What to Watch
A playful thriller about the surprisingly political origins of Tetris and more
Hi friends,
These here are our top picks for the weekend. The list includes an apocalyptic show about female friendship (a new favorite) and a political thriller about…Tetris (an unexpectedly enjoyable watch). Enjoy!
P.S. I will be out next Friday so please expect the next free letter on the 14th, not the 7th. But the premium letter is still set to go on Wednesday, so if you want to stay updated on the best of the best on streaming, you can click this button right here and subscribe. 🫶🏻
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Class of ‘07
On Amazon Prime 🍅 rating: 100%
Imagine if Showtime’s survival epic Yellowjackets was a comedy, and being stranded with your high school friends resulted not only in major ethical and moral dilemmas but a lot of witty banter and major bonding as well.
Then you’d have something like Class of ‘07, an apocalyptic series with the irreverent humor of a lot of millennial shows these days. The Australian series follows a group of former classmates who must stick with each other to survive a massive flood, and it’s every bit as addictive and funny and deep as you’d hope.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Reggie
On Amazon Prime 🍅 rating: 100%
Baseball legend Reggie Jackson tells his story in his own words in Reggie, a documentary that tracks his career in the context of the incessant racism he and his fellow Black players in the league had to face for many years.
It’s as much autobiographical as it is historical, with Jackson often speaking about or sitting down with his peers to discuss the highs and lows of baseball. The documentary is fascinating and informative, and perhaps best enjoyed by those who are already fans of the sport.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
🎞️ Tetris, streaming on AppleTV+. Who knew that behind the puzzle game Tetris lies a political thriller of a backstory that is just as fun and challenging as the game itself? Tetris, the movie, tells the story of how American entrepreneur Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) buys the game and fights for its licensing rights, only to find out he’s entered an intercontinental bidding war that involves the KBG and other international bodies, not to mention double agents and political allies. Based on a true story, this is one you’d watch for the intrigue (how the hell does a brick game have this much back story?) but stay for the irresistible urge to see who wins the race.
📺 Yellowjackets Season 2, streaming on Showtime. If you are putting on Class of ‘07 as suggested above, then you might as well check out the latest season of Yellowjackets, which is even more sinister and disturbing and inventive than the previous season. The show picks off where it left off, with parallel storylines that track the all-girls soccer team stranded in the woods on the one hand, and their haunted present selves recalling the past on the other. Yellowjackets make the unthinkable watchable, so if you’re up for some grisly psychological horror this weekend, then this should be on your to-watch list.
New titles worth your time
No noteworthy new titles can be found on Netflix, but on Amazon Prime, you can catch the first seasons of From, a horror series about a mysterious town whose residents are unable to leave the area, and The Killing, a Danish crime series that dives into a different murder mystery each episode.
Great titles that will soon expire
Again, no noteworthy titles on Netflix, but over at Amazon Prime, April 3 is your last chance to see the documentary Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, about the late-night host’s brief break from stardom, and Red Cliff, the Tony Leung-starring epic war drama.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back next, next Friday, April 14th.
Till then,
Renee