Mar 3

Hi friends,

While preparing this newsletter I noticed a lot of my (our?) favorite shows are returning with new seasons this month. Yellowjackets for the creepy thrill seekers, Ted Lasso for the tender comedy lovers, and Succession, well, for everyone. Everyone loves Succession. It’s sad that this is going to be their final season but also quite sensible. Better to quit while you’re ahead (ironically something the Roys will never understand).

As always, I hope you have a nice weekend.

OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK

Daisy Jones & The Six

The first three episodes are new on Amazon Prime 🍅 rating: 75%

Loosely based on the backstage drama that accompanied rock band Fleetwood Mac, Daisy Jones & The Six is a miniseries that follows the titular fictional band’s wild rise to the top. It takes on a documentary format to reveal their ups and downs, placing a special focus on the tempestuous relationship between lead singers Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne (played rivetingly by Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, respectively).

As a folk rock superfan who would not stop playing Buffalo Springfield and putting on Almost Famous in high school, I admit I was a bit wary of Daisy Jones & The Six at first. I was afraid it would be filled with all sorts of rock and roll cliches, and honestly, it kind of it is, but that doesn’t make it any less watchable! The chemistry is easy, the production quality is top-notch, and most of all, the music is stellar. I already have the OST on repeat on Spotify.

OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Women Talking

Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, starting at $5.99 🍅 rating: 91%

Inspired by the true events that rocked an ultraconservative and insular Mennonite colony in Bolivia, Women Talking follows a group of women who have been sexually assaulted by the men in their community. After years of painful endurance and forced silence, the victims have come together to decide their fate; they have 24 hours to determine whether they will forgive the men, fight them, or leave them. The heated and male-free discussion that ensues is what gives the movie its name.

It’s a bit like 12 Angry Men in that sense, but director Sarah Polley breaks static moments with poetic shots, and this time, the victims are in charge of their fate. It’s also worth noting that the film is led by a powerhouse cast that includes Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, and Frances McDormand. Harrowing, heartbreaking, but still surprisingly hopeful, this is the best thing you’ll watch this International Women’s Month.

Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime

*In the first season of the **Reluctant Traveler**, Eugene Levy travels to eight different countries beginning in Finland and ending in Japan.*

Imagine a travel show hosted by someone with zero interest in travel. It can go either of two ways: you can hate the guy for his ignorance or love him for trying anyway. Thankfully, veteran comedian Eugene Levy falls in the latter category in the aptly titled series The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. Here, the unadventurous 75-year-old gets out of his comfort zone and finally explores a world that, according to him, he’s spent his entire life avoiding. Levy may not be a cultural connoisseur, but he’s a pleasant presence with nice comedic timing, warm people skills, and a big sense of gratitude, so really, what’s not to like? Admittedly, watching this made me miss what I think to be a better comedy travel show, Conan Without Borders, but Conan O’Brien has his own thing going on, so Eugene Levy will do for now! Streaming on Apple TV+.
The final season of FX’s epic crime drama Snowfall is also new on streaming. The series takes place in 1980s Los Angeles during the start of the crack cocaine epidemic, and it follows a young man’s journey into becoming a drug kingpin. This season is its most violent yet as it centers on warring factions besting each other to the death, all while trying to expose the US government for puppeteering the entire thing. Created by Boyz N’ The Hood director John Singleton, Snowfall is a careful and large-scale examination of how America’s deadly war on drugs devastated everyone involved. Streaming on Hulu.

New titles worth your time

*Galaxy Quest was a small film when it came out in ‘99, but the cast list is now a who’s who of beloved celebrities.*

If you’re a sci-fi fan, you have to see the 1999 film Galaxy Quest, a new arrival on Netflix. Not only is it a pitch-perfect sendup of the genre, it’s also a prescient take on fan culture and filmmaking as a whole. Also new and worth checking out on the platform are the latest season of the reality series Next in Fashion and the touching migration documentary Split at the Root.
Plenty of classics are also new on Amazon Prime, the most noteworthy of which include: Guy Ritchie’s heist comedy Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels; Sofia Coppola’s heartwrenching gems Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides; Richard Linklater’s debut hit Dazed and Confused; the Coen brothers’ Western epic True Grit; and Ron Howard’s boxing biopic Cinderella Man. Other nice films are In the Fade, RBG, Scent of a Woman, Elizabeth, and Margin Call.
The first season of the underrated AMC series Kevin Can F**k Himself, is also newly available on Amazon Prime.

Great titles that will soon expire

**Hap and Leonard** is based on the popular book series by Joe R. Lansdale, which follows best friends who solve crimes in Texas.

March 5th is your last chance to watch the 1980s-set “swamp noir” series Hap and Leonard on Netflix.
One Amazon Prime, the British crime series Tin Star leaves March 6th while the Danish period piece A Royal Affair leaves March 7th.

That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, March 10.

Till then,

Renee

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