What to Watch
Kid Cudi's new romcom arrives on Netflix, Schitt's Creek leaves, 👻 stories, and more
Hi friends,
And goodbye September. If you’re the type of person to celebrate Halloween as a month-long event, for you I included new-ish scary titles in this week’s top picks. It’s not my favorite genre to watch, but I am resolving to change that this year, so expect to see more horror in the next few weeks.Â
I hope you have a nice weekend!
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
The Empress
On Netflix 🌟rating: 7.7/10
The Empress, about the eccentric and headstrong Empress Elisabeth of Austria, is new on Netflix. Likened to The Crown, the 19th-century period piece is visually stunning and often solemn, but it’s also packed with enough politicking and raciness to keep it simmering with classic filmic drama.
I admittedly did not know much about Elisabeth before this, but now that I do, I get why she’s so often portrayed in the media—her unconventional upbringing and favor for the disenfranchised are what warmed her to people then and what warms her to audiences now. This year alone, she’s the subject matter of a Netflix series and a critically acclaimed film (Corsage) starring Vicky Krieps.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Entergalactic
New on Netflix 🌟 rating: 8.1/10
Entergalactic, a vibrant animated romcom from the mind of musician Kid Cudi, follows new neighbors Jabari (Cudi) and Meadow (Jessica Williams) as they navigate their way through the ups and downs of modern love. They’re both established artists at the height of their careers, but when it comes to romance, they’re still scraping for lessons, which they mostly get from equally clueless but funny friends.
Featuring songs from Cudi’s latest record of the same name, Entergalactic doubles as a visual album that comes to life with every beat and movement. It also stars many familiar names, among them Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Hudgens, Ty Dolla $ign, Jaden Smith, and Macaulay Culkin.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
To kick off Halloween month, we highly recommend watching The Innocents, a Norweigan thriller that follows four kids who discover they have supernatural powers over the summer. They play around and experiment in the woods nearby,
but what begins as harmless fun quickly develops into something much more disturbing and sinister. The film is directed by Eskil Vogt, co-writer of critically-acclaimed films like Thelma and The Worst Person in the World. Streaming on Shudder.
Another season-appropriate title that comes highly recommended is Ghosts—the BBC original, not the CBS remake, don’t worry! The latest season of the hit TV series premiered last week, and it’s every bit as funny and original and engaging. Ghosts follows a young couple as they remake an old mansion into a modern B&B, only to find out that the house is haunted by ghosts from many eras past. Streaming on HBO Max.
New titles worth your time
Thai Cave Rescue, a limited series about the soccer team trapped in a deadly cave, and The Girls at the Back, a Spanish series about thirtysomething friends who go on a holiday after learning about their friend’s diagnosis, are both new and worth checking out on Netflix.
Meanwhile, the gripping Danish film The Hunt is new on Amazon Prime. It stars Mads Mikkelsen as a teacher who is ostracized in his community after being wrongly accused of assault. Also new is September Mornings, a Brazilian slice-of-life drama about a transwoman starting a new life in São Paulo.
Great titles that will soon expire
All six seasons of Schitt's Creek will be leaving Netflix on October 2. The beloved sitcom is moving to its new home, Hulu, the next day. This would also be your last chance to watch the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary RBG on Netflix.
Over at Amazon Prime, The Virgin Suicides, Zodiac, Jacob's Ladder, and Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst are all leaving on the same day, October 2.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, October 7.
Till then,
Renee