Happy New Year, my fellow indoorspeople! I hope everyone had a truly festive and magical holiday season.
For my first newsletter of 2024 I thought I’d look back on all of my entertainment consumption from the previous year. Mostly out of curiosity I started tracking all the movies and shows I watch as well as the books that I read. I started doing this in mid-2022, so 2023 is the first full year of data that I have. For books, I continued tracking my consumption on Goodreads, but for movies and shows, I kept a running list on my phone, which I then compiled into a multi-tabbed spreadsheet and alphabetized. It’s so lame, I know – spare me the comments.
Reviewing this information, my first takeaway is that I need to get out of the house and interact with live, three-dimensional humans more. In total, I watched 68 movies, 45 TV series, 24 documentaries, 14 stand-up comedy specials, and read 17 books. Some were good, some were great, and some were…not.
For those curious about ALL the media I consumed, I posted the lists at the end of this newsletter. For those who just want some recommendations, keep reading. And for those not interested in any of this – take a hike!
Movies
I watched an average of 1 movie every 5 days this past year (*brain explodes*). Though I watched most of those from home, I actually have gone to the theater several times recently too, which hasn’t been much of a thing for me since before the pandemic ($18 for a ticket AND sticky floors – ugh). But then a bunch of good movies, especially in the last month, all came out at once, so I started going again and sneaking in my own drinks and snacks because I’m not paying another $18 for that. (Boy, am I fun.)
Of course I had to see Barbie on opening weekend. I love Greta Gerwig and thought the movie deserved all the critical and audience acclaim it received. The visuals were stunning, the script was clever, and Ryan Gosling was hilarious. I haven’t stopped listening to The Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine” since, either.
I also went to the theater recently to see the movie adaption of the novel Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. The screenplay was co-written by Moshfegh and very closely aligns to the novel. Anne Hathaway was fantastic as the glamorous new psychiatrist at a boys’ juvenile detention center in 1960’s suburban Massachusetts. The plot twist that occurs two-thirds of the way through will literally make you gasp. It’s dark, but also has a slight (dark) humor to it as well.
Two nights ago, I watched The Holdovers, which I thought was phenomenal – very funny, well-acted, and sweet. All hail Paul Giamatti! (Currently on Peacock)
Some excellent indie movies I watched include To Leslie (a Texan woman wins the lottery and squanders it all on drugs and alcohol), which features some absolutely incredible acting from Andrea Riseborough. Marc Maron and Allison Janney are great in it too. (Netflix)
Cha Cha Real Smooth is a funny, sweet, feel-good movie about a Bar Mitzvah host/party-starter who befriends a mother (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter. (Apple TV+)
Series
When it comes to TV shows, I mostly watch sitcoms and reality TV – it’s a nice place and I like it there!
The most original comedy show this year has to be Jury Duty, a show that I could only maybe compare to something like Candid Camera, where everyone on the show is in on the joke except for one person, who has no idea he’s appearing on a fully scripted show at all. On Jury Duty, an average guy (Ronald Gladden) believes he’s serving on a real jury for a court case that’s being filmed by a documentary crew (to explain the video cameras), but really everyone there is an actor (including James Marsden who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role). In each episode, something ridiculous happens and viewers get to see how Ronald responds (he turns out to be an incredibly nice guy). Just watch it – trust me. (Amazon Prime & FreeVee)
The new British historical mockumentary, Cunk on Earth, is just hilarious, assuming you like dry humor (and if you don’t…what is wrong with you?). Actor Diane Morgan’s (she plays Philomena Cunk) delivery is absolutely top-notch. (Netflix)
I finally hopped on the Severance band wagon this year and couldn’t be more obsessed. It’s dark and weird and surprising, but also kind of funny. The longer I work in an office, the more I will enjoy shows like this that dissect office culture. (Apple TV+)
I’m very sad that Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever teen sitcom has come to an end. It’s so clever and addictive and filled with cute young guys that make me feel like an absolute cougar LOL. (Netflix)
Somebody Somewhere is subtle and understated, but funny and sweet. I highly recommend it. Bridget Everett as Sam and her new BFF Jeff Hiller as Joel are a wonderful duo. The show seems to accurately capture Midwestern life without romanticizing it or being condescending. (Max)
I doubt many Americans have heard of the Canadian show Sort Of, and that’s a real shame because it’s very good. Bilal Baig plays a Pakistani non-binary millennial navigating life in Toronto. It’s funny, it’s a little heartbreaking, and its sweet. (Max)
Starstruck is a very funny British romcom series. In the show’s pilot episode average person Jessie (Rose Matafeo) unknowingly sleeps with Tom (Nikesh Patel), a huge movie star, one night and then comes to realize this the next morning and hilarity ensues. Highly bingeable! (Max)
Documentaries
The recently released American Symphony chronicles a year in the life of Jon Batiste (mostly well-known as Stephen Colbert’s former bandleader) as he composes a symphony and he and his wife (writer/speaker/advocate Suleika Jaouad) cope as she undergoes treatment for leukemia. It’s beautifully shot and quite meditative. I bet this thing will win some awards. It should. (Netflix)
Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God is fascinating. I know, I know – another cult documentary?! Yes, but this one is somehow even more bonkers than your average cult doc. (Max)
I will talk about the brilliance How to With John Wilson to anyone who will listen to me. It’s so unique and funny and really captures New York’s oddballs. It’s a cross between an actual documentary and the “Humans of New York” social media account. (Max)
The Smartless on the Road documentary that follows Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes around the country as they do live tapings of their Smartless podcasts for audiences only emphasizes how naturally funny these guys naturally are. They’re dry and they constantly rip on each other, but you know they really love each other too. (Max)
Stand-Up Comedy Specials
Man, Netflix really has taken over from HBO as being the home of recorded stand-up specials, hasn’t it? Not much to say about them, but my favorites this year were John Mulaney’s Baby J; Gary Gulman’s Born on 3rd Base; Mae Martin’s SAP; Mike Birbiglia’s The Old Man and the Pool; and Tom Papa’s What a Day! (All on Netflix)
Books
I’m Glad My Mom Died is a hell of a book title and has a lot to live up to – and it does. Though I watched iCarly a few times when I was a summertime nanny in college, I wasn’t too familiar with child/teen actor Jeanette McCurdy, but had heard good reviews of her memoir. Her mom really was an absolute piece of work and Jeanette lays it all bare for readers here. The content concerning how her mom basically taught and encouraged her to have an eating disorder is wild, sad, and something she’ll struggle with for the rest of her life.
Though it came out nearly 10 years ago, I just recently read Viv Albertine’s (guitarist for female punk band The Slits) memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. A friend of mine kept insisting that I read this book even if I’m not a massive fan of The Slits. The stories she has to tell about life in Britain during the late ‘70s are fascinating and she just has so much great life advice. “I'm scared but I go anyway. That should be written on my gravestone. ‘She was scared. But she went anyway.’”
I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Cline’s new novel, The Guest. The book follows main character Alex as she essentially house-hops in clever ways throughout what readers can assume are the Hamptons one summer. The characters are complex and I really appreciated the societal observations. Beautiful writing too.
Music
Thanks to Spotify, I don’t need to tally up my own 2023 music listening. This year’s results of my top listened to bands/songs was not terribly surprising. A friend commented on my lists saying, “This is the most NYC-white-Millennial list possible.” I don’t disagree (even though most of my fellow NYC-white-Millennial friends have entirely different lists).
Top 5 Bands:
1. The National
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Vampire Weekend
4. HAIM
5. Bob Dylan
Top 5 Songs:
1. “Tropic Morning News” (The National)
2. “New Order T-Shirt” (The National)
3. “Once Upon a Poolside” (The National)
4. “Eucalyptus” (The National – they had a new album out this year, can you tell?)
5. “Changing of the Guard” (Bob Dylan song from 1978 that I became obsessed with last spring)
And on that note, I’ll leave you with an exhaustive list of all movies, TV shows, docs, standup specials, and books I consumed this year.
Happy New Year, my fellow zombies.
Movies
A Man Called Otto
Aftersun
All Of Us Strangers
Armageddon Time
Barbie
Blue Jay
Bottoms
Call Me By Your Name
Carrie Pilby
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Chasing Amy
Dinner with Friends
Eileen
European Vacation
Eyes Wide Shut
Happiness for Beginners
Joy Ride
Linoleum
Lola Versus
Love Again
Love at First Sight
Maestro
Maggie Moore(s)
Mallrats
Marcel the Shell
Marie Antoinette
May December
Mixtape
Mr. Roosevelt
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris
Nightmare Before Christmas
No Hard Feelings
On the Rocks
Other People
Party Girl
Passages
Past Lives
Please Don’t Destroy
Priscilla
Quiz Lady
Rye Lane
Saltburn
She Said
Shotgun Wedding
Sisters
Somebody I Used to Know
Spin Me Round
Tallulah
Tar
The Bling Ring
The Boy Downstairs
The Craft
The Fabelmans
The Holdovers
The Incredible Jessica James
The Little Mermaid
The Master
The Runaways
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Whale
Theater Camp
To Leslie
To the Bone
Triangle of Sadness
Uncut Gems
Under the Tuscan Sun
You Hurt My Feelings
You People
Your Place or Mine
TV Series
Abbott Elementary S2
And Just Like That S2
Barbies Dreamhouse Challenge
Barry S4
Based on a True Story
Beef
Below Deck Adventure S1
Black Cake
Colin From Accounts S1
Cunk on Earth S1
Emily In Paris S3
Fatal Attraction (reboot series)
Fisk S1 & 2
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Heartstopper S1&2
How to Get Rich
Jury Duty
Million Dollar Listings LA S14
Minx S2
Never Have I Ever S4
Only Murders In the Building: S3
Paris In Love S2
Party Down
Physical S3
Platonic
Primo S1
Project Runway Allstars S8
Queer Eye S7
Real Housewives: UGT S3
Real Housewives of NYC/SLT/BH
Saturday Night Live
Severance S1
Shrinking S1
Slip S1
Somebody Somewhere S2
Sort of S2
Starstruck S3
The Bear S1&2
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5
The Other Two S3
The Summer I Turned Pretty S2
The Traitors S1
The Upshaws S3&4
Tiny Beautiful Things"
Welcome to Chippendale’s
Welcome to Crappie Lake
Wellmania S1
What Am I Eating? S1
You S4
(And of course lots of Seinfeld, 30 Rock, Parks & Rec, and Housewives reruns as well as NY1 news.)
Documentaries
Ailey
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
American Symphony
Bama Rush
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator
Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
Escaping Twin Flames
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare
How To Become a Cult Leader
How to with John Wilson
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God
Minimalism: A Documentary About Important Things
Pamela: A Love Story
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
Smartless on the Road
Squaring the Circle
Stolen Youth
Take Care of Maya
Take Your Pills: Xanax
Telemarketers
The Art of Listening
The Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend
The Super Models
This Place Rules
Working: What We Do All Day
Stand-Up Comedy Specials
Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact
Beth Stelling: If You Didn't Want Me Then
Celeste Barber: Fine, Thanks
Chelsea Handler: Revolution
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
Jared Freid: 37 and Single
Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale
John Mulaney: Baby J
Mae Martin: SAP
Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool
Pete Holmes: I Am Not For Everyone
Trevor Noah: Where Was I
Tom Papa: What a Day!
Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer
Books
The Woman in Me (Britney Spears)
If You Would Have Told Me (John Stamos)
The Glow (Jessie Gaynor)
The Shift (Tinx)
The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-Being (Christy Harrison)
Vladimir (Julia May Jonas)
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (Viv Albertine)
Bad Mormon: A Memoir (Heather Gay)
Interior Chinatown (Charles Yu)
Black Cake (Charmaine Wilkerson)
I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jeanette McCurdy)
The Guest (Emma Cline)
Other People's Clothes (Calla Henkel)
The Daydreams (Laura Hankin)
Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture (Andy Cohen)