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.
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.
What Franklin Can Teach Us About Diplomacy
As conflicts rage on across the world and the need for diplomacy rises, the new Apple TV+ series Franklin — about America’s first diplomat — offers lessons for our times, as a former speechwriter for the US Ambassador to the UN explains.
Rising Star: Our Interview with Dune & The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare‘s Babs Olusanmokun
He is best known for his recent breakout sci-fi roles – from the fierce fighter Doctor M’Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to Jamis – the Freman and best friend to the protagonist Paul – in Dune Parts One and Two. But Babs Olusanmokun has been acting for two decades. A Nigerian-American who speaks
From Aristocrat to Waiter in a Grand Hotel: A Gentleman in Moscow
It’s 1920s Moscow, four years after the start of the Russian Revolution. The aristocracy has been put on trial, staring down their inevitable doom. Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat, is sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal for “social parasitism” — the crime of living off of the efforts of others. His fate is surely death,
The Big Door Prize
A fresh, lighthearted comedy that doubles as a philosophical sci-fi mystery, The Big Door Prize’s biggest question is that regardless of how much we have, are we ever truly satisfied? And that’s a poignant query in our consumer-driven, must-document-every-moment-on-social-media world.
The Classic Film Education in Colin Farrell’s Sugar
If you solely go by the trailer, Colin Farrell’s new Apple TV series might seem like a familiar L.A. noir: A private detective named John Sugar gets hired by a legendary Hollywood producer to investigate the disappearance of his granddaughter, and soon finds himself unraveling a wicked web of family secrets. Apple TV+ A genre
You’re the Worst
Through the eyes of two cynics who seem doomed to be alone, You’re the Worst embraces the complexity of modern relationships and the many emotional layers they surface. It’s also an accurate and empathetic portrait of what it’s like to live with clinical depression.
The stars of Manhunt on the history we did not learn
It’s a story that none of us learned in history classes, and it unfolds as a taut, complex conspiracy thriller — one that raises all new questions. Set in 1865, Manhunt focuses on the aftermath of one of America’s most tragic events: the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With all of the biopics, TV shows, and
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.
What the Netflix Adaptation Gets Right About Shadow and Bone (and Six of Crows too)
Why does this peculiar adaptation, which on one hand is so true to the source material and on the other is a departure from a loved series, work? Because no expense was spared.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Recap Episode 6: “One World, One People”
So it turns out that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is ultimately a story about the use of might for right, and who gets to decide the meaning of either.
Why Nomadland Would be a Worthy, Definitive Best Picture Winner for 2021
Chloe Zhao’s lyrical, masterful film about those forgotten on the fringes of American society has ratcheted up the momentum to be the favorite going into “Hollywood’s biggest night.” And it should be.
Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone is an immersive fantasy series that will make you care about its characters as much as its mythology. It’s well-written, well-acted, and looks beautiful.
WandaVision
With its wildly original tribute to 60s and 70s sitcoms, comic books and superhero movies, Emmy-nominated WandaVision delivers cross-generational appeal while challenging viewers to unravel a dark and complex Marvel mystery.
This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist
Producers Colin and Nick Barnicle pace their true crime whodunit for maximum entertainment value, laying out pieces of evidence that build up to twists and reveals that make you feel like you’re watching The Departed.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Recap Episode 5: “Truth”
In the penultimate episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, titled “Truth,” we find out that the truth will set you free, if you can get past it pissing you off.
Younger
This light and addictive comedy gives flight to the fantasy of getting a do-over to re-live your 20s, albeit with the wisdom and gratitude of mid-life.
Judas and The Black Messiah: How Impactful Work Still Leaves Black Youth Behind
It’s nominated for six Oscars, just earned a BAFTA for star Daniel Kaluuya’s performance, and made history as the first film with an entirely Black team of producers to earn a Best Picture nomination from the Academy. But is the history depicted in Judas and the Black Messiah a completely reliable picture? Directed by Shaka