Lara Kristin Herndon
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.
RRR
A wild, breathtaking, high-octane action blockbuster from India that’s also a parable about the dignity of mankind and the fight for independence and self-rule.
Cowboy Bebop
A strange, poignant and funny adventure with amazing music, a talented cast, and beautifully detailed costumes and sets, the live action Cowboy Bebop adaptation makes you nostalgic for the original—hey, guess what’s also streaming on Netflix? All 26 original episodes!
Last Night in Soho
Last Night in Soho takes horror and coming-of-age tropes and subverts them in a stylish thriller that has more depth than meets the eye.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
With a pretty, beach-y setting, two adorable leads, and a host of beguiling small-town characters, this is K-drama-as-comfort-food.
Muhammad Ali
There’s no better focal point to examine the turbulent racial, religious, cultural, and political currents that shook America throughout the 1960s and 70s than Ken Burns’ Muhammad Ali. Ali transcended the narrow theater of sport to become, for a time, the most famous man alive.
Gossip Girl (2021)
With a witty script packed with up-to-the-second cultural references and tear-jerking teen angst, a gorgeous cast, and a sumptuously-lit Manhattan for a backdrop, the show is a diverting addition to the teen-drama pantheon
Start-Up (Seutateueop)
Every great success starts small. But if you don’t fix the bugs in the source code, they can come back to haunt you later—in life and in start-ups.
Dead to Me Creator Liz Feldman on Death & Comedy in the Time of Corona
For someone who has spent most of her professional life writing comedy, Liz Feldman, creator of Dead to Me, has had death on her mind for a long time. The Emmy winner wrote jokes for Ellen Degeneres for several years, including for her Oscars hosting gigs, and has been in the world of television since
One Night in Miami
An entertaining and enlightening slice of history that celebrates these giant personalities and their impact on the generations that followed them. Expect to hear a lot about this film as awards season heats up.
Locked Down
Set in the middle of the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rom-com wrapped in a heist thriller works as an engaging and relatable time capsule.
How to Max Out Your HBO Max Subscription
Aaron Sorkin classics, addictive comedic thrillers, special episodes — and the most conversation-worthy awards-caliber TV and film.
What to Discover on Discovery+
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to streaming services, The Watercooler is here to help. To kick off the new year, we’re running down our must-watch shows and films by platform so you can dive into the world of streaming and head straight for the good stuff. Be sure to read
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.
Jane Goodall: The Hope
An upbeat, awe-inspiring look at the life of the legendary scientist and the young people she’s galvanized to make a positive impact on the world.
What to Watch on Disney+
Not everyone can be an early adopter, especially when it comes to streaming platforms. Maybe you were waiting for a particular movie or show to premiere. Maybe you just got a subscription for Christmas. If you don’t know where to start, The Watercooler is here to help. We’re running down our must-watch shows and films
Giving Voice
A timely documentary full of hope, joy, happy endings…and a gut-wrenching John Legend song. It will inspire kids who could use some encouragement to realize they, too, could share their voice.
Transport Me: The Best International Horror Movies
Most horror aficionados have seen the American classics and their derivatives: The Shining, The Exorcist, all the Halloween movies, or the other big franchises. Disturbing in their own ways, American horror often follows predictable patterns and tropes. If you’re ready to explore some new worlds and watch something unexpected, it’s time to head overseas. Each
Halloween Movies that Won’t Haunt You
It’s that time of year when pumpkins line the streets and the group chats are abuzz with costume scheming. Halloween is on the brain. And what better way to set the mood than a fun holiday flick to enchant your home screens? But if you’re anything like me, and your bandwidth for spooky maxes out
A Career Reinvention Watchlist
As layoffs continue in the wake of a year of ominous headlines about the bots who are replacing us, a recent EY report found that over 70% of employees are reeling from AI anxiety. That actually sounds low. The idea of having to concoct a new livelihood – one that won’t be taken over by
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.
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,