JR Atkinson, Author at The Watercooler

JR Atkinson

JR Atkinson is a co-founder and editor of Midriff Magazine and Reverberations, and a former contributor to New City Chicago and Untitled Magazine. A recent graduate of Wesleyan, she is currently a writer and performer based in Brooklyn.

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

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

Theater Camp

Theater Camp is a treat for those who remember what it’s like to be young and to have a dream, and who haven’t forgotten all the sweat and ambition that comes with it, and how it can feel like the most important thing that has ever happened. The world of AdirondACTS is richly envisioned, and

JR Atkinson

Speak No Evil

A Career Reinvention Watchlist

As layoffs continue in the wake of a year of ominous headlines about the bots who are replacing us, a recent EY report found that over 70% of employees are reeling from AI anxiety. That actually sounds low. The idea of having to concoct a new livelihood – one that won’t be taken over by

A Watercooler Guide to Emma Stone’s Kinds of Kindness

With so many franchises, sequels and prequels arriving in theaters, we get accustomed to seeing familiar worlds and their predictable three-act structures. Then a three-hour theatrical release comes along that defies any simple explanation, and you have no idea what you’re getting into. Kinds of Kindness is that kind of film. With a top-notch cast

The Boys creator Eric Kripke on the hit show’s timely parallels, his inspirations, and what to watch next

The Boys creator Eric Kripke gives an exclusive interview about hit show and its parallels to our own election, and the inspirations behind its Black female vice president, its homicidal dictator, and Kripke’s mind.

Teen Romance for the Sweltering Summer

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

A New Mystery Series Has Some Fun with True Crime Obsessions

It arrived without much fanfare, another offbeat “true crime” mystery set against the stormy clouds of an eerie small town. But Bodkin, the new Netflix series set in Ireland, has something deeper going on. Both a revelation and a lighthearted indignation, Bodkin has something to say about conspiracy theorists, disinformation rabbit holes, the people making

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.

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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The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a wildly imaginative take on the superhero genre, but it works mainly because of the strong characters and dysfunctional family at its core.

Old Enough!

Though the idea of sending a three-year-old to the supermarket by themselves might seem terrifying, the Japanese documentary series Old Enough! is hardly a white-knuckle experience. It’s a sweet and watchable show showcasing the kids’ natural charisma.

Rutherford Falls

Rutherford Falls is a clever and sweet satire similar to Michael Schur’s other half-hour comedies. Like Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, it’s surprisingly deep and deserves just as much attention.

The 10 Best Episodes of Love, Death + Robots

Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death + Robots includes so many worthwhile episodes, but these 10 are a great place to start.

Why I’m Watching Ms. Marvel and You Should Too

Ms. Marvel delivers the representation Muslims finally deserve. And you don’t have to be Muslim to appreciate it.

Fire Island

Fire Island is one of the best gay films released in recent memory. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and it is beautifully written, acted, and directed. It may not win Oscars–comedies rarely do; gay films more rarely still–but it is an instant classic that critics and audiences will be citing for years.