Movies and TV shows (general recommendation thread)

[Liberty]

I figured I'd try starting a thread about movies and TV shows that you liked enough to recommend.

 

General rule of thumb would be, only post about it if you think it's better than 75% of what you've seen in the past couple years (obviously there's no way to enforce that, but I'm just trying to avoid having the thread flooded by everything people are watching).

 

Please tell us a little about what the thing is and why you like it.

 

I'll start.

 

I watched 'The Death of Stalin' (2017) yesterday and really enjoyed it. It's definitely not for everyone, it's pretty dark satire, but I think the minority of people who will like it will really like it. It's kind of similar to some of what the Coens bros do, but talkier, kind of like if Aaron Sorkin wrote dialogue for a Coens movie, with a few bursts of Tarantino violence.

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4686844/

 

Interestingly, after seeing it I looked up a few things and while there's obviously a lot of fiction, it's not as fictionalized as one might think. They even had to tone down a few things because the reality would've seemed unbelievable on screen, apparently.

 

If you see it and want more, there's an interview with the writer here: https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/armando-iannucci-on-the-death-of-stalin/

[RichardGibbons]

I just rewatched "Skins", the TV show about Bristol teens with dysfunctional families.  It's quite brilliant, but be warned that there's a lot of swearing, sex-related content, and casual drug use, and the plotlines are often extreme and sometimes dark.  It's not for someone who gets easily offended.

[rogermunibond]

Detectorists (Seasons 1-3) Hulu

Kim's Convenience (Season 1-2) NFLX - Season 3 on CBC

Succession (Season 1) HBO

Killing Eve (Season 1) Hulu

Little Drummer Girl - Michael Shannon was excellent

 

Flash from the past

Spaced (Seasons 1-2) Hulu and Amazon

 

Cool new feature on Google is that for many TV shows and movies the search results include where it's available for streaming.

[doughishere]

Cinemax's Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus is pretty good. I dont listen to all the artists but its pretty funny some of the stuff thats happened. Mature rated.

 

List of episodes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Judge_Presents:_Tales_from_the_Tour_Bus#Episodes

[Jurgis]

Cautionary notice: my taste is highly idiosyncratic, so likely my recommendations will do nothing for you.

 

Theoretically all my ratings are publicly available at: https://www.imdb.com/user/ur2779520/ratings?sort=your_rating,desc&ratingFilter=0&mode=detail&ref_=undefined&lastPosition=0 ( if this does not work, this might: https://www.imdb.com/user/ur2779520/ratings?ref_=nv_usr_rt_4 - this is chronological ).

 

No very recent movies at 9 or 10 rating.

GLOW is 9: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5770786/?ref_=rt_li_tt

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is 9

 

There are couple recent movies at 8 rating ( LBJ, Snowden, Rush, Dallas Buyers Club, Fury, Dirty Money, Red Sparrow ).

 

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I'm definitely gonna watch "The Death of Stalin".  8)

[doughishere]

Cautionary notice: my taste is highly idiosyncratic, so likely my recommendations will do nothing for you.

 

Hey, everything someone mentions on here is worth a look up at least. I might not like it but there's the chance that it could be something I missed.

[LC]

I'll throw one out - not only probably the best animated series ever, but possibly one of the best TV series ever:

 

Avatar: the Last Airbender

[Spekulatius]

In Amazon video:

The man in the high castle

Viking

Jack Ryan

Hannibal

Home fires

Downtown Abbey

Endevour

White Chapel

 

Yes, I am a sucker for British TV

 

Netflix:

Dogs of Berlin

The Vietnam War ( Ken Burns)

Bodyguard

House of Cards

Peaky Blunders

Battle star Galactica series

Fargo ( both the series and the Original movie)

Lock, Stock and two smocking barrels

No country for old men

 

As memorable movies, I enjoyed Wes Anderson Moonrise Kingdom and Grand Budapest Hotel as well as most Coen Brother movies . I also enjoyed the Starwars flics Rogue One and the Last Jedi

 

[SHDL]

For me, The Death of Stalin started pretty well but then became a bit too distressing as the story progressed and turned darker and I could no longer tell what was parody and what was not.  Maybe that was the point, but anyway. 

 

Drive (2011) was an excellent recent find.

 

The Last Jedi (2017) was pretty controversial among Star Wars fans (unsurprisingly) but I liked it.  I’ve met certain heroes/legends in real life and I thought the film gave a pretty honest depiction of what it means to be one.

[Liberty]

For me, The Death of Stalin started pretty well but then became a bit too distressing as the story progressed and turned darker and I could no longer tell what was parody and what was not.  Maybe that was the point, but anyway. 

 

In the interview I link, the writer/director says that they didn't want to make fun of any of the real atrocities, since this is based on true events, so every time there's killing and torture and such, they play it straight. But once it's behind closed doors with the politicians, then the farce takes over.

[SHDL]

That makes sense.  I generally thought it was a lot more serious than what one might expect from a black comedy film.  Viewers should calibrate their expectations going in - because it isn't another Dr. Strangelove.

[Liberty]

That makes sense.  I generally thought it was a lot more serious than what one might expect from a black comedy film.  Viewers should calibrate their expectations going in - because it isn't another Dr. Strangelove.

 

That's correct. I was also surprised (I didn't know much about it going on), but it actually increased my enjoyment because I think it's important that we get reminders once in a while of just how vile these regimes were. Historical distance and the death of first-hand victims is making it all more fuzzy over time...

[DooDiligence]

Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everyone Talking About Him)?

[Liberty]

In Amazon video:

The man in the high castle

Viking

Jack Ryan

Hannibal

Home fires

Downtown Abbey

Endevour

White Chapel

 

Somehow we've watched none of the same Amazon Prime Video shows.

 

My faves are Sneaky Pete S1 (kind of a mix between Justified and some Breaking Bad elements (produced by Brian Cranston and some Justified guys), Patriot S1 (LOVED this one, couldn't get into S2 yet), and Marvellous Mrs. Maisel (don't let the flowery title scare you, I really enjoyed S1 and can't wait to check out S2 -- it's written by Amy Sherman Palladino, of Gilmore Girls fame, but this is more adult and kind of Mad Men vibe in production level).

[boilermaker75]

I've really gotten into the British mysteries, Endeavor, Inspector Lewis, Shetland, and Foyle's War. Acting is superb, probably all Shakespearean trained actors.

[Gregmal]

Sopranos

Californication

Nip/Tuck

Damages

Mad Men

Eastbound and Down

 

I don't watch much tv and it takes a lot for me to get into stuff. Honorable mentions but not stuff I'd really be able to rewatch were Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, House of Lies, Dexter, Vice Principals. Currently trying to force myself to stay with Billions, and giving Black Monday a chance. Homeland had big potential but I totally got bored with it after Season 3.

[rb]

Some that haven't been mentioned here already.

 

Berlin station on Epix. Spy stuff. Good scripts and very good acting.

 

Vikings on netflix. Simple comedy but funny as hell. I also enjoyed Narcos on Netflix. Very good production imo.

 

Btw, if you enjoy Berlin Station or spy stuff, I suggest you also check out A Most Wanted Man. Great spy movie and I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman's last before he passed.

[meiroy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought 'The Death of Stalin' was hilarious, loved it.  None of my friends agree.

 

The Expanse is possibly the best sci-fi series I have ever seen.

 

Watched Zombieland about 7 times. It's a completely nerdy stupid cult movie.

 

The Man in the high castle is really good, though depressing.  Babylon Berlin is also quite good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ValueGroupie]

Just of top of my head...

 

Movies:

 

Ex Machina (slow sci-fi thriller)

The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin & David Fincher)

Burn after Reading (Coen Brothers)

The Imitation Game (Alan Turing Biopic)

Black Swan

Whiplash (like Black Swan about an obsessed artist)

 

Series:

Startup (not mentioned yet? It's about a cryptocurreny Startup. But like Social Network it is not really about the technology, it is more about the persons involved and the relationships between them if that makes any sense. Really liked it.

 

[Spekulatius]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought 'The Death of Stalin' was hilarious, loved it.  None of my friends agree.

 

The Expanse is possibly the best sci-fi series I have ever seen.

 

Watched Zombieland about 7 times. It's a completely nerdy stupid cult movie.

 

The Man in the high castle is really good, though depressing.  Babylon Berlin is also quite good.

 

Yes, I love the “Expanse” and the “Man in the High castle”. Babylon Berlin is on my list to watch.

[Liberty]

The Expanse is possibly the best sci-fi series I have ever seen.

 

Season 1 of the Expanse really impressed me. It felt on par with the best sci-fi ever (early Battlestar Galactica reboot). But I think after season 1 the writing quality goes down a lot and many characters suddenly become quite different from what they were early on, and more 2D.

[Liberty]

Eastbound and Down

 

Season 1 of this is one of the best comedies series I've seen. Up there with Freaks and Geeks.

[flesh]

Star Trek Discovery, cbs all access.

[eclecticvalue]

Miss Sherlock

Schitt's Creek

Succession

[LC]

The first two seasons of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock are some of the best TV in the past decade.

 

Jeremy Brett's version is also incredible of course.