So you wanna watch something...
BEAUTY: Andrew Dosunmu’s ‘BEAUTY’ tells the story of a young singer Beauty (Grace Marie Bradley) who shoots to stardom in the late 70’s—exploring themes of exploitation, sexuality, faith and race. IndieWire describes the film as “something of an unauthorised biopic” of Whitney Houston—but says it “hits all the wrong notes,” especially since Beauty does not sing a note in the movie. Hollywood Reporter has a bone to pick with the writing and pace, but says it makes up for it with “aesthetically pleasing and immersive episodes” between scenes. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.
The Terminal List: This adaptation of a Jack Carr novel follows Navy Seal Commander James Reece (Chris Pratt) after a mission suddenly turns sour. Reece sets out to seek vengeance and the truth—endangering his family in the process. Collider calls it “undeniably watchable,” but says that even the most casual viewer will see the plot twists coming. AV Club deems it “peak dad prestige TV” but notes that “there is a deeply human story in here.” The series is available on Amazon Prime.
Blasted: Set in Norway, the film follows Sebastian, an overworked hedge fund manager who ends up in a remote cabin in a region known for its UFO sightings—for his bachelor party. Accompanying him are his coworker, the office food courier, a prospective investor and an estranged childhood BFF. Of course, they find themselves in the midst of an alien invasion—and the two main heroes are forced to fall back on their laser tag skills to save the world. There are no reviews yet, but this promises to be a fun comedy to watch on a lazy weekend. The movie is available on Netflix.
Pirate Gold of Adak Island: The town of Adak, Alaska is so tiny that it houses only 45 people—and it’s on the brink of economic ruin. This eight-part documentary follows a team of experts—hired by the town’s mayor—as they attempt to retrieve a pirate’s treasure said to be buried on the island. The team has to race against time in order to save the community—and ensure that they get paid. Again, there are no reviews, but what’s not like when there are pirates and treasure hunts in the mix. Catch it on Netflix.
A list of good reads
- The Atlantic argues that fast fashion is not just bad for the planet—it’s terrible for good taste.
- Bloomberg News explains why you should make a career change every 10 years.
- From Stylist: Those tight jeans are not just uncomfortable, they’re bad for your gut health.
- BuzzFeed News looks at the trend of staging fake weddings—so you can have all the fun without actually getting hitched.
- Elephants are thriving in Karnataka’s coffee estates. Scroll explains why this is not a good thing at all.
- In a related read, Associated Press reports on researchers who are trying to figure out how wild cats—think leopards in Mumbai—and humans can co-exist in cities.
- National Geographic has an interesting read on how historians are documenting lives of transgender people—who lived long before the category ‘transgender’ existed.
- iNews has an entertaining column on the total mindf**k of health advice today—where we are both told to embrace our bodies and fat-shamed, all at the same time.
- We all know about white noise, but according to Mashable, the hottest trend in sleep therapy is ‘brown noise.’
- New Yorker has a very good essay calling out the philosophy of ‘gentle parenting’—which completely erases the parent as a human being.
- Quartz reports on the Indian government’s crackdown on Pakistani handles across social media.
- The Wire has a lovely piece on the natural anthropology of the classic Hindi film ‘Madhumati.’
- New York Times looks at why members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to suffer from heart disease than straight folks.
