Dr. Juli Fraga
Never Have I Ever
A fresh coming-of-age dramedy, Never Have I Ever depicts how the death of a loved one can impact teens’ mental health, as well as a parent’s wellbeing. Families enduring similar struggles will find relatability and reassurance to know they’re not alone.
Stepmom
A classic that addresses tough topics like blending families and how to cope with grief, Stepmom can also serve as a kind of road map for how to broach tough topics like a terminal illness.
Dead to Me (S3)
A form of cinematherapy, Dead to Me’s final season brings a big plot twist, one that can be emotionally provoking as well as a cathartic and entertaining conversation starter.
In Treatment (2021)
A timely reboot that depicts the vital relationship between a therapist and patient, and the meaningful role it plays in fostering growth and change.
Maiden
A lesson in surviving childhood trauma, channeling energy into a worthy cause, and fighting to win — even when the majority says victory is impossible.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
At first glance a true crime story, the film is actually a look at how poverty, loneliness and imposter syndrome can seduce someone into creating a false reality.
Inside Out
With so many of us facing unfamiliar, anxiety-ridden situations today, Inside Out can serve as a useful prompt for the entire family to acknowledge our emotional experiences — sparking insight and helping us cope with change.
Workin’ Moms
When you can’t make it out of the house to attend a support group for new moms, this can be a great substitute. By showing the human side of motherhood, the series helps normalize maternal ambivalence, “mommy guilt,” and the pressure many women feel to be “perfect” moms.
Serendipity
A lesson in authenticity, the power of friendship, and acting on your gut feeling, even when the odds are against you.
Best New K-Dramas to Watch on Netflix
In 2021, international mega-hit Squid Game introduced the power of South Korean storytelling to a broader worldwide audience. K-drama fans have historically streamed content on services like Viki or hoped their favorite TvN or JBTC series would be picked up by Netflix. Then streamer invested $500 million in South Korean movies and series to produce
The Fabelmans
At its heart a story about the relationships that make us who we are, this is a must-see and top Oscar contender, Spielberg’s own version of Back to the Future, minus the DeLorean, for his own time-traveling to life in the 1950s.
The Patient
A sharply-written character study and tense psychological thriller from the creators behind The Americans, The Patient is propelled by a pair of Emmy-worthy performances from Steve Carell and Domhall Gleeson.
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.
Easter Sunday
A broad comedy about the Filipino diasporic experience that’s not heavy-handed or exploitative, Easter Sunday brings respect, dignity, and fun to an underrepresented group.
Disenchanted
A joyful new Disney musical that pokes fun at its own tropes, Disenchanted brings back an effervescent Amy Adams from Enchanted in this sequel sure to work for all ages over the holidays.
The Serpent Queen
If you’re looking for some historical context for all the news and fictional obsession with monarchs, The Serpent Queen brings a modern, often funny take on one of the most powerful female rulers in history, one that sheds light on our current preoccupation with all things royal.
Banshees of Inisherin
Riotously funny while weighted by tragicomic depth, Banshees of Inisherin is exquisitely crafted with sharp writing and stunning photography that bring a distinct time and place to life. Expect to laugh, gasp and cry before the credits roll.
All you need to know about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
With five movies that led up to it and eight key characters with complex back stories, you will need this quick guide to prepare for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – which is sure to win the box office.
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,
A Need-to-Know Guide to The Buccaneers
Was life in the Gilded Age all that gilded? In the HBO Max series, penned by Downton Abbey’s creator Julian Fellowes, the focus is on the class divide between America’s old money aristocrats and new money industrialists, and the often exhausting rules of “society.” Apple TV’s The Buccaneers, which just returned for its second season,
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
A Need-to-Know Guide to And Just Like That…
It’s been a two year wait, but Carrie Bradshaw and her tribe of fabulous fifty-somethings are finally back with their third season. You’d be forgiven if you lost track of the Sex and the City sequel and its storylines. But with summer’s planes, trains, and automobiles and rained-in weekends, And Just Like That might be
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.
The Something for Everyone Show: Poker Face is Back
Can’t agree on what to watch together? Consider putting on your Poker Face. Peacock’s acclaimed mystery-of-the-week series created by Rian Johnson (best known for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and, most relevant here, the Glass Onion films) and starring Natasha Lyonne, is finally back for another season after two long years. That’s great news for
It’s not HBO, it’s The Pitt: How streamers are embracing old TV network models
“It’s not TV, it’s HBO.” Remember that old tagline? For nearly all of its history, broadcast television has been fighting against the perception that it’s subordinate to film as a storytelling medium. Television was just media for the masses, as opposed to the more erudite aficionados of cinema (who, by the way, poured into theaters
Boyhood
Boyhood captures the importance of moments in time as people grow up and contests the idea that any singular moment is defining to your childhood. It’s a film filled with the full breadth of the emotions of childhood, conveying each one delicately to leave you reflecting on its many pensive conversations.