ππβΆοΈπ» all-new things you can stream this week/weekend
+ how Squid Game creator lost 6 teeth filming season 1
Dear friends,
The filming of season one of Squid Game was so stressful for creator Hwang Dong-hyuk that six of his teeth βfell outβ. When he was asked about a second season he replied βmaybe if Iβm OK with losing more teethβ.
How crazy. I wish you a stress-free weekend.
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
The Billion Dollar Code
New on Netflix π rating: 100%
This new series is based on the true story of a court case between two little-known German entrepreneurs and Google. The two claimed that the idea and source code for Google Earth was stolen from them by the tech giant in the 90s.
The story, slightly fictionized, starts in a Berlin club shortly after the wall fell, where Carsten, the artist, was trying to make videos for clubs that donβt lag; and Juri, part of a hacker group, offers help. Together they have a vision for a product similar to Google Earth/Maps.
Itβs a perfect David and Goliath case, but it also offers something new and relevant: a study of how the ambitions of early tech pioneers, who were once full of ideals and visions for the future, have gotten eviscerated by commercial interests.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
My Name Is Pauli Murray
New today on Amazon Prime. IMDb ratings seem to be the target of trolls π rating: 98%
This documentary is about a pivotal character in U.S. history whose contributions have sadly been neglected: activist, lawyer, poet, and priest Pauli Murray.
Born in 1910, Murray was Black, a feminist, and a non-binary person. She was the target of almost every major discriminatory practice in modern American history. And yet, 15 years before Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, Murray and a friend of hers were arrested in Virginia for the same reason. She then started a civil rights action requesting that segregated seating be considered unconstitutional.
This would start an incredible life of activism and dedication to human rights. And this documentary is a very late but welcomed tribute to the genius of a crucial and unique American civil rights activist.
TOP PICKS OUTSIDE OF NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME
The North Water
On AMC+ π rating: 94%
Colin Farrell (pictured below) is fantastic in this arctic drama miniseries based on a novel by Ian McGuire. Itβs about a sailing expedition in 1859 where one of the sailors is a psychopathic murderer.
TOP PICKS OUTSIDE OF NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME
Jacinta
On Huluπ rating: 100%
This new documentary filmed over three years is about a woman who is incarcerated with her mother at the same facility, both of them suffering from addiction. As she leaves the correctional center, she tries to be present for her own daughter - attempting to break the chain of intergenerational trauma and drug abuse.
ThatβsΒ itΒ forΒ this week, IΒ hope thereβs something in thereΒ forΒ you.
The next edition of this newsletter will be in your inbox Friday, October 15th.
Until then,
Bilal