Melissa Roth
Flora and Son
The power of chords and lyrics to inspire, connect, and entwine us are at the heart of Flora and Son, an ultimately uplifting story from the writer-director behind Once and Sing Street.
Angel City
A goose-bump inspiring docuseries that takes us on to the field and into the surprising back story of how LA’s new professional women’s soccer team came to be, upending the model behind pro sports teams and finally, truly, changing the game.
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.
Irresistible
A post-election escape watch from Jon Stewart, the 2020 political satire works as an entertaining crash course on local campaign organizing while doubling as an expose on the dysfunctions of the “election economy.”
Flee
The most urgent and relevant Oscar-nominated film of 2022, Flee is a deeply personal documentary about a man’s childhood as a refugee that inspires as it creates empathy for those forced out of their homelands.
Charlie Wilson’s War
A suddenly timely look back at how the U.S. first escalated involvement with Afghanistan in the 1980s, told through an eye-opening story that feels like it had to be made up by its Oscar-winning screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin.
The Last Letter from Your Lover
A date night movie that transports you to a lush 1960s French Riviera, the adaptation of the JoJo Moyes novel entwines two eras and two sharply contrasted romances, delivering a wistful summer escape watch.
Sex and Lucía
A cinephile’s choice for a Netflix and Chill night, Sex and Lucia is a sizzling and intoxicating portrait of two lovers … and their other lovers … that explores the blurry lines between reality and imagination, love and lust, tragedy and obsession.
My Neighbor Totoro
A joyful, enchanting classic, My Neighbor Tortoro is the rare film that can captivate all ages, from young kids to their parents and grandparents.
Melissa Roth
Flora and Son
The power of chords and lyrics to inspire, connect, and entwine us are at the heart of Flora and Son, an ultimately uplifting story from the writer-director behind Once and Sing Street.
The Conversations Project
A revealing series that will shed some new light and spark conversations in your own life. As producer Raina Kelley sums up to the New York Times: “At its most important, it’s basically an example nowadays of how to have a civil conversation.”
Bottoms
For lovers of the classic teen sex comedy, Bottoms has much to offer: well-played comedy, over-the-top antics, and underdogs to root for. But those in the market for something fresh will be even more rewarded, as the film flips the script on a well-worn genre. Deservedly so, because anyone who’s been an awkward teen girl
The Best College-Set Binge Watches
Ah, college. That time in our life when we can sleep until noon, stumble to class in pajamas, and stay up until 2am watching weird art films. Often a period of continued adolescence, college is typically when people start to discover who they truly are and make some truly regrettable choices. In honor of all
One Piece
A richly imaginative and immersive live-action adaptation that both first-time anime viewers and hardcore fans will appreciate, One Piece brings to vivid life a timeless masterpiece, transporting its vast and complex pirate-centric universe into the future.
Stephen Curry: Underrated
An uplifting underdog story that has been trending as far away as the Phillippines, Stephen Curry: Underrated is a documentary about resilience, second chances, rising above adversities, and building a strong support system — something many of us could use right now.
Take a Vicarious Vacation: Binge Watches That Will Transport You
Any other year, we’d be wheels up by now, escaping the pressures and routines of daily life with that long-awaited holiday break trip. This year? Our best bet is a transporting TV series or movie that can take us away…and drop us into an exotic, far away world. We tapped the Watercooler’s recommendation engine and
Best of 2020: The Algo-Driven Holiday Movies
Does it feel like 2020’s holiday movies were created by an algorithm? That’s because they were. We got our hands on the holiday movie generator and here’s the slate it spit out.
The Favorite Shows of 2020…and Gift Ideas for Fans
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Watercooler recommendations of the year and paired them with gift ideas that ought to please any fan.
Promising Young Woman
The surprise Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay, Promising Young Woman challenges assumptions as it upends our expectations.
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
Whether you’re looking for decorating or recipe ideas, or just want to bask in the joy of the creative process, these holiday specials absolutely hit the spot.
I’m Your Woman
An intriguing if slow-moving take on the noir crime drama that focuses on the outlaw’s wife. Starring Rachel Brosnahan.
The Prom
Adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway musical and directed by Ryan Murphy, this all-star crowdpleaser aims to fill that giant live theater hole in your holiday heart.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
A sweet, fun, magical musical fairy tale that deserves to become a new holiday classic.
Holiday Musicals for Your Living Room
Nothing can compare to live theater electrified by dancing, singing performers who can make music soar to the rafters. Theater productions are a holiday tradition that will be sorely missed by many this year. But there’s some good news: for the first time, several of the most in-demand holiday productions can be watched on a