Welcome to 'What to Watch', a handcrafted steaming guide for Netflix and Amazon Prime. This issue of our subscriber-only Friday e-mail is exceptionally public. To receive an e-mail like this one every Friday, as well as a mid-week recommendation every Wednesday, make sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet.
Friends,
This week’s top TV show pick, Occupied, is another excellent recommendation from our Facebook Group. I want to say thank you to Sarah who initially suggested it.
The top movie pick was also mentioned in the group when it was nominated for an Oscar earlier this week. It’s one of the most difficult movies that I have watched in a long time; it’s so intimate that it feels like a completely new way of documentary filmmaking.
Both suggestions come highly recommended from myself and the group.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
For Sama
Now on Amazon Prime.
This story of a filmmaker who stayed in Aleppo, Syria during the war, got married then had a child called Sama, is a mix of difficult and inspiring.
There are stories of unsurmountable loss, as the filmmaker’s husband is one of the 30 remaining doctors in Aleppo (a city of almost 5 million), and she films many of the victims that come to his hospital. But while this is happening, there are also uplifting stories of resilience and rare but profound moments of laughter and joy.
We’re growing too sensitized to violence in Syria, and this movie, possibly the most intimate account of the war, can stir back a much-needed awareness of the injustices that take place.
When things get really bad in the documentary, it’s hard not to wonder where the humanity is in all of this. You quickly realize that it’s right there, behind the camera, in Sama and her mother’s will to live.
📰 Giving it a 5/5 rating, The Guadian said: “Profoundly moving and unignorable, whether as proof of Assad's barbarism, or the unfailing ability of this world - and its most engaged cinema - to break your heart and sear your soul.”
📺 on Amazon Prime U.S. and select other geographies; 🍅 rating: 99%
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Occupied
New on Netflix this month.
An extremely bingeable and thrilling Norwegian TV show about a world in which Norway decided to stop its oil production to fight climate change. Russia, with support from the EU, occupies Norway.
This scenario might seem far-fetched at first, but watching Occupied I wondered how there is a future in which it doesn't happen (I'm sure there is, I just don't want you to think this show is not realistic).
At the center of the story is the police department, who, just like in most occupations, have the difficult position of protecting both their population and the invaders. There are personal stories and geopolitical dynamics, all intersecting to make for a deeply engaging series.
📰 Calling it “the climate-crisis thriller you should be watching”, Vogue said: “This is a show that understands that we are marching toward a tipping point, and by the climactic end of the season a desperate, riven country is demanding that the world change its path at any cost.”
📺 on Netflix everywhere; 🍅 rating: - not yet available
Readers’ top picks
Our top movie pick from last week, The World Before Your Feet on Amazon Prime, is our readers’ favorite movie this week. It’s about a man who tries to walk every street in New York City, a journey as long as the diameter of the planet.
Kim’s Convenience, the fantastic Canadian sitcom on Netflix, gets our readers’ award this week. It’s about a Korean-Canadian family man who runs a convenience store in Toronto.
New titles worth your time
Sex Education, the excellent Netflix/BBC TV show, comes back for a much-anticipated second season today. If you haven’t watched season 1 yet, now is the time. It’s a funny and loveable coming-of-age story that yes, is about sex and relationships (what coming-of-age story isn’t?), but is also so much more than that. The best characters might be the parents, one of whom played by Gillian Anderson.
And the hip-hop history docuseries Hip-Hop Evolution comes back for season four today.
The fantastic comedy/drama The Skeleton Twins with Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig (as brother and sister) is new on Amazon Prime today. It’s about the two siblings’ relationship after one of them tries to commit suicide, but don’t let that scare you away: this movie is so, so heartwarming.
Russel Peters premieres a comedy special on Amazon Prime today called Deported. And so does Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), his is called Jackie.
Great titles that will soon expire
No notable titles expiring from Netflix this middle of the month.
From Short Term 12 director, Destin Daniel Cretton, The Glass Castle is an enjoyable drama set to leave Amazon Prime this Wednesday, January 22nd. It stars Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.
The Newsflash: So, what exactly happened with the Oscar nominations?
This year’s Oscar nominations were something to celebrate for some and one more cultural disaster for others. Who’s right?
On the more positive side, film historian Peter Labuza tweeted:
“Honestly there are four genuinely good movies nominated for a Best Picture, that’s a record in my book since the 1970s.”
On the more negative, three celebrated critics co-wrote this excellent article/conversation on Vulture titled The Oscars? Still So White.
At the heart of the criticism are the 11 nominations for Joker, the lack of female directors, and the lack of actors of color.
And at the center of the praise, and why the #oscarssowhite hashtag didn’t trend this year, are the nominations for Parasite. Six nominations. Plus, one nomination for an actor of color, an awkward move to many including Daily Show host Trevor Noah who noted the tendency of the Academy to praise stereotypical roles:
“Congratulations to Cynthia Erivo, that’s exciting. Although, it is kind of predictable that it was for playing a slave. And I’m not saying she didn’t deserve it, but just imagine if every white actor that was nominated got it for playing a supervisor at Whole Foods. White people, you’re more than just that!”
And if you pay close attention, even the nominations for Parasite are problematic. What Parasite was nominated for and what it wasn’t should have been more disheartening.
And if this feels like an isolated incident, consider this: historically, more white actresses have won Oscars portraying Asian characters (through ‘yellowface’) than actual Asian actresses, as this History.com feature shows.
Film critic Justin Chang writes:
E. Alex Jung recently noted, “There’s an old prejudice at work here that sees Asian people as technical workers — hence the praise for Bong Joon Ho [director of Parasite] — and refuses to see us as fully human.” The oversight feels especially glaring if you come away from “Parasite” convinced, as I was, that it features some of the best individual performances — and the single most dazzling, nuanced and sustained feat of collaborative acting — in any movie last year.
No actors were nominated for Parasite. His article, titled “‘Parasite’ was one of the best-acted movies of 2019. Why didn’t the Oscars recognize that?” goes to great detail in proving the unrecognized mastery of Parasite actors, especially of Song Kang Ho and Cho Yeo Jeong.
And another glaring dismissal from the acting nominations is Awkwafina for The Farewell, who recently won a Golden Globe for that role.
So the Oscars, despite their recent shake-up in membership rules, are still deeply flawed. And as long as they remain the most distinguished awards a film can receive, the negative impact of this edition’s omissions, like all the others before it, will continue to be felt.
That’s it for this week, I hope there is something in there for you.
The next edition will be in your inbox on Friday, January 24th.
Until then,
Bilal Zou, founder [bilal@agoodmovietowatch.com]
Carried with the support of the Creative Europe Program – MEDIA.