The Weekender: Cheese benefits, brilliant breakup lines and 6 must-see indie films
Plus, the woman at the Coldplay concert speaks out.
The Weekender
December 20, 2025

Welcome back to The Weekender, where you’ll find some of the week’s top stories about culture and the way we live today.

Right before arriving at a vacation rental, I get twitchy, nervous that the accommodations won’t live up to their online glow. The writer Adrienne Wichard-Edds (who is also a friend of mine) recently gave me a new nightmare scenario to worry about. When she stepped into a “sad, dank version” of the charming saltbox home her family had booked, they found spider webs in the toaster oven, among other treats. To help the rest of us avoid similar fates, she asked experts how to recognize red flags in home-share listings. Those tips, which I will now be using, are below.

Also in this edition: the woman who was caught on camera with her boss at a Coldplay concert spoke to our reporter Lisa Miller; the Culture desk named the year’s top indie films, which are available to stream now; and some good news — about cheese! Enjoy those. I’ll see you next weekend(er).

— Farah

A woman in jeans and a brown sweater sits on the floor. A large black and white dog sleeps on her leg.

Greta Rybus for The New York Times

THE RITUAL SHAMING

She was caught on camera with her boss at a concert. Soon she was drowning in the vitriol of strangers. →

Article Image

From left: BBC; MGM, via Alamy; Focus Features

CHOOSE YOUR DARCY

Who is the ultimate leading man? →

In an illustration, two people look at a photograph of a house on their phone that has a five-star rating, while in front of them is a ramshackle version of the same house.

Weston Wei

TRAVEL 101

Sometimes, a short-term rental doesn’t live up to its billing. Here’s how to avoid an Airbnb fail. →

Article Image

Brian Rea

IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ...

We asked people around the world for their best breakup lines. Here are 52 of them. →

A heavily shadowed still life of a blocks of cheese, some wrapped in white paper.

Lauren Lancaster for The New York Times

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

A study linked cheese to lower dementia risk. →

A grand living room with wall-to-wall carpet in a bold pattern of blue, purple and pink.

Guillaume de Laubier

THE HIGH END

And now, please welcome back: wall-to-wall carpeting. →

A young woman wearing a skirt and a white T-shirt stands in a field shooting an automatic weapon. A few women in black dresses and white head scarves are in the background.

Warner Bros.

BREAKOUT STARS

Across the arts, these 10 performers took a leap of faith this year and stuck the landing in a big way. →

A photo illustration shows a laptop with a mask of a face over the screen against a blue background.

Photo illustration by Ben Denzer

OH THE HUMANITY!

A.I. chatbots have been designed to behave in a humanlike way. Some experts think that’s a terrible idea. →

A photograph of Rachel Reid shows a woman in her 40s in a red wool coat, purple scarf and pink knit hat, outside in a snowy and woodsy environment.

Carolina Andrade for The New York Times

THE GAME CHANGER

Meet the author who put the heat in “Heated Rivalry.” →

Baked Brie folded in pastry has been cut open to show the oozing cheese inside. It’s surrounded by crackers, grapes and blackberries.

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

PARTY PLEASERS

Sausage rolls, baked brie and more. We’ve got 16 fun party appetizers that start with frozen puff pastry. →

A woman holding up a kitten against a blue sky.

A24

BEYOND THE ALGORITHM

Here are just a few of the year’s finest under-the-radar films, available to stream at this very minute. →

A selection of last-minute gifts Wirecutter recommends, including Glerups, water color paint, a Hario tea pot, and more.

Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

STILL SHOPPING FOR GIFTS?

These Wirecutter picks can arrive instantly to inboxes or on doorsteps in just two days. →

Each year, The New York Times Communities Fund supports nonprofits. This year, the fund is working with seven organizations that focus on helping people through education, from preschool to vocational training. Donate to the fund here.

Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here, and be sure to check out more lifestyle stories from The Times.

This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore. Reach our team at weekender@nytimes.com.

Catch up on the biggest news, and wind down to end your day.

You might also like the Evening newsletter.

Catch up on the biggest news, and wind down to end your day.

Get it in your inbox

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times about The Weekender.

To stop receiving The Weekender, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times

Connect with us on:

facebookxinstagramwhatsapp

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

LiveIntent LogoAdChoices Logo

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018