Felipe Patterson
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,
Eddington is a pandemic parable. But what is it trying to say?
Set in May 2020 in a fictional New Mexico town, Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix’s new film Eddington draws some parallels to two of the biggest breakout shows of the past decade: The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. It’s a story about a virus that’s less about death and more about exposing the living.
A Watercooler Guide to The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson’s Oil-Baron Fever Dream
Wes Anderson films are easy to spot, but not always easy to describe. Watching them feels like stepping inside a handcrafted diorama of history: symmetrical, stylized, and slightly sentimental. From the wry narration and sharp color palettes to his signature whip pans and deadpan dialogue, Anderson crafts cinematic worlds where emotions are bottled then uncorked
Bring Her Back
A psychological horror film with standout performances, Bring Her Back isn’t just about summoning the dead, it’s about confronting the parts of ourselves we lose in the process. The Philippou brothers have crafted a film that dares to ask whether the true horror lies in what we’re willing to do in the name of love.
Inside the War Zone: A sit down with Warfare’s director and cast
A harrowing new film from Alex Garland’s production banner, Warfare drops viewers into a real-time combat mission in Iraq. Set in 2006, it follows a team of Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone awry. Co-written and co-directed by Garland and Ray Mendoza—whose own platoon was ambushed during the real-life event—the film is both brutal
Black Bag
A taut, stylish and steamy take on the high-stakes espionage thriller, Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag keeps you second-guessing every character’s motives until the very end. The tension, the suspicion, the sense that the walls are closing in? It’s all here.
You Hurt My Feelings
A rare grown-up comedy that hits home while delivering an escape, You Hurt My Feelings has something to say about the power of both honesty and vulnerability in helping us connect.
Conclave
Conclave transcends its rich setting to tell a universally compelling story about power, morality, and the fundamental human condition — which no amount of religious ceremony, historical weight, or status can change.
The Brutalist
Blending raw emotion, breathtaking cinematography, and a narrative that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, The Brutalist is a top 2025 Oscar contender and a must-watch for lovers of bold, novelistic storytelling, American history, and cinematic experiences.
Felipe Patterson
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.
Take a Vicarious Vacation: Binge Watches That Will Transport You
Any other year, we’d be wheels up by now, escaping the pressures and routines of daily life with that long-awaited holiday break trip. This year? Our best bet is a transporting TV series or movie that can take us away…and drop us into an exotic, far away world. We tapped the Watercooler’s recommendation engine and
Best of 2020: The Algo-Driven Holiday Movies
Does it feel like 2020’s holiday movies were created by an algorithm? That’s because they were. We got our hands on the holiday movie generator and here’s the slate it spit out.
The Favorite Shows of 2020…and Gift Ideas for Fans
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Watercooler recommendations of the year and paired them with gift ideas that ought to please any fan.
Promising Young Woman
The surprise Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay, Promising Young Woman challenges assumptions as it upends our expectations.
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
Whether you’re looking for decorating or recipe ideas, or just want to bask in the joy of the creative process, these holiday specials absolutely hit the spot.
I’m Your Woman
An intriguing if slow-moving take on the noir crime drama that focuses on the outlaw’s wife. Starring Rachel Brosnahan.
The Prom
Adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway musical and directed by Ryan Murphy, this all-star crowdpleaser aims to fill that giant live theater hole in your holiday heart.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
A sweet, fun, magical musical fairy tale that deserves to become a new holiday classic.
Holiday Musicals for Your Living Room
Nothing can compare to live theater electrified by dancing, singing performers who can make music soar to the rafters. Theater productions are a holiday tradition that will be sorely missed by many this year. But there’s some good news: for the first time, several of the most in-demand holiday productions can be watched on a