Look, I love The Mandalorian and The Queen’s Gambit but their viewership metrics are doing fine. They don’t need more publicity, and I have nothing new to say about them. What I’d rather share with you are movies and shows that you might have missed in 2020. I know I almost missed them because my friends didn’t rave about them on social media. They were streaming and hash tagging what was already trending — a natural inclination but not one that leads to new recommendations for me (or for you).
Offline and off social platforms, Geri and Andrew told me and my partner about the Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso. And my brother texted me about streaming the Hulu movie Palm Springs. The rest of what I rave about below are shows and movies I streamed without being nudged by a peer, friend, or family member.
I made viewing choices based on RottenTomatoes.com, probably some Instagram ads, and what each platform suggested to me through its algorithm. I am an equal opportunity binge watcher and enjoy streaming across several platforms (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Disney+) that each offer unique shows.
1. Mythic Quest
(Apple TV+)
3 sentences
If you can imagine The Office set in the world of video game developers, you have begun your humorous mythic quest with distinctly crafted characters—each with their own brand of narcissism (except maybe a few who aren’t self-absorbed). I found the show delightfully funny without being cruel and cynical as some comedies can be. In fact, the characters become incredibly endearing in their quest to make more of themselves, especially my favorite: Poppy.
3 words
funny, silly, snackable
2. Ted Lasso
(Apple TV+)
3 sentences
Take the most earnest, optimistic, Dad-joking sports coach from the U.S. and transport him to Richmond, England to train a bitter football team (or “soccer team” to us Americans), and you have a charming comedy in which even the most stone-faced footballer softens when Lasso gradually reminds people why they play the game. Lighthearted, wholehearted, and skillfully scripted, Ted Lasso has characters of every temperament and motivation and the always appropriate philosophy of “be a goldfish.”
3 words
endearing, amusing, uplifting
3. Wolfwalkers
(Apple TV+)
3 sentences
With striking artwork and astounding 2D animation, Wolfwalkers stands out as a traditional folktale among many children’s movies that are zany and pop culture obsessed. Some eco-minded aspects of the plot bear similarities to Princess Mononoke, as well as the human protagonist who is initiated into the supernatural world. But our heroine has a journey that is richer and more emotional than the hero of Miyzaki’s film as she opens her heart to the wild unknown and comes to terms with why her father is so stern and fearful under the rule of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell in 1650 Ireland.
3 words
universally appealing, beautiful
4. Teenage Bounty Hunters
(Netflix)
3 sentences
This show has the grownup intelligence and humor that made someone like me who is well out of his teenage years laugh. The writers, directors, and actors allow the characters to be unlikeable in moments, redeemable in others, and ultimately human. What the two sisters truly hunt is their growing responsibility as teens, their celebration of sexuality, and their unconscious biases of race, class, and gender, which the show does a cultural dive into.
3 words
smart, subversive, warm
5. Never Have I Ever
(Netflix)
3 sentences
Coming of age drama meets rom-com meets lighthearted but true-hearted tale of a first-generation South Asian American teenager. With one of the show creators being South Asian American herself (and my friend Aarti Mann having a guest role), Never Have I Ever feels inspired and reflective of how it is to grow up in the U.S. when your parents have immigrated from Asia (as mine have, so I could definitely relate). However your parents don’t need to be Asian in order for you to enjoy Never Have I Ever, as the story has universal themes.
3 words
nuanced, relatable, sweet
6. Ragnarock
(Netflix)
3 sentences
A socially awkward teen who doesn’t know he’s Thor reincarnated in present-day Norway; a wealthy family whose lineage is from a supernatural enemy of Thor; and the murder of a high school student that invites our modern hero to rise. Ragnarock has teen romance and the unraveling of a mystery that feel familiar in Young Adult Fantasy, yet it also offers a European aesthetic—filmed in Norway, cast with Norwegian actors—that authenticate it. Immerse yourself in this modern Norse mythology / YA fantasy by turning on the original Norwegian audio.
3 words
understated, eerie, intriguing
7. Warrior Nun
(Netflix)
3 sentences
Although the first two episodes don’t build as much tension or reveal as much as I’d like, the episodes that follow had me hooked in this present-day fantasy set in Spain. The lead character is admirably authentic in resisting the heroine’s journey from the beginning, and by the end of season one, we’re rooting for her and her sisterhood of bad asses. It’s funny, sexy, and horrifying in all the right places—something only the best dark fantasy stories can pull off.
3 words
suspenseful, dark, thrilling
8. Picard
(CBS All Access)
3 sentences
When the former Captain Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation undergoes his next hero’s journey during retirement, I say, “Make it so!” This latest chapter involving AI asks us to consider how qualities we see as inherently human might be more universal across the cosmos. Cinematic art direction, action-packed episodes, and raising of tension and stakes in the storytelling make Picard a suspenseful science fiction treat.
3 words
suspenseful, culturally intriguing
9. His Dark Materials
(HBO / HBO Max)
3 sentences
My favorite HBO series of the last couple years, His Dark Materials is a middle grade science fantasy (yes, “science fantasy” is a hybridized subgenre) book series adapted into cinematic satisfaction. The adjective in the title is very much the atmosphere of the show, and that’s not to say it’s a dismal story but rather one with ruthless type A antagonists willing to murder children, adults, and daemons (spirit animals) to keep entire worlds a secret. Our protagonists are courageous, fierce, and easy to champion, while the science fantasy world-building, plot-building, and web of relationships are magnificently complex and brought to life with first-rate performances and exquisite effects.
3 words
moody, epic, enthralling
10. Palm Springs
(Hulu)
3 sentences
I am incredibly selective about what I deem a good romantic comedy, and this feature film fits that description. What Palm Springs has going for it are an inventive time-bending story structure and two characters who emotionally mature through that design. While the story offers romance and comedy, it’s the interplay of all elements—acting, writing, editing, etc.—that make it into an impressive film.
3 words
clever, humorous, amusing
11. Taste of the Nation with Padma Lakshmi
(Hulu)
3 sentences
As a first-generation Thai-Chinese American with immigrant parents, I love literature, media, and works of art that develop a fruitful conversation about U.S. culture in all its colorful complexities. Padma Lakshmi pulls this off deliciously in her docuseries Taste of the Nation, uncovering the diverse people and flavors that inform what American food and society are. Watch this to better understand the relationship between craft, culture, race, history, and food sourcing.
3 words
enriching, eye-opening, tasteful