Melissa Roth

Melissa Roth has written for Rolling Stone, VanityFair.com, Marie Claire, and The Washington Post, among other outlets.
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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sex and Lucía

A cinephile’s choice for a Netflix and Chill night, Sex and Lucia is a steamy 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.

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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.

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Origin Story: How Friends Became the Ultimate Watercooler Hit

After a year-long delay due to the pandemic, the much-anticipated Friends Reunion Special finally has a “stream date”:  Thursday, May 27th, a tribute to its original “Must-See TV” night.  The big event has already driven legions of fans sign up for HBOMax, turning the service into “Must Stream TV.” David Janollari was a young development

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I May Destroy You

An addictive, provocative, Emmy-nominated limited series that challenges how we think and feel about our own relationships – romantic, platonic, and professional. Creator and star Michaela Coel captivates.

Melissa Roth

Melissa Roth has written for Rolling Stone, VanityFair.com, Marie Claire, and The Washington Post, among other outlets.
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Cha Cha Real Smooth

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a sweet, intimate antidote to all the noisy summer blockbusters out there. Filmmaker Cooper Raiff proves he’s someone to keep a close eye on.

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The 10 Best Episodes of Love, Death + Robots

Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death + Robots includes so many worthwhile episodes, but these 10 are a great place to start.

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We are Lady Parts

This is a funny, endearing, fresh show that demonstrates what proper representation looks like.

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Why I’m Watching Ms. Marvel and You Should Too

Ms. Marvel delivers the representation Muslims finally deserve. And you don’t have to be Muslim to appreciate it.

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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.

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Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel is a fun and joyful teen superhero series that plays close to the comics and other cinematic influences, but ultimately follows its own path.

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Everything You Need to Know Before Jurassic World: Domination

With Jurassic World: Dominion hitting theaters soon, we’ve got to wonder why no one ever learns the lessons of the previous films.

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The Boys

The Boys has shock value, action, and gore, but also peels back the layers of its characters, making even the super-humans seem more human.

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Welcome to Plathville

Welcome to Plathville is a riveting microcosm of the cultural divisions in this country, within the structure of one dysfunctional family.

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The Big Door Prize

A quirky and sweet comedy that also doubles as a 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.

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Movies to Watch After a Breakup

They say two things in life are inevitable: death and taxes. I argue that there is a third inevitability: the breakup. No matter how you protect your heart, if you care for someone you will have your heart broken in time. It doesn’t matter if you are the one ending the relationship or not, the

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Succession S4

Come to Succession for the palace intrigue, stay for the relevance of watching the top one percent plot, scheme, and masterfully insult each other as they face the same fears of obsolescence as the rest of us.

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How to Jump in to Yellowjackets (Season 2)

Trying to understand all the buzz around Yellowjackets? The Watercooler created a guide to help you figure out why it’s captured such a following and how to catch-up before Season 2.

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Lucky Hank

An antidote to the darker worlds currently trending across the streamers, Lucky Hank also delivers a refreshingly new Bob Odenkirk character, a guy whose meltdown might just deliver your own much-needed catharsis — leaving you laughing and pondering and lingering to see what comes next.

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Predictions for Succession‘s 4th Season? A Look at the Real Life Inspirations

As the fourth and final season of HBO’s Emmy-winning juggernaut promises to stir up several months of media and social buzz, casual viewers might find themselves scratching their heads, mystified at all the attention the scripted series earns against the backdrop of far more urgent news stories. But the show’s jolting clash of send-up, family

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Extrapolations

An urgent, provocative, all-star sci-fi series that imagines a near future impacted by climate change, Extrapolations will grab your attention and make you think — while ultimately prompting you to act.  

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The Glory

An often-riveting South Korean revenge thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, The Glory is also a thoughtful meditation on power, wealth, and the rigid hierarchies that make school bullying systemic — all around the world.

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What’s New to Watch?

As we recover from the Oscars, it’s a ripe time to re-up on some fresh content. This weekend is jam-packed with new series premieres, and if you’re not too busy with Ted Lasso’s return, we’ve got four new shows ranging from raunchy animation to sobering thinkpiece to vie for your attention this weekend.   Agent Elvis

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