Mystery! Murder! Moral ambiguity! The Blue Gardenia has all the elements to craft the perfect film noir. Directed by Fritz Lang, who—despite being known for his saga-length masterpieces, like Metropolis—delivers this bite-size 1953 jewel in just 90 minutes, the film follows Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) after she receives a breakup letter from her G.I. boyfriend. She impulsively agrees to a date at the Blue Gardenia with philanderer Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). Several Polynesian Pearl Divers deep, they leave the tiki bar together. The next morning Norah discovers that Harry has been murdered. The viewer and characters never quite know what’s transpiring as Lang expertly guides the plot with hallucinatory shots of the crime, a mirror motif, and a journalist-versus-police race to find the culprit. All of this, accompanied by Nat King Cole’s “Blue Gardenia,” makes for a transfixing watch. (amazon.com) —Eve Eismann

There are very cool and interesting things happening in fragrance at the indie level these days, and Jouissance is one of them. Founder and creative director Cherry Cheng grew up in China and established Jouissance—which loosely translates to “orgasm” in French—in London post-pandemic, after studying at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. The initial trilogy of scents released were inspired by an eclectic mix of sources: Anaïs Nin’s diaries for 1931 Les Cahiers Secrets; Pauline Réage’s Story of O for 1954 La Bague D’O; and Art Press editor Catherine Millet’s memoir The Sexual Life of Catherine M for 1968 En Plein Air. Each gold-topped bottle arrives in a rather exquisite box lined with pink silk, in what has to be some of the most impressive packaging I’ve come across in a while. (from $261, jouissanceparfums.com) — Spike Carter

I’ve been on a years-long search for a lightweight, throw-everything-into-it tote bag that can withstand schlepping around New York City with two kids. Enter Tumi’s—yes, the luggage brand!—Milos Woven Tote. This raffia-inspired bag with a blue-and-white charm hanging off its long and sturdy Sienna leather straps is part of their new Mediterranean Escape collection. The bag is perfect for summer because the colors are neutral, the silhouette is timeless—and it reminds me of vacationing in Greece. And who doesn’t want that? ($495, tumi.com) —Hannah Seligson

It’s a compliment of sorts that readers best know the noir novelist Jim Thompson from the movies made from his works: The Getaway, starring Steve McQueen; The Grifters, directed by Stephen Frears; and Pop. 1280, which French director Bertrand Tavernier made as Coup de Torchon, starring Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert. It’s also a pity of sorts, since his own words are not read as much as they should be. Thankfully, the Library of America has just published these three novels, along with two others, in Jim Thompson: Five Noir Novels of the 1950s & 60s, edited by the esteemed Robert Polito. Much is made of the notion that Thompson captured the seamy and dark underside of postwar America, but what these narratives really prove is that he had an imagination unlike anyone else’s, and a marvelously creepy one at that. ($35, loa.org) —Jim Kelly

At one point, the All-American Rejects seemed to be just a relic of the Y2K punk-rock past. Formed in 1999, they fit the scene perfectly: four lanky guys with shaggy haircuts who started making songs as teenagers, combining raw angst with piercing electric guitar. Sandbox, their first album in more than 14 years, is a swaggering reminder of that 2000s alt-rock dominance, all the more authentic with the passing of time. You’ll find the same unabashed edginess on “Easy Come, Easy Go”—its melancholic comedown, “Search Party,” landing two tracks later. Ultimately, their resurgence is thanks to their House Party Tour, where the band has been playing at college-house backyards and bowling alleys, giving the current concert funflation and surge ticket pricing the middle finger in the process. In a way, it’s the punkest move they’ve ever made. (spotify.com) —Maggie Turner

With rising jet-fuel prices, that coastal European vacation you were planning might turn out to be more of a dream than a reality this summer. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a taste of the Mediterranean. Melanie Masarin, founder of the non-alcoholic-spirit company Ghia, recently published her debut cookbook, a love letter to her French-Italian heritage and the landscape where she grew up. Riviera collects 101 sun-soaked recipes, many from her grandmother’s personal cookbook. Most are all-natural and unfussy, using 10 ingredients or less—just like nonna intended. ($40, amazon.com) —Gracie Wiener