Erica Bardin

Erica Bardin manages social content & strategy for various programs at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. She's also a screenwriter and comedian who recently co-wrote and co-produced the pilot "Shepherds." You can learn more at Ericabardin.com.
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Together Together

This film is heartwarming and heartbreaking in all the ways you want in a character-driven indie about a subject matter that we need to talk more about.

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Licorice Pizza

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s love letter to how unapologetic hormones and Los Angeles can be, Licorice Pizza is a collection of engaging moments that invites you into its vintage world and make you want to stay.

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What We Do in the Shadows

This series commits to the mockumentary bit in every possible way, allowing you to easily invest in these weirdos. And part of the fun is unpacking all the ways they map over quotidian quibbles with vampiric specifics.

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The Family Stone

An all-star classic that inflicts just enough discomfort to feel cathartic because of its familiarity. You’ll feel like a member of this functioning dysfunctional family.

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Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Within the realm of Sacha Baron Cohen-level absurdity is this coming-of-age story of a young woman who breaks out of a patriarchal cocoon to find that female free will does exist.

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Everything You Need to Know Before Thor: Love and Thunder

With Thor: Love and Thunder hitting theaters we thought you could use a Watercooler Guide to all the Thor that’s come before.

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Love & Gelato

Love & Gelato is pretty corny but it’s the exact kind of sweetly innocent confection that will melt in your mouth. What’s more, the film offers a slightly more authentic ending than the average rom-com fare.

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The Princess

The Princess is an unexpected, action-filled fairytale that pays tribute to the martial-arts genre centered around a tough heroine worth cheering for.

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Becoming Elizabeth

Becoming Elizabeth goes beyond mere court intrigue and makes a testimony to the influence of the powerful over the powerless. It’s assisted majorly by an eager and incredibly telling arrangement of sounds that stitches the lofty narrative together. In short, it’s a bold entry in the arena of historical dramas.

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Elvis

A sweeping biopic that manages to capture Elvis Presley’s rise from a shy kid from Memphis to a rock ‘n’ roll icon in Las Vegas to his wild, unprecedented popularity around the world.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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From SNL to the Director’s Chair: Kyle Mooney Talks Nostalgia, Freestyle Raps & Y2K

He stood out for hilariously awkward and offbeat SNL characters like the eccentric Bruce Chandling and the painfully relatable Chris Fitzpatrick. Whether parodying cringeworthy YouTube personalities or channeling the overly sincere energy of ’80s public access TV, Kyle Mooney’s knack for finding humor in the bizarre and uncomfortable has always set him apart. Beyond SNL,

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Romance Me: Meet Your Holiday Streaming Date

Single this holiday season? Luck-y you. You’re free to binge – and fall for – all the charming, seductive, irresistible protagonists across the streamers. Check out these holiday-themed stories for starters.

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The Holdovers

A cross-generation comedy drama that’s earned five Academy Award nominations, The Holdovers will tug at your heartstrings as it wrestles with themes of grief and loneliness, and it will ultimately nurture hope.

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Dune: Part Two

A mesmerizing immersive experience, Dune: Part Two is a film you won’t quickly forget. From the collective talents of its high wattage ensemble cast to the stunning cinematography, costumes and sound design, its a blockbuster that will stimulate all the senses along with your emotions.

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What to Watch (and Avoid) with Friends and Family over Thanksgiving

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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Tokyo Vice

On one level, Tokyo Vice is the story of one man’s kamikaze mission to bring down the Yakuza. But it’s also a mesmerizing noir drama that unfolds into a tense thriller — and ultimately serves as an important reminder that freedom of the press is worth fighting for.

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Awards Season Catchup: A Watercooler Guide to Shōgun

An immersive must-watch embraced by critics, the new Shōgun brings a new perspective on the epic historical drama about the battle between East and West in 17th century Japan.

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What the Netflix Hit The Diplomat Can Teach Us All

In the midst of all the hype about a dating show (Love is Blind) and a dark, LA-set comedy (Beef), a complex political drama that requires undivided attention rose to the top of the Netflix chart in 2023.  At its core, The Diplomat is a series about bureaucratic machinations, yet the show ups the ante

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