Dr. Juli Fraga, Author at The Watercooler

Dr. Juli Fraga

Dr. Juli Fraga is a psychologist who’s written for NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and VICE. As a creative person, she loves what television shows and movies can teach us about psychological concepts and human behavior.

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.

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Holiday Movies to Watch with Each Generation

Deciding what to watch with your family over the holidays is akin to playing Mario Kart. You can be in first place, cruising along when BAM! One of those pesky red shells hit you and now you’re in last place. One minute, you’re sitting down for dinner and everything’s running smoothly, then someone turns on

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?

What to Watch (and Skip) with Thanksgiving Guests

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.

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.

Robert Redford’s Impact: Four Films to Watch

He was “one of the lions,” as Meryl Streep put it, an American touchstone who changed filmmaking and opened the gates for new generations of storytellers, becoming a central force in independent cinema. To understand the impact his films have had – on previous generations, on our culture, on so many other films – we’ve

Itaewon Class (Itaewon Keullasseu)

A colorful, ultimately inspiring tale for budding entrepreneurs, restauranteurs, and empire-builders. It also works as a vicarious adventure in Seoul.

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.