Taiwo Shobajo
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is a wildly imaginative take on the superhero genre, but it works mainly because of the strong characters and dysfunctional family at its core.
Rutherford Falls
Rutherford Falls is a clever and sweet satire similar to Michael Schur’s other half-hour comedies. Like Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, it’s surprisingly deep and deserves just as much attention.
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.
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.
We are Lady Parts
This is a funny, endearing, fresh show that demonstrates what proper representation looks like.
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.
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.
Black-ish: “The Juneteenth Episode”
In 30 comedic minutes, this special “Juneteenth” episode manages to give insight into the end of slavery in the United States—the date it actually ended, how it was ended, and what happened after it did.
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.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Is it technically a silly stoner comedy from the early 2000s? Yes. But it’s also about the struggles of being young, what it means to “figure things out,” and how you should exit your comfort zone to embrace both youth and maturity.
Fruitvale Station
Based on a true story, the film is a poignant and powerful snapshot of a life interrupted, cut brutally short without warning.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
This series that goes behind the headlines to get to the raw truths about what happened to 16-year-old Kalief Browder, who ended up in Rikers for three years for allegedly stealing a backpack.
The North Pole
A metaphor for the effects of gentrification, complete with endangered native “species”—the human population.
Kingdom
Packed with horror, action and gore, not to mention a deeper exploration of political game. Season 2’s story focuses on the power struggles amid an epidemic.
Little Fires Everywhere
A series full of powerful lines and dramatic turns that would give the cast of Desperate Housewives a run for their money.