4 Netflix recs and changes to the newsletter during quarantine
2 movies and 2 shows in one of many exceptional emails to come
Friends,
As we all spend more time in our homes, the need for finding what to watch is ever more persistent. This is why, unless many of you object, we’ve decided to do two things:
1- The premium newsletter is free for everyone for the coming weeks. If you choose to, you can still become a premium subscriber to help us cover our costs.
2- Instead of just two weekly emails, you might hear more often from me, like in this e-mail. The format of the mid-week email and Friday email will be maintained, but you’ll get more recommendations on other days.
As we physically distance ourselves from each other, we can virtually get closer. I hope these recommendations will help keep you engaged in your daily lives and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time, even if it’s just to say hi.
2 movies and 2 shows, all streaming on Netflix everywhere except for Tinker Tailor.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
New on Netflix U.S. this week. 🍅 rating: 83%.
This slow-burning spy thriller is set within the British intelligence service during the height of the Cold War.
It’s a complex drama starring Tom Hardy and many others but led by Gary Oldman in a great understated performance. As a high level agent brought out of retirement to ferret out a mole within the MI5, he exudes intensity and intellect with unerring precision. The story itself is complicated and yet highly engaging.
My Happy Family
Now on Netflix, in Georgian. 🍅 rating: 100%.
This movie is a dramatic masterpiece and a tribute to loving middle-aged women everywhere. It is unparalleled in the way it portrays its characters and the subtlety with which it tells their stories.
The events are centered around a 52-year-old Georgian woman who decides to leave her family home and live alone without much of a notice. She trades chaos and domestic disputes for solitude, and the prospect of sad old age for an opportunity to build a new life for herself.
Elite
Season three was added to Netflix this week, in Spanish. 🍅 rating: 94%.
Three kids from a poor neighborhood win scholarships to the best high-school in Spain and later find themselves at the center of a murder. There is a lot that comes to the surface from the working-class kids clashing with the wealthy. Themes of money, power, religion, and even sexuality make this show so compelling that I never felt like I needed a murder to keep watching.
Ugly Delicious
Season two was added to Netflix earlier this month. 🍅 rating: 100%.
Chef David Chang has both the genius and humility to make whatever food he touches both fascinating and insanely appealing.
Each episode follows a particular dish in the places where it’s made best, but also in the places that it is known for. So, for example, the first episode about pizza goes to Japan to investigate a new pizza in a Michelin-star restaurant but also to Italy and Domino’s.
Chang has almost a dismissive attitude towards the food industry that’s not only refreshing to watch on him but also disarms his guests and sparks interesting conversation. One of the best food shows you can watch.
That’s it for today, I hope one of these is for you.
I want to thank everyone who gave feedback on the “best of the rest” e-mail. Many of you liked it, but many didn’t. After much thought and building on this feedback, I don’t think it will become a recurring separate e-mail.
What might be more useful is thinking of a section in other e-mails that will have recommendations for a few other platforms. I’ll keep you updated on all changes to the format and like always if you see anything that you don’t like (or like), please don’t hesitate to reach out to me: bilal@agoodmovietowatch.com.
Talk tomorrow,
Bilal