
Lauren Vanderveen

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.

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.

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.

Watercooler Guide: What You Need to Know about The Staircase
Our Watercooler guide to The Staircase will help you jump right into the conversation about HBO Max’s new true-crime series.

Outlander: What We Talk About When We Talk About Assault
It’s no coincidence every major character in Outlander has experienced some form of assault. I’d argue that’s what the whole show is about.

The Adam Project
The Adam Project is one of those movies you go into imagining big explosions and kids hilariously making life-or-death decisions (like Zathura, for example). And, to be sure it throws everything it has at the wall and then some: time-travel jiu jitsu soldiers, a stacked all-star cast, and lots of heart.

The Alpinist
Joie de vivre never looked so effortless as it does in The Alpinist. While the spectacular cinematography wows the senses, the beautiful character portrait at its core of an eccentric, backwoods mountain climber stirs the humanity in us all.

The Best New Movies and TV Shows in February 2022
Love, history, and choices well off the beaten path are arriving on streaming platforms this month. See our picks in categories you won’t find anywhere else.

The Best New Movies and Shows to Stream in December 2021
This month’s picks include big stars, highly anticipated returns, sci-fi epics, and an international Oscar contender—all for your streaming pleasure!

Lauren Vanderveen

The Icon Party: The Cast & Producers on Mid Century Modern
A nostalgic tribute to classic sitcoms that adds an envelope-pushing edge, Mid Century Modern is Hulu’s next hit. It follows three gay best friends – played by Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham – who decide to live out their golden years together in Palm Springs after the unexpected death of a close

Lonely Planet
If you’re starting over after a breakup, facing some midlife questions, or looking for a date night movie that might inspire a romantic vacation, add this Moroccan adventure to your watchlist.

A Watercooler Guide to Hollywood Satire “The Studio”
A perfectly-timed send-up that is already driving more water cooler talk than the blockbuster movie machines it satirizes, Apple’s star-studded new comedy The Studio just dropped its first two episodes, and the series is sure to be watched and discussed all the way to September’s Emmy awards. Created by one of the most prolific producing

What to Stream This Weekend: March 21st
From a shocking tabloid story told from different perspectives to the trending murder-in-the-White-House comedy … to a probe into the psyche of an authoritarian leader, our writers picked five of this week’s new releases across streaming to help break your decision paralysis. A Riveting Historical Drama: Quisling: The Final Days A provocative historical drama that

What to Watch This Weekend: 5 Watercooler Picks for March 14th
As storms swirl across the hemisphere and winter fatigue sets in, the Watercooler’s writers have picked five of the best new releases for every frame of mind to hunker down with — or to head out for — this weekend. A High Fantasy Escape Watch: Wheel of Time c. Prime Video More fun and female-centered

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.

Raging Midlife
An over-the-top broad comedy for Gen Xers or older Millennials, Raging Midlife works for fans nostalgic for 80s movies who just want to laugh and de-stress. Wrestling fans will find a special level of joy in the moves.

How to Die Alone
A good show for anyone who wants to get “unstuck,” How to Die Alone reminds us to embrace vulnerability and take more risks. Mel shows us how to live.

Grand Theft Hamlet
Grand Theft Hamlet is a testament to the relentless and pure desire to make art– it might not be convenient, it might not make sense, it might not even be well-received, but that’s not going to stop those who want to make it. The result is a touching and funny doc that justifies its experiments

The Best Political Movies & Series for Every Mood
As we try and process the latest world events and the state of politics, our brains could benefit from a break from the news. For President’s Day weekend Best Political Movies For Presidents Day, we’ve curated a watchlist of scripted stories that bring the inspiration, comedic relief, romance, and carefully crafted resolutions missing from current

Sidney
A stirring documentary about iconic actor and activist Sidney Poitier’s life and its impact — on Hollywood, on Black history, and on American history.

Single? Swiping? Swooning? What to Watch on Valentine’s Day
Remember when we gave Valentine cards to every kid in the class, the teacher, our parents, and saved a handful of candy hearts that said “Hot Stuff” to stuff into our own mouths Watch on Valentines Day? February 14th used to be about more than just romantic love. To honor its origins in our childhoods

Laid Off? 10 Movies to Help You Cope
What to watch when you’ve been laid off? Here are the best movies about getting downsized and starting over.

Norah Jones’ Streaming Watchlist
After three long years, Grammy-winning star Norah Jones is going back on tour. She tells the Watercooler’s Steve Baltin what she’s been listening to and watching — and what she’s up to on her podcast.

12 Book Adaptations to Get Excited About
With each New Year comes a fresh lineup of literary adaptations, and 2023 will not disappoint audiences. Much-anticipated sequels (Dune, Shadow and Bone) finally arrive to satiate followers. Beloved classics (Wonka, The Color Purple) get new spins—and songs. Judy Blume adds another film adaptation to her career as an author, as does Bram Stoker. Whether

A Royal Drama to Fill the Meghan and Harry Void: Corsage
Harry and Meghan drama might be waning, but our fixation with all things royalty has not. An Oscar Shortlist for Best International Film, Corsage looks at the first royal celebrity with depth and imagination.

The Oscar Contenders for Best International Film
In recent years, Oscar Nominees Best International Film, the Motion Picture Academy has made a concerted effort to represent more diverse and international perspectives, and the expansion of its membership has put “subtitled films” on the radars of voters — and, in some cases, in contention for the biggest awards. The turning point came just

The Seven Faces of Jane
A original take on both anthologies and road trip movies, The Seven Faces of Jane experiments with the “roads not taken” concept by tapping eight different directors, each one using a different genre and a different “Jane.”