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Farouk Kannout is an Arab-American freelance writer and cultural critic based in Chicago. He loves writing about film, television, video games, and how we make meaning from culture broadly.
His work has appeared in A.V. Club, Inverse, and Unwinnable, among others. In 2025, Farouk received special recognition as a "Writer to watch" from the Chicago Film Critics Association and Rotten Tomatoes Emerging Critics Program.
In addition to being a writer, Farouk is a creative producer and award-winning game developer at the independent video game studio Play Underground Games! (PUG!), which he co-founded with a number of his closest friends. Together, they are currently developing a number of unannounced projects.
Selected Works
Personal Substack
Field Notes
Substack
Farouk’s Field Notes is a cultural criticism Substack blog/newsletter by me, Farouk, where I write my thoughts and observations about the things I’m deeply curious about. Those things tend to be film, tv, games, literature, culture, history, politics, and a lot more probably. You can subscribe to receive bi-monthly dispatches in your email inbox.
Essays
I Miss Nintendo 3DS StreetPass, and Games As Physical Community
The A.V. Club
November 2025
How Games Turn Us Into Nature Photographers
The A.V. Club
October 2025
50 Years Later, We're Still Living Through Dog Day Afternoon
Inverse
Sept 2025
Does Taste Matter?
Unwinnable
July 2025
Reviews
Hermit and Pig
The A.V. Club
February 2026
Death Howl
The A.V. Club
December 2025
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
The A.V. Club
October 2025
Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc
The A.V. Club
October 2025