Notable Streaming: Don't Miss
By Erica and Karen
As we emerge from our cocoons, at least here in the Northeast, we are somewhat less needy and more demanding of our streaming hours. Here are some of the movies and series that have engaged us and our families---and a few notables that failed to capture our attention.
Coda. (Apple TV) Don’t miss it. The story of a family of four but only one, the daughter, can hear. The cast is wonderful, but Emilia Jones as the daughter is brilliant. Let us know if there is a dry eye in the house when the credits roll. We doubt it.
Superpumped. (Showtime) The story of Uber and the brilliance and flaws of its founder Travis Kalanick. Again, the casting is superb and the script is wonderful. We should note that we are not fans of the Elizabeth Holmes biopic library (we are, frankly, bored with her and her story), but we did love the wework documentary and the new series about Adam Neumann with Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway, Wecrashed, looks like it will be a winner, too. The real story of the messianic Neumann is also told in a fascinating documentary Wework: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47Billion Unicorn on Netflix. It’s fun to watch both. Leto and Hathaway are masterful.
There are two older series, both on Acorn and Amazon Prime, that we loved but, surprisingly, were not renewed. The first is Girlfriends (2018), the story of three older women with messy, but resonant, lives and a hilarious plot. Starring Miranda Richardson, Zoe Wanamaker and Phyllis Logan, this is the kind of authentic portrayal of older women that resonates. But only one season. The other, Striking Out, is a story about a young female lawyer who, upon finding a cheating fiancé, strikes out on her own. Her resilience and evolution over two seasons is fun to watch (daughter loved it too). But—sadly—there are only two seasons.
To switch gears entirely, how about Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix, the story of fast car drivers on and off the road. Entire family addiction to the ups and downs of life in the fast lane. Just watching a pit team change a tire is surprisingly energizing and engrossing. Who knew! And, most recently, juiced up even further by a team owned by a Russian oligarch. Really. Try it.
For fun, PBS/Masterpiece has some good ones. We liked Around the World in Eighty Days on PBS with David Tennant, who is always a pleasure to watch. The script deviates from the movie, in sometimes odd ways, but it’s nevertheless a good time. And don’t miss Summer of Soul, a movie about a little known concert, the Harlem Cultural Festival, in 1969. It will get you out of your chair, but seeing the restoration of hopes and the dreams after some rough times and brutal assassinations is uplifting. And, especially if you love animals, but even if you don’t, All Creatures Big and Small just warms the cockles.
And some quick notes. The Gilded Age on HBO is what it is supposed to be. Shout out to Denee Benton, who plays a young black writer, and of course Christine Baranski who never fails to hit the mark. Mrs. Maisell started slow with a story line hard to discern but has hit its stride. Billions, on the other hand, disappoints. Initially, we loved Prince even more than Ax and applauded the new story line where corporate execs aren’t all evil. But the AG who has a vendetta against rich people is ridiculous in his zeal and his decisions. Presumably, that’s to drive the same point home, but it doesn’t work. We know this is just TV—but it doesn’t do it for us.
Looking forward to the return of Sanditon and Bridgerton. Escapism is still a thing, for sure.