Xoan-Carlos Leon

Xoan-Carlos (XC) Leon is a former writer for the Financial Times and currently a UK-based financial editor at a US investment bank. A Film Studies minor, XC has a longstanding interest in European and Latin America film and manages several social media sites specializing on the film of Wes Anderson.
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Industry S1

Industry is a series fueled by greed, drugs, sex, and money, and provides all of these ingredients in Federal Reserve-sized quantities. There’s never a dull moment.

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The French Dispatch

This is the most Andersonian of Wes Anderson’s movies so far, and arguably his most ambitious work to date. You may find yourself craving more and wanting to re-watch it immediately to pick up what you missed amongst the sensory overload.

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A Conversation Guide to Oscars’ Best Picture Contenders

It’s been nearly 30 years since a blockbuster won the big prize at the Academy Awards. The year Titanic won, in 1998, 57 million people tuned in for the awards show. Compare that to the 10.4 million who watched the 2021 ceremony, the year after Covid sunk the theatrical movie business, and you can see

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Lisa Frankenstein

A fresh spin on the campy monster comedy that fully embraces the absurdities of its source material, Lisa Frankenstein subverts familiar tropes and charts its own imaginative path, ultimately moving the genre forward.

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Navalny

In the wake of his death in a Russian prison, Navalny is a timely, tense real life espionage thriller with a call to action.  

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The New Look

A lavish historical drama set in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII, The New Look contrasts the horrors of war with the opulence of post-War French society while underscoring the moral dilemmas faced by the two cultural icons of the time: Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) and Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche). 

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AlRawabi School for Girls

AlRawabi School for Girls is a binge-worthy teen drama that is not only well written, but features a stellar cast of newcomers. While the plot is fairly universal, the insight it offers into Jordanian culture is what makes it stand out.

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A Valentine’s Day Watchlist for Every Mood

The inescapable Valentine’s Day hype creates tumult for many while opening up a whole new  dimension of decision paralysis: What, exactly, to watch? To help you navigate the overwhelm of new releases and resurfaced romcoms, our writers sifted out the best movies and TV series to watch based on your mood and status. Transport Me

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Killers of the Flower Moon Stars on the Film’s Resonance Today

In a Watercooler interview, two stars of the Killers of the Flower Moon share how they connected with their characters, how the film resonates with the issues of today, and which movies shaped them the most growing up.

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Eye-Openers: Oscar’s Best Documentary Contenders

Often overlooked in the sea of awards season glitz, the Academy’s finalists in the Best Documentary category become history’s time capsules. Many of them have also proven to be prophetic, exposing insights and issuing forewarnings from the front lines of urgent issues, from climate change (An Inconvenient Truth) to gun control (Bowling for Columbine) to

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Doctor Slump

Things will likely work out the way it’s supposed to on Doctor Slump, but for a show of this ilk, it’s the journey that’s important and not the destination. For that, it’s a cathartic viewing experience for anyone in a slump – with a few laughs to lighten the mood.

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Transport Me: Holiday Movies from Around the World

If you and your family are getting tired of the same old Christmas stories year after year, why not dig a little deeper and try these picks from around the world?

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From SNL to the Director’s Chair: Kyle Mooney Talks Nostalgia, Freestyle Raps & Y2K

He stood out for hilariously awkward and offbeat SNL characters like the eccentric Bruce Chandling and the painfully relatable Chris Fitzpatrick. Whether parodying cringeworthy YouTube personalities or channeling the overly sincere energy of ’80s public access TV, Kyle Mooney’s knack for finding humor in the bizarre and uncomfortable has always set him apart. Beyond SNL,

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Romance Me: Meet Your Holiday Streaming Date

Single this holiday season? Luck-y you. You’re free to binge – and fall for – all the charming, seductive, irresistible protagonists across the streamers. Check out these holiday-themed stories for starters.

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The Holdovers

A cross-generation comedy drama that’s earned five Academy Award nominations, The Holdovers will tug at your heartstrings as it wrestles with themes of grief and loneliness, and it will ultimately nurture hope.

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Dune: Part Two

A mesmerizing immersive experience, Dune: Part Two is a film you won’t quickly forget. From the collective talents of its high wattage ensemble cast to the stunning cinematography, costumes and sound design, its a blockbuster that will stimulate all the senses along with your emotions.

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What to Watch (and Avoid) with Friends and Family over Thanksgiving

What to watch – and what to skip – if you’re spending Thanksgiving with kids, teenagers, older generations, or all of them under one roof? Your 2022 Watercooler Guide to holiday movies.

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Tokyo Vice

On one level, Tokyo Vice is the story of one man’s kamikaze mission to bring down the Yakuza. But it’s also a mesmerizing noir drama that unfolds into a tense thriller — and ultimately serves as an important reminder that freedom of the press is worth fighting for.

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Awards Season Catchup: A Watercooler Guide to Shōgun

An immersive must-watch embraced by critics, the new Shōgun brings a new perspective on the epic historical drama about the battle between East and West in 17th century Japan.

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What the Netflix Hit The Diplomat Can Teach Us All

In the midst of all the hype about a dating show (Love is Blind) and a dark, LA-set comedy (Beef), a complex political drama that requires undivided attention rose to the top of the Netflix chart in 2023.  At its core, The Diplomat is a series about bureaucratic machinations, yet the show ups the ante

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