What to Watch
Donald Glover’s newest series on Prime
Dear friends,
These are our top things to watch this weekend. There’s something to disturb (Swarm) and to delight (new episodes of Ted Lasso). There’s even a charming children’s movie to distract the young ones, if you need it.
As always, I hope you have a nice weekend!
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Swarm
New on Amazon Prime 🍅 rating: 83%
Created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover (Atlanta), Swarm is a dark and bloody deep dive into fan culture. It follows Dre (Dominique Fishback), a young woman whose obsession with a Beyoncé stand-in takes a dark turn after the unexpected death of a loved one.
Artful, daring, and legitimately scary, Swarm is one of the bolder shows to come to streaming in a while. It doesn’t hold back, not with the commentary nor with the blood, which can be too much for some viewers, but if you were thrilled by films like Misery and The King of Comedy, then this latest take on celebrity mania will certainly have you hooked.
All seven episodes of this miniseries are out now.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
The Magician’s Elephant
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: 65%
Based on the best-selling kids’ novel by Kate DiCamillo (the scribe behind such titles as The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie), The Magician’s Elephant is the story of a boy in search of a long-lost sister. After a fortune-teller tells him “to follow the elephant,” he embarks on a hero’s journey filled with impossible tasks, all in the hope that he might be reunited with family once more.
The message—never give up—is simple but timeless, while the animation forgoes flashy movements for something more restrained and elegant. While it could use a bit more flair to live up to its title, The Magician’s Elephant is nonetheless a charming film to watch with kids.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
Ted Lasso, the award-winning comedy that won over audiences with its goodwill and heart, is back with a third (and rumored last) season. American coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is still using kindness to whip his football club into shape, but this time around, he’s plagued by a persistent, existential question: what is he still doing in the UK? The show itself takes on a more somber tone, but Lasso’s signature cheeriness still uplifts it into something heartwarmingly good. The first episode of season 3 is streaming on Apple TV+.
This Place Rules is a documentary that charts the events leading to the January 6 Capitol attack. Hosted by Andrew Callaghan, it’s a revealing look at just how divisive America has become as Callaghan focuses on both extremes of the political spectrum. Streaming on HBO Max.
New titles worth your time
Season 2 of the hit fantasy series Shadow and Bone is new on Netflix. The first season of the show garnered widespread acclaim for its meticulous but impressive world-building.
New and not to be missed on Amazon Prime is the enchanting Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, which stars Lesley Manville as a cleaning lady who travels to Paris to get the dress of her dreams. It’s like Cinderella meets The Devil Wears Prada; an utterly delightful modern fairy tale.
Other noteworthy arrivals on Prime are Class of ‘07, a hilarious series about a high school reunion gone wrong, and June Again, a bittersweet drama that follows a woman temporarily healed from dementia (interestingly, both titles are from Australia).
Great titles that will soon expire
On Netflix, the brilliant thriller Croupier expires on March 25. It stars Clive Owen as an out-of-luck writer who manages a gambling table for extra cash.
Lastly, on Prime, the documentary The Queen of Versailles leaves March 20; it’s an interesting and scathing look at how an absurdly wealthy couple managed to stay afloat amid the 2008 economic crisis.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, March 24
Till then,
Renee