DRAMA

WeCrashed

The central question in WeCrashed is whether Adam and Rebekah Nuemann are dreamers or schemers. Adam is a lifelong entrepreneur whose sales superpowers were unlocked by Rebekah’s life-coaching. Together they built WeWork, a firm specializing in cool co-working spaces. The series manages to stay interesting to the end by focusing on the dynamics of their relationship and their shared desire for fame, wealth, and community.

The Dropout

Elizabeth Holmes worshipped the celebrity founders of Silicon Valley. That worship included wearing Steve Job’s famous black turtleneck, dropping out of Stanford, and the need to mythologize herself and her company. The co-dependent relationship between Holmes and Sunny Balwani is explored in detail as well as the damage caused to investors, patients, and family who bought into the PR campaign that was Theranos. Story is stretched thin at points, but it’s worth a watch.

Ozark

The final season falls a bit flat, but everything leading up to it is entertaining. Jason Bateman plays an every-man who is forced to launder money for the cartel to protect his family. Featuring a star-making performance from Julia Garner as the tragic anti-hero Ruth Langmore. Breaking Bad meets Arrested Development.

The North Water

A quality BBC historical fiction limited series set in the twilight of the whale trade. The ship’s officers are colluding with the ship’s owner to sink it for an insurance payout, but the voyage goes awry. Colin Farrell was born to play villains, and his performance as the primal Henry Drax is better than his well-reviewed turn as Penguin in The Batman.

The Terror / Season 1

A Royal Navy mission to find the northern passage through Canada goes wrong when the vessels are ice-bound in the Arctic Circle. Supernatural horror mixed with historical fiction produces an eerie fable about the hubris of humanity’s drive to establish dominion over every corner of the earth. Companion to The North Water.

Better Call Saul

In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman is a fast-talking, sleazy lawyer who works for the cartel. Better Call Saul tells his origin story as well as the post-BB conclusion. He is a born hustler who loves the thrill of the con, but there is always a shred of hope that he will come good. That tension simmers in his most important relationships and adds depth to a character that was often comic relief in BB.

Black Bird

Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser deliver jailhouse cat-and-mouse performances based on a true story about a drug dealer offered a “get out of jail free” card if he can get a confession out of a suspected serial killer before his imminent release. It’s a character study disguised as true crime which elevates the material beyond salacious details.

The English

The English is a revenge tale that begins in media res and gradually connects disparate timelines and locations over the course of 6 episodes. Cinematography takes advantage of the wild beauty of America and is frequently stunning. Emily Blount and Chaske Spencer lead an excellent cast through a story that represents the best of historical fiction.

The Staircase

The character of Michael Peterson becomes the primary evidence against him in the criminal trial brought against him for the murder of his wife, Kathleen, and is presented in both the documentary (2018) and the limited series (2022). The documentary leans toward Michael’s innocence. The scripted series spans a wide range of time before and after the incident. It reveals more about the damage Michael’s narcissistic actions (whether he is a murderer or not) throughout his life have on his relationships (especially with his children).

The Duke

Jim Broadbent plays a well-meaning social activist who takes issue with government spending money on a rich man’s painting instead of on the poor. His wife, played by Helen Mirren, isn’t always thrilled with her raconteur of a husband, but she stands by his side through family and political drama. A classic feel-good film about a cheeky old codger who nicks a painting to prove a point.

Emily the Criminal

A few unlucky turns (and a criminal record) keep Emily the art school dropout from securing gainful employment in NYC, so she gradually comes to believe that crime alone can pay off her student loans. Contains a realistic portrayal of a "dummy shopper” crime ring that uses stolen credit cards to purchase merchandise.

FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Severance

A thought experiment in what might happen if work/life balance was enforced by a chip implanted in the brain. “Severed” workers don’t remember anything that happens on the job — leaving them free to live their best life. The sinister elements creep into the story slowly, with the strangeness of Lumon rivaling the mysterious Dharma Initiative from Lost.

Westworld / Season 1

Now that four seasons have come and gone, it’s clear that the law of diminishing returns is in effect. Season one is an intricately crafted story with great characters and slowly-revealed worldbuilding. It has earned a place among the finest seasons of television ever produced, but the writers were never able to recapture the original magic.

House of the Dragon

Seven hells, this is a great show. House of the Dragon is a smoldering, time-jumping triumph. They pulled off three time jumps that required some characters to be cast four times. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did thanks to anchoring performances by Paddy Considine as King Viserys I and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon. The titular dragons are always welcome on-screen but aren’t the main attraction. Without dragons, HotD could be mistaken for a season of The Crown set during the Anarchy period of England (which served as a primary source of inspiration).

Stranger Things

Fantastic, nostalgic fun for the whole family. Stranger Things constantly references the ’80s, including Dungeons and Dragons, the mall, Cold War Russia, and heavy metal. It feels like an 80’s movie mashup at times, but it is more than the sum of its parts. The actors are all great, comedy is present throughout, and it is sometimes genuinely scary. At its heart, it is about standing by your friends to prevent the world’s end.

The Rings of Power

Widely criticized by Tolkien purists before release, it did enough to sway open-minded fans. The production values are extremely high. Costumes, sets, and effects are top-notch. At a cost of one million dollars a minute, everything looks incredible. The script, direction, and editing are uneven. Sometimes great, sometimes aimless. Morfydd Clark headlines a good cast with her nuanced portrayal of Galadriel. Overall, RoP does enough to warrant interest in a second season.

The Resort

Bittersweet sci-fi mystery that explores love, loss, and mental health.

DOCUMENTARY

The Way Down / Season 1

The Way Down is an expose on an minor evangelical celebrity who used calorie-counting and weight loss to control her followers. She was originally a Christian health guru whose “Weigh Down Workshop” connected over-eating to sin. Her business morphed into a church where she ruled with absolute power from her mansion. The series features a number of personal tragedies that resulted from her warped teachings. Season 2 doesn’t add anything significant and can be ignored.

Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship

One of the most powerful documentaries I’ve ever seen. Witness the descendants of the people carried to America on this vessel view it with their own eyes and talk about what it means to them.

Super Greed

Sixteen of the top European soccer teams tried to break away from their national leagues and form a “super league” to bring themselves more revenue at the expense of the rest of the football pyramid. Good for a few owners, bad for the game. Fan protests caused many teams to back out, but the dream is still alive for the most greedy (and indebted) owners.

Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard

Investigative journalists are the star of this show. They brought down a money-laundering house of cards that some hoped would become Germany’s answer to American Big Tech firms. Most people were happy to see the stock price rise and never bothered to fact-check Wirecard’s financial statements.

FIFA Uncovered

Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup was won through bribery (proven by the DOJ in court), but this is nothing new. Beginning in 1978 with the awarding of the World Cup to Argentina’s military dictatorship, the World Cup has been awarded by FIFA to the highest bidder, and the highest bidder is often a unjust state with an image problem. FIFA officials see soccer as a business, and bribes are a core revenue stream.

Surprises

Bullet Train

Bullet Train is a fun action-comedy with a thin plot to connect the gags and set pieces. Don’t believe Rotten Tomatoes, it’s fresh!

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

A musical adaptation of a 60-year-old children’s book has no right to be this good. Hits all the right notes.

Apr 28 pop/22\rex