JR Atkinson
Teen Romance for the Sweltering Summer
There’s a particular teenage feeling of promise to summer for me. School is out, the sun is beating, and the space between June and September seems big enough to live a lifetime in. Even for someone staunchly past teenhood, the tickle of summertime is exciting, Teen Romance For Sweltering Summer and self-transformation– and these are
Grand Theft Hamlet
Grand Theft Hamlet is a testament to the relentless and pure desire to make art– it might not be convenient, it might not make sense, it might not even be well-received, but that’s not going to stop those who want to make it. The result is a touching and funny doc that justifies its experiments
The Curse
As strange as it is funny and as thoughtful as it is surprising, The Curse is as unique a viewing experience as they come. I was first drawn in by the sharp satire and stayed for the company of its richly envisioned characters.
20-Something & Figuring it Out: A Post-College Watchlist
I’ve grown accustomed to seeing people my age on screen. The problem is, 23-year-olds are usually playing high schoolers. And while I’ve relished the avalanche of shows and movies about high school’s clique-ridden trials, and even the few that explore college’s rich landscape by College Watchlist, I was ready for something that reflected my own
If You Were the Last
Though it’s squarely a rom-com, If You Were the Last will pique the curiosity of the sci-fi lover. It’s a date night movie with an undeniable sweetness that never crosses over to cheesy.
Fair Play
A psychosexual thriller with equal parts boardroom and bedroom drama, Fair Play has elements of a gender issue parable in the vein of Promising Young Woman while feeling truer to the thriller genre. With plenty of Watercooler-worthy moments, it has already inspired plenty of social media discourse. Get in while the getting’s fresh.
Bottoms
For lovers of the classic teen sex comedy, Bottoms has much to offer: well-played comedy, over-the-top antics, and underdogs to root for. But those in the market for something fresh will be even more rewarded, as the film flips the script on a well-worn genre. Deservedly so, because anyone who’s been an awkward teen girl
Telemarketers
Telemarketers mixes stranger-than-fiction characters, high-level mystery, and drug-fueled thrills, with the intrigue of a pulpy true crime flick. It’s as journalistically interesting as it is entertaining. Anyone who’s been on the receiving end of a telemarketing call (which is virtually everyone) is in for a shocking treat, as the scene you might imagine is on
The Best of the Barbie Watercooler
This weekend was the biggest of the year for water cooler conversations across the country – and even the world. I saw Barbie on Thursday, the first day it was in theaters in New York City, and I had to get tickets a week in advance. Part of me was annoyed to be participating in
JR Atkinson
Summer Escape Binges: The Best Series to Transport You
The best escapist shows and movies with travel and exotic settings.
Teen Romance for the Sweltering Summer
There’s a particular teenage feeling of promise to summer for me. School is out, the sun is beating, and the space between June and September seems big enough to live a lifetime in. Even for someone staunchly past teenhood, the tickle of summertime is exciting, Teen Romance For Sweltering Summer and self-transformation– and these are
Round the World: Summer Camp Movies for Grownups
Ah, summer camp. Images of wood cabins, elaborate pranks, cringe-y talent show performances, and teens with raging hormones have filled our brains, thanks to what’s become a subgenre of American & Summer Camp Movies.. But summer camp stories take on different depths depending upon the decade and the country where they’re set, and they can
What to Watch with your Roommates
It’s difficult to share your home with someone you don’t share anything else with. But one of the easiest inroads to friendship is television, and one of the joys of living with others is introducing them to the shows you love, and vice versa. Watching Carrie meet Big for the first time with my new-to-the-show
A Watercooler Watch: Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
Before social media and podcasts, there was one undeniable truth about news-making interviews: if a story mattered, Barbara Walters would be the one to tell it. Landing a one-on-one with her didn’t just mean publicity, it meant you had become part of a national conversation. But while the interview signified that you had made it,
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.
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.
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.
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.
What to Watch Next? April Highlights
From the hotly anticipated to the sneaker hit, and a hotly anticipated hit about sneakers (forgive me), this weekend is filled to the brim with worthy premieres. The Affleck/Damon duo is back, musical theater lovers are well-fed with Schmigadoon’s return, and a deserving band gets a deserving tribute. Let us help you sort out your weekend
A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys
A stirring all-star tribute concert honoring the Beach Boys, who brought love and joy for so many in their commercial peak of the Sixties, and received it back from talents like John Legend, Brandi Carlisle, Charlie Pluth – and so many more.
Jon Stewart and the Evolution of Satire
“Evolution of Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.”— Molly Ivins Comedy has the potential to be the great equalizer. And no one has wielded the power of humor as compellingly as Jon Stewart. The godfather of righteous outrage, the former MTV host was instrumental in bringing investigative comedy to mainstream
Schmigadoon! is Back! A Broadway (and American) History Refresher
It’s time to get some corn puddin’ and freshen up your Broadway history, because Schmigadoon! has returned, Apple TV+’s toe-tapping parody show. The send-up of classic musicals was a favorite pick for SNL and theater buffs, but it also works as a kind of cultural history lesson, taking us through the fantasy lands created by
Succession S4
Come to Succession for the palace intrigue, stay for the relevance of watching the top one percent plot, scheme, and masterfully insult each other as they face the same fears of obsolescence as the rest of us.
How to Jump in to Yellowjackets (Season 2)
Trying to understand all the buzz around Yellowjackets? The Watercooler created a guide to help you figure out why it’s captured such a following and how to catch-up before Season 2.
Lucky Hank
An antidote to the darker worlds currently trending across the streamers, Lucky Hank also delivers a refreshingly new Bob Odenkirk character, a guy whose meltdown might just deliver your own much-needed catharsis — leaving you laughing and pondering and lingering to see what comes next.
The Glory
An often-riveting South Korean revenge thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, The Glory is also a thoughtful meditation on power, wealth, and the rigid hierarchies that make school bullying systemic — all around the world.
What’s New to Watch?
As we recover from the Oscars, it’s a ripe time to re-up on some fresh content. This weekend is jam-packed with new series premieres, and if you’re not too busy with Ted Lasso’s return, we’ve got four new shows ranging from raunchy animation to sobering thinkpiece to vie for your attention this weekend. Agent Elvis