what i've been watching lately

i guess i've been on a hulu tear because not a single one of these is on netflix!

stella's last weekend
6.5/10




an entertaining little indie drama. sure, there are some real heavy-handed scenes (the arcade, oof) and alex wolff's character can be way too much at times (nat is great, though!), but stella's last weekend is a lovely update to the "two brothers in love with the same girl" plot—starring actual brothers and their mom!—with some funny dialogue and poignant moments.

high fidelity
8/10



loved it! zoe kravitz was the perfect casting choice to turn the '90s classic on its head and give it a fresh spin in TV form—plus a dose of much-needed girl power. the supporting characters were all fabulous, the music references were solid, and most importantly, the writers did a fantastic job of really nailing the deeply flawed, unlikeable nature of rob's character in the book and movie.

in a relationship
7/10





i tend to gravitate toward these kind of dramatic, romantic indie movies a la peter and vandy, a case of you, in your eyes, and hello i must be going, and in a relationship continued in that tradition. emma roberts and michael angarano, whom i love, star as that couple who has been dating forever but also hate each other and fight all the time and you don't understand while they're still together. meanwhile, matt and willa are just starting to date. a highly relatable, realistic, and modern look at relationships.

little fires everywhere
8/10




full disclosure that i never read the book, but man, the series was insanely captivating and i couldn't wait for the new episode each week. the plot centers on the intersecting lives of two women's families in a small ohio town, both of whom are shady in their own ways, making it hard to know who to trust. and also, it's set in the late-90s so the music is on point.

big time adolescence
7.5/10



it has taken me a while to admit that i have enormous dirtbag crushes on both pete davidson and machine gun kelly; more MGK than pete, but they're both hilarious and attractive in that questionable "late-20s/early 30s stoner you meet at a skatepark" kind of way aka MY KRYPTONITE. but i digress. big time adolescence is a coming-of-age comedy/drama with a pretty unique plot: a teenager bonds with his older sister's boyfriend (played by pete), and their friendship continues even after the two break up. machine gun kelly is pete's best friend, and sex, drugs, and hijinks ensue.

isn't it romantic
7/10




honestly, i enjoyed this way more than i expected to. sometimes, you just need a dumb, silly, feel-good rom-com and this one totally delivers. rebel wilson stars as a down-on-her-luck NYC woman who's always been overlooked by guys she's into...until she gets knocked unconscious in the subway and her life turns into an over-the-top, fantastical romantic comedy—complete with cliches like her stoner neighbor becoming her gay BFF and her apartment being magically updated to a luxurious penthouse (you just have to go with it). it kept me engaged the whole time and the cinematography was so aesthetically pleasing in that dreamy,  disney way. cute!