what i've been watching lately

a teacher (hulu)

9/10

a teacher-student affair plotline has so many chances to go terribly awry, but i think a teacher really nails it — showing the reality of the consequences and long-term repercussions that result on both sides. both nick robinson and kate mara are absolutely fantastic, giving the nuanced and complex performances that this type of show demands. i, the worst binge-watcher in the world, blew through the 10 episodes in two days.

black bear (on demand/amazon prime)

6/10

okay, so i THINK i liked this but i'm still not quite sure?? i definitely can't stop thinking about it because i didn't really get it, so that's...something. i don't even really know how to describe it without spoilers except to say that it stars christopher abbott (charlie from GIRLS) and aubrey plaza, and it's dark and weird and very meta. i feel like it's what i wanted i'm thinking about ending things to be...almost. the first scene involves a young woman (plaza) who is staying at a couple's (abbott and sarah gadon) rural cabin to work on her screenplay. drama and weirdness ensues. idk. i'd love to discuss with anyone else who's watched it.

pretend it's a city (netflix)

8/10

so basically, fran lebowitz is a national treasure and i want to be her when i grow up. i'd heard her name previously, but it wasn't until i read this great profile of her in the new yorker that i became fascinated. so when i saw that netflix was releasing a docuseries about her, i was so excited to learn more. her dry musings remind me of jerry seinfeld with an edge, and she's lived a fascinating life in new york city (working for andy warhol at interview magazine, hanging with early glam and punk bands like the new york dolls in the '70s). plus, it's just an absolute joy seeing martin scorsese doubled-over with laughter at nearly everything she says, even if it's not THAT funny. i would have loved to delve deeper into her past since a lot of it revolves around her observations about current life in the city, but overall, i loved it. and don't even get me started on the NYT "takedown" piece the other day; just let people enjoy things!

the incredible jessica james (netflix)

6.5/10

i'd been meaning to watch this for like three years and just never got around to it. it was aiight, but i remember it being so hyped up that i guess i expected a little more. and like, i get that the title character is fictional, but her personality was so off-putting and brusque that it became bothersome to me and kept taking me out of the story. it was partially for this reason—along with the total lack of chemistry—that made the romance with chris o'doud (the dude from bridesmaids and jessa's husband on GIRLS) pretty unbelievable. it was unique enough that it kept me watching until the end, though, so it had that going for it.

the ultimate playlist of noise (hulu)

6/10

this one was super-heavy on the cheese, but i feel like most of us could use a little of that right now, eh? even the premise is a bit much: music-loving teenager finds out he has a brain tumor and the subsequent surgery will cause him to lose his hearing permanently, so he sets out on a road trip (with his female love interest, natch) to capture his favorite sounds in the world before he can't enjoy them anymore. i know, you're probably rolling your eyes, but i'll be damned if i wasn't tearing up a bit at the inevitable montage of sounds they recorded. it had major john green vibes and reminded me of paper towns specifically, which i really enjoyed. so if you're into that particular flavor of YA movie, you'll probably dig this one.

the sister (hulu)

5/10

hmmm. this miniseries originally aired in the UK, and i feel like maybe i needed to be british to fully appreciate it. the idea is that a man shows upon the doorstep of his old friend, and threatens to expose something if he doesn't help him out. we slowly find out what that is and the suspense kept me watching for four episodes, but overall, it fell a bit flat for me. it also didn't help that i kept having to rewind because the protagonist kept mumbling on top of his accent and i was like "YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE FROM LONDON AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND A BLOODY WORD!"