • The Indiependent

Track Review: Aw, Shoot! // CMAT

After releasing her sophomore album Crazymad, For Me seven months ago and embarking on back-to-back tours across the UK, Europe, and US, you could forgive CMAT for wanting to take a break. However, the Brit Award nominee is showing no signs of slowing down, releasing her new single ‘Aw, Shoot!’ …

By Annabel Benton
13th May 2024 • The Indiependent

Apple TV+ Set a Release Date for 'Lady in the Lake' : The Indiependent

Apple TV+ has announced that their new limited series Lady in the Lake will premiere on July 19th. The first two episodes will drop on this date followed by weekly instalments every Friday until August 23rd.Lady in the Lake is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by …

By Jennifer Cartwright
13th May 2024 • The Indiependent

Lost Twins II Will Be Coming To Xbox

Playdew has officially announced that the beloved Lost Twins II game will be launching on Xbox consoles. With this confirmation comes a trailer that offers a glimpse into the immersive world awaiting players. Lost Twins II was initially released in 2023 on PC and MAC through Steam. The game was …

By Paul Oluwadare's Portfolio
1st May 2024 • The Indiependent

Trailer Released for 'Pretty Little Liars: Summer School' Season Two : The Indiependent

A trailer for Max original series ‘Pretty Little Liars: Summer School’ has been released, pleasing eagerly awaiting fans. Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is the second season of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin which originally aired in 2022. A spin-off from the original mystery teen drama Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017), …

By Jennifer Cartwright
22nd April 2024 • The Indiependent

TV Diaries: Everything I’ve seen this month and what I’m excited about

Are you looking for a watchlist but overwhelmed by online recommendations? Hannah Bradfield breaks down everything she’s watched recently and delivers the verdict on what’s worth the watch, what isn’t, and what she’s planning to watch next. While this isn’t a super recent release, it’s had a resurgence after landing …

By Hannah Bradfield
10th April 2024 • The Indiependent