Let’s cut to the chase here! It’s that time of the month where I round up the best (or sometimes, the worst) of what I watched, thus giving you ideas of what is worth your time. Cause, let’s be honest, you need something to pass the time when you’re not engaged in Zoom University. So, here we go! Here’s what I watched in September 2020:
- Dawson’s Creek
-
If you’re like me, you love to watch a good teen drama, where said teens get into a bunch of shenanigans that real teens have no business doing. “Dawson’s Creek” is one of the shows that built this foundation. This late nineties/early 2000s show takes place in the small, seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and follows four high school friends, Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Pacey (Joshua Jackson), Joey (Katie Holmes) and Jen (Michelle Williams). Like any teen show, the friends get wrapped up in love triangles (I’m team Joey and Pacey FYI) and have to manage all the growing pains of life. “Dawson’s Creek” has some strong and, for its time, boundary-pushing plotlines. It was one of the first shows to openly have teens discussing their sexuality, including a young gay teen, and features teens struggling with addiction and mental illnesses. The main appeal of this show for me were the characters, who, for the most part, had some depth to them.
Unfortunately, “Dawson’s Creek” often flounders because its title character is one pain in the butt. Dawson is one selfish, arrogant movie freak who thinks he is so self-aware but is really just as stupid as any teenage boy. While I can’t fault Dawson’s love of movies, he seems to think his life is and should be one for at least the first half of the series . No matter who he was with, Dawson seemed to want to romanticize it or even keep his girlfriend down to elevate his status. Luckily by the end of the series, Dawson had cleared this issue up thanks to life-giving him a few slaps in the face, and I ended up liking him. Still, my heart was with the much more complex characters of Pacey, Joey and Jen. Each has more complicated backstories than Dawson. While I didn’t always agree with their choices, they were more entertaining to watch. I enjoyed seeing their growth into young adults as well. Overall, I recommended this underrated gem to anyone who loves other WB classics like “Gilmore Girls” and “One Tree Hill.”
Rating: B+
- Parks and Recreation
-
Oh, how I wanted to really like this show. “Parks and Recreation,” the other NBC sitcom that just about everyone is obsessed with, stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a member of the Parks Department in Pawnee, Indiana. For better or worse, Knope and her Parks gang try to make Pawnee a more beautiful place. With the same workplace shenanigans and documentary-style format, it’s hard not to compare “Parks and Recreation” to “The Office.” If you remember, I’m not that big of a fan of “The Office” as everyone else. I have to admit, though, that “Parks and Recreation” made me appreciate more how funny “The Office” is. “Parks”’ jokes don’t land the same as the office, and I didn’t find myself attaching to the characters like I thought I would. Still, I find that “Parks” still has more bright points than its counterpart. For a start, “Parks” has aged a lot better than “The Office.” The jokes are still somewhat appropriate, and 2020 me isn’t cringing over politically incorrect jokes. “Parks” has also made a significant impact on pop culture. Lil Sebastian and “treat ‘yo self” have become an integral part of how we communicate with each other. I, myself, plan days where I give myself a little retail therapy. Once again, I have been left unimpressed by yet another internet-hyped show.
Rating: B+
- Julie and the Phantoms
-
Okay, now it’s time for me to hype up a show! Netflix’s “Julie and the Phantoms” is a masterpiece. Directed by the man who gave us the “High School Musical” trilogy, Kenny Ortega, “JATP” follows high schooler Julie, who has just lost her mom and is struggling to find her love of music and performing again. Enter Sunset Curve, a three-piece ghost boy band who died in the 90s after eating some bad hotdogs, who convince Julie to perform again. Julie and the boys discover that everyone can see the ghosts when they perform together, thus creating Julie and the Phantoms. This show had my eyes glued to the screen for every scene in this nine-episode season. Between the chemistry of the actors, energetic performances, and the catchy, well-developed songs, I fell in love with this show…hard! This is one of the strongest shows I’ve seen in a long time, and I might just die if Netflix doesn’t pick it up for another season. So, please go watch this show! I’m sure you’ll find something to love.
Rating: A+
- The Social Network
-
I know our generation doesn’t have much to do with Facebook now (I guess we can blame it on all the Baby Boomers flocking to it). However, we should still honor and recognize how revolutionary its creation was. 2010’s “The Social Network” explores not just how Facebook blew up as an invention, but how it also blew up behind the scenes. Much like “Julie and the Phantoms,” “The Social Network” is one of the truly great, modern masterpieces that I have seen in a long time. Aaron Sorkin’s smart, fast-paced screenplay and David Fincher’s strong direction keep its audience engaged and develop each character, especially Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerburg and Andrew Garfield’s Eduardo Saverin. Eisenberg perfectly captures a version of Zuckerburg that is both a genius and a grade a jerk. Eisenberg’s fold, Garfield’s Saverin, is the careful planner and investor in the company, and Garfield’s acting chops are best used in that one scene film twitter geeks out over. “The Social Network” is a gripping tale of the beginnings of the age of social media and the perils of creating success.
Rating: A+
- The Devil All The Time
-
Like any genre, psychological dramas can be done exceptionally well and provide just the right amount of emotional disturbance, or just overdue it. Netflix’s original film, “The Devil All the Time,” fits into the latter category. Taking place in 1960s Appalachia, “TDATT” is an ensemble film focusing on a troubled son and father, a serial killer couple, a false preacher and a corrupt cop. The film is heavy on the themes of religion, revenge and violence. While I don’t mind these themes or situations, “TDATT” seems to stack each of these issues one right after another. It hardly gives you a break to process what is happening, and some of the situations and their portrayal in the film are disturbing, again, not in a good way. I often asked, “is it really going there?” The answer was always yes. The bright spot of the film was the incredible cast, especially my love, Tom Holland. Holland is vulnerable in his role as Arwin and balances the act of a young man on a revenge quest, but who still has some growing up to do. Riley Keough also gives a strong performance, but Robert Pattinson’s high-pitched southern pastor was probably one of my favorites. Still, with a minimal number of movies eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, expect to see some of these names as nominees.
Rating: B-
- Enola Holmes
-
At the end of September, Netflix dropped another big film, “Enola Holmes. Starring “Stranger Things” darling, Millie Bobby Brown, “Enola Holmes” is all about the legendary Sherlock Holmes’ (played by Henry Cavill here) younger sister. After Enola’s mother (Helena Bonham Carter) disappears, she takes it upon herself to find her. I love “Stranger Things,” but I never understood the hype around Brown’s acting abilities. “Enola Holmes” changed that for me. I felt the film shows Brown has range in her acting along with exceptional comedic timing thanks to the film’s fourth wall breaks. Brown’s Enola is fun, smart, vibrant and a joy to watch, adjectives I would also give to the film. SHe is a character worth rooting for, and is an excellent model for women young and old. Given I was afraid this film would be a flop, “Enola Holmes” proved me wrong and is one of my favorite Netflix films of the year.
Rating: A-