Awards Contenders
Watercooler contributors sift out the movies and series worthy of Oscar, Emmy, or Golden Globe attention.
Watercooler Picks: Film
The Holdovers
A cross-generation watch that delivers a breath of fresh air to the holiday movie season, The Holdovers will tug at your heartstrings as it wrestles with deeper themes — ultimately nurturing hope.
Killers of the Flower Moon
An epic historical drama about an unsettling chapter in American history, Killers of the Flower Moon presents a captivating narrative with exceptional performances that keep you engaged throughout its three and a half hour duration. You’ll be hearing about this one throughout the awards season.
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.
Oppenheimer
A biopic of epic proportions, Oppenheimer is chock full of explosive blasts and guilty conscience. Flawless acting performances and artistic finesse make it a visual treat, while its relentless nature and powerful sense of injustice burn an image in your soul that doesn’t quite fade after leaving the theater.
The Magician’s Elephant
An uplifting family movie night film, The Magician’s Elephant is a richly animated adventure tale about the search for family, belonging and hope.
Aftersun
A deeply felt, slow-burning indie film about a 30-something woman looking back on her last vacation with her father 20 years earlier, it’s a work that’s true impact sneaks up on you after the credits roll.
Triangle of Sadness
With so many awards-caliber movies taking us into very dark places, Triangle of Sadness brings laughter and sunshine to its biting indictment of influencers, wealth and class divides. Stick around for the third act.
Decision to Leave
A romantic Korean noir from legendary director Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave captivates as much for the chemistry between its detective and suspect as for the shocking psychological mystery that unfolds.
Causeway
After a traumatic brain injury, a US soldier (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts memory loss, PTSD, and her family as she finds an unlikely comrade on her path to recovery.
Watercooler Picks: Series
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.
Fleishman is in Trouble
A smartly-written, often funny marriage drama, Fleishman is in Trouble will resonate with its honest, sometimes brutal, sometimes subtle portrayal of the ways that a connection can break down.
Black Bird
One of the best dramas of 2022, the Golden Globe-nominated Black Bird rises above other true crime shows as a psychological drama that peels away the layers to get to the moral questions beneath.
