Samantha James

Samantha James is the author and founder of The Chronicles of History, a site dedicated to history, archeology, historical fiction, literature, and book reviews. She also co-leads the History Group, a social community of 22,000+ buffs.
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Mary & George

A clever, dark and salacious historical drama that brings a much overlooked chapter of European history to vivid life. Mary & George is a richly drawn, rough and raunchy story about the quest for power – and survival – in 16th century England.

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Vikings Valhalla S2

An emotionally intense coming-of-age story underlies Vikings Valhalla, which tackles the tumultuous High Middle Ages and power shift across Europe with all the heroics, gore, and sex of its predecessor.

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Oscar’s Weekend Watercooler Guide

Hard to believe it’s been an entire year, but the Academy Awards are finally back, so set your (sprung ahead) clocks for 8pm ET / 5pm PT Sunday nights — or as early as 1pm ET if you want to catch red carpet coverage. To get get up to speed on the contenders, see our

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The Watercooler Guide to Daisy Jones and the Six

If scoring a voyeuristic backstage pass to the drama and drugs of a world-famous 70s rock band sounds like a dream come true, then here is Guide to Daisy Jones and the Six, Amazon Prime’s limited series Daisy Jones and the Six is a must-see this March. The show stars Riley Keough (Mad Max Fury

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Oscars Countdown: Four Under the Radar Films

You have just over a week to catch up on Oscar nominees. And while much of the coverage of the contenders has been focused on big names and bigger movies, the real gift of the Academy Awards are the under the radar films it can bring to our attention. We’ve zeroed in on three nominees

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A Millennial Nostalgia Watchlist

2023 promises to reenact many Millennials pop culture milestones. If you’re feeling all that nostalgia, here are the best TV series to watch to take you back…and make you see how far you’ve come.

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The Mandalorian Refresher

If the notoriously fractious Star Wars fandom can agree that The Mandalorian is a worthy torchbearer as the franchise heads into an uncertain future, it’s got to be worth checking out. 

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Aftersun

A deeply felt, slow-burning indie film about a 30-something woman looking back on her last vacation with her father 20 years earlier, it’s a work that’s true impact sneaks up on you after the credits roll.

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The Watercooler Guide to Hello Tomorrow!

Apple’s new futuristic TV series combines nostalgia, sci-fi and Billy Crudup to ask big questions about the cost of all of the hype around tech, space, and “the future” can cost us all.

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The Best Political Movies & Series for Every Mood

As we try and process the latest world events and the state of politics, our brains could benefit from a break from the news. For President’s Day weekend Best Political Movies For Presidents Day, we’ve curated a watchlist of scripted stories that bring the inspiration, comedic relief, romance, and carefully crafted resolutions missing from current

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Sidney

A stirring documentary about iconic actor and activist Sidney Poitier’s life and its impact — on Hollywood, on Black history, and on American history.

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Holiday Movies to Watch with Each Generation

Deciding what to watch with your family over the holidays is akin to playing Mario Kart. You can be in first place, cruising along when BAM! One of those pesky red shells hit you and now you’re in last place. One minute, you’re sitting down for dinner and everything’s running smoothly, then someone turns on

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Transport Me: Holiday Movies from Around the World

If you and your family are getting tired of the same old Christmas stories year after year, why not dig a little deeper and try these picks from around the world?

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What to Watch (and Skip) with Thanksgiving Guests

What to watch – and what to skip – if you’re spending Thanksgiving with kids, teenagers, older generations, or all of them under one roof? Your 2022 Watercooler Guide to holiday movies.

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Universal Language

An absurdist dramedy about the clash of two worlds, Universal Language entertains as much as it motivates. Beyond the madness lies an urgent plea for unity, an appeal that resonates with people hoping for a better, more harmonious future.

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Industry S1

Industry is a series fueled by greed, drugs, sex, and money, and provides all of these ingredients in Federal Reserve-sized quantities. There’s never a dull moment.

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Minx

The streaming series about the intersection between feminism and smut could endear even the most skeptical. And what it might lack in delicacy, it certainly makes up for in swagger.

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The Sympathizer

Told through the perspective of a conflicted hero with contradicting loyalties, The Sympathizer is an ambitious examination of a spy who can’t help but sympathize — hence, the title of the series — with the enemy. It might make you rethink everything you were taught about the Vietnam War too.

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Robert Redford’s Impact: Four Films to Watch

He was “one of the lions,” as Meryl Streep put it, an American touchstone who changed filmmaking and opened the gates for new generations of storytellers, becoming a central force in independent cinema. To understand the impact his films have had – on previous generations, on our culture, on so many other films – we’ve

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Itaewon Class (Itaewon Keullasseu)

A colorful, ultimately inspiring tale for budding entrepreneurs, restauranteurs, and empire-builders. It also works as a vicarious adventure in Seoul.

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