I have been having a hard time with shows recently. The Netflix, Prime, Hotstar algorithms have become a bit too tuned to my tastes - with the result that every show or movie seems to be more of the same thing.
But recently got some really nice recommendations from friends and social media, which have worked out well for me. So, sharing here, in case you are also in a bit of a viewing rut.
Set in rural Philadelphia, Mare (Kate Winslet) is a police detective battling her personal demons while trying to find the murderer of a teen girl.
This was not a show that was on my radar. I feel pretty burnt out from murder mysteries, but everyone I knew was raving about Kate's acting, and everyone is right. She is magnificent.
The show tackles generational depression, drug dependency, suicide, and biting, desperate economic hardship alongside the more usual thematic dose of missing/dead girl. So, yes, it is not a happy watch. But, this is a show whose very drabness is riveting. The superbly plotted story, the characters, setting, and acting make this a must-watch show.
This show is a perfect blend of everything I was in the mood for recently. It's a show about rich people enjoying a luxury vacation in Hawaii's fancy White Lotus resort. In the very first few minutes, you come to know there is a murder. But who is murdered and why? The rest of the show (just 6 episodes) is a flashback of their vacation building up to the murder.
What I like about the show is the blend of luxury, glamour, and suspense. It was also the perfect antidote after the gritty Mare of Easttown.
I also really like that The White Lotus touches on many serious subjects but not in a preachy way. You can take this show as light escapism or delve deeper into some themes (white privilege, money privilege, and more).
Overall, a fantastic show that I recommend highly to all and sundry!
After a long, long time, I have found something I love on Netflix. I started watching Clickbait a couple of days ago, and if I have to find one word to describe it, it is addictive.
Unlike Mare of Easttown and The White Lotus, which start slow, Clickbait is addictive from the get-go.
The story chronicles the life of Nick Brewer (Adrian Grenier), who is kidnapped. Afterward, his sister Pia (Zoe Kazan) and wife Sophie (Betty Gabriel) desperately try to find him. After being kidnapped, Brewer appears in a viral video on the internet, holding a sign saying I abuse women. With five million views, I die.
The series has 8 episodes, focusing on a character to assemble the big puzzle of what happened to Nick Brewer.
This is the first series I have watched that actually covers big ideas about the internet - catfishing, cancel culture, surveillance, etc., in a way that made sense. That said, this is not a serious show. It's literally Clickbait; you will binge-watch it madly, but you aren't going to remember it as an all-time classic or anything. In fact, you may barely remember the plot.
And that's ok. It entertained me for the time I watched it, and that's good enough for me.
Have you been watching any shows/movies recently? Which ones resonated with you?
