Alerts & Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Ben Travers Writer Indiewire

Ben Travers

TV Critic

Ben Travers is the New York-based TV Critic and Deputy Editor at IndieWire, where he’s been writing reviews, analyzing industry trends, and interviewing key figures since 2014. He is the 2021 winner for Best Entertainment Commentary at the Southern California Journalism Awards, and a 2020 finalist for Best TV Critic at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. Ben helped launch IndieWire’s Consider This series, which advocates for each year’s most deserving awards contenders, and he was on set for “Veep’s” final day of filming. (Seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus eviscerate another human being live, in person, changed him forever.) A lifelong student of Sylvester Stallone and more-recent scholar of “The Leftovers,” “Better Things,” and “BoJack Horseman,” he is also an experienced moderator, having led conversations for the Television Academy, Screen Actors Guild, PaleyFest, SXSW, ATX TV Festival, and San Diego Comic-Con (at Hall H, in front of 6,000 screaming fans). Prior to joining IndieWire, Ben served as an editor and critic at PopMatters, as well as a production assistant on major motion pictures. He holds degrees in journalism and cinema from the University of Iowa. He loves puns, baseball, black coffee, and soft sweatshirts. Follow him on Twitter @BenTTravers and Instagram @BenTravers5

Latest by Ben Travers
Squid Game Season 2 stars Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, shown here with his hands behind his head, a guard standing behind him
More Games, Same Squids
In the sequel to Hwang Dong-hyuk's global smash hit, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is desperate to end the games for good, but Netflix — uh, I mean the Front Man — has other ideas.
Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in 'Shrinking,' shown looking awkwardly at each other at the Thanksgiving dinner table
Harrison Ford Emmy When?
After a season examining his (many) shameful slip-ups, Jimmy (Jason Segel) asks forgiveness from his daughter — and his audience — in a finale that frees up Season 3 to start over.
'No Other Land'
From "Anatomy of Lies" to "Zurawski v Texas," the year's best documentaries highlight the continuing evolution of nonfiction storytelling.
'WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS' -- “The Finale” -- Season 6, Episode 11  Pictured (L-R): Andy Assaf as Monster, Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, Matt Berry as Laszlo.
The Phantom Menace
Prioritizing comedy over everything — as the FX gem always has — "What We Do in the Shadows" devises a delightful, devious finale that's true to itself, even if it might fluster casual fans.
Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in 'Yellowstone,' shown here on the ranch porch looking into the sunset
Let the Cowboys Be Sad
Struggling to salvage a happy ending from Season 5's slow-motion trainwreck, only Taylor Sheridan could make riding into the sunset take this long and mean this little.
Christian Slater as Harry Morgan and Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan in Dexter: Original Sin, shown here standing side by side in an elevator
'A beating heart. I'll take it.'
The premiere episode of Clyde Phillip's latest "Dexter" spinoff mainly reenacts scenes from the serial killer's youth that were already described in the original series — except for its opening moments.
THE DAY OF THE JACKAL Episode 10 stars Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal, shown here looking out a window in a blue turtleneck
Please Let Season 2 Be Shorter
The Season 1 ending finally pits our two primary killers against each other, but the only real winners are the people signing their paychecks.
'Dream Productions' stars Paula Pell as the voice of Paula, who’s struggling to age up her dreams since Riley’s growing up. Melatonin, Paula’s sweet puppy, is by her side through thick and thin—but be careful: those who pet him fall quickly asleep.
Starring... Disgust!
A shoddy retread of the first movie and an even shoddier attempt at episodic storytelling, "Dream Productions" is yet another example of Disney+ treating TV like a garbage dump for failed film ideas.
Hard Truths
From Lily Rose-Depp and George MacKay to Minha Kim and Hoa Xuande, 2024 witnessed a remarkable number of stirring performances.
Jeff Hiller and Bridget Everett in 'Somebody Somewhere,' shown here walking down the sidewalk, smiling
Not Really an Exit Interview
The creative team behind IndieWire's best TV show of the year — Bridget Everett, Hannah Bos, and Paul Thureen — spoke about saying goodbye without saying goodbye. "These characters are still going on. They're still in their cars, talking."
'Squid Game' Season 2 Review: More Games, More Jokes, Less Fun
From "Baby Reindeer" to "Tokyo Vice," the best TV series of the year are united in their ambitious goals and distinguished results.
Keira Knightley in 'Black Doves,' a new Netflix series where she plays Helen, shown here sitting in a dark car looking out at the rain
T'Is the Season for Sad Spies
The two stars consistently hit a tricky target in Joe Barton's darkly comic espionage thriller about disillusioned contract killers caught in a geopolitical crisis over Christmas.
Top of The Line Weekly
A weekly digest that captures the best of our Top of the Line coverage.

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Must Read