04/22/22
This week: Three equally bingeable shows: A thriller that’s tender but dark, a workplace comedy set on the high seas, and a nostalgia-fueled glimpse into the world of yakuza. Plus, proof positive that nature is truly lit—because it’s Earth Day.
TRENDS THIS WEEK:
Youtube LIGHTYEAR Official Trailer
Letterboxd EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
TikTok #naturedocumentary
Spotify As It Was - Harry Styles
Netflix ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL
Twitter #TheNorthman
Shopify It’s been a week
Life & Culture
I’ve got a few things to report in the world of streaming services this week. CNN Plus is shutting down on April 30, just one month after launching, taking the “shortest-lived streaming service” title from Quibi. Meanwhile, on Tuesday Netflix reported that it lost subscribers for the first time in a decade in Q1—and expects to lose a ton more in Q2. This resulted in the company’s stock dropping 35% on Wednesday, and much speculation on what this might mean for the larger streaming landscape. Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings shared that the company is reconsidering its stance on making a cheaper, ad-supported plan available for consumers.
So much of my very favorite content on the internet is nature-related content. And in honor of Earth Day, I’m here to share a few of my favorite TikTok accounts that will give you a new perspective on this beautiful planet we inhabit. Olle Nilsson is a super talented wildlife photographer. His high-definition videos invite you to observe the world of creatures like owls, foxes, and wolves. This video is a great one to start off with. Jesse Medina’s content features peaceful landscapes that he slowly takes viewers through. I particularly loved this video of a simple canopy of trees. Mamadou Ndiaye makes informative, fun videos that educate his viewers on various niche topics about nature. I recommend starting with this video about his favorite animal in the world.
I also can’t leave you without my two favorite videos from this week: This one honestly looks super painful but genuinely killed me, and this one gives some interesting insight into how astronauts manage a pretty mundane task.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Question of the week:
Big question this week: What have you been watching lately? We’re giving a $25 movie theater gift card to the first person to reply to this email with the best movie you’ve watched lately. Hit us with your best recs!
Film
You're strolling through the linoleum wasteland of your local shopping mall, gorging on Auntie Anne's and wondering how to flatten your already flat Vera Bradley wallet. And then... the smell hits you. That overpowering, plastic-y musk—the aromatic equivalent of a popped collar. In a trance, you follow that scent, and the sound of pulsating generic club beats. You enter a cave, into some dark shrine to the deity that is the almighty ab. This is Abercrombie & Fitch.
As a cusper, I still feel traumatized by this era—more specifically by the overpriced, cologne-drenched t-shirts that seemed specifically designed to be as unflattering as possible for my body type in middle school. So, I was excited to watch WHITE HOT: THE RISE & FALL OF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH (trailer here) as soon as it dropped on Netflix. Like the documentary points out, A&F is fascinating not only because it was horribly problematic (racist, fatphobic, Islamophobic, you name it), but because it was so unabashed about it. In fact, hardly anyone batted an eye in 2006 when then-CEO Mike Jeffries proudly called the brand "exclusionary." While the history of the clothing giant as we know it is riddled with controversies, it managed to (more or less) survive, which says a lot about where society stands in the slow trek to progress. This is a point WHITE HOT makes but doesn't quite follow through on, failing to dive into the complex dynamic between company and culture. But the doc had a lot of ground to cover, and it managed to hit the main points pretty well. I'm just happy the conversation is being had. Next up, Brandy Melville...
—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant
TV
HBO Max's THE TOURIST (trailer here) is the quirky outback thriller you didn't know you needed. Starring Jamie Dornan as a man who wakes up after a car collision in Australia with no recollection of his life, the 6-episode series follows his quest to figure out who he is, who's trying to kill him, and why. While Dornan is predictably fantastic, the heart of the show is Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Danielle McDonald), a Marge Gunderson type who gets in over her head trying to help the amnesiac protagonist and solve the mystery of his identity. Harry and Jack Williams aren't coy about that Coen brothers influence, playing with genre conventions from westerns and noir while maintaining an offbeat sense of humor. There may be a bit of Lindelof inspiration as well; I got quite a hint of THE LEFTOVERS in one episode. However, I think THE TOURIST still carves out a space all its own by establishing a unique tone (just as tender and sweet as it is dark) and asking interesting questions like” What would it be like to forget every mistake you ever made? Where is the line between bad people and bad circumstances? How can we forgive others, and how can we forgive ourselves? And most importantly, is happiness a burrito? Just go watch. You won’t regret it.
—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant
It’s been a while since I got hooked on a new TV show that I truly couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen. But I’m happy to report that TOKYO VICE (trailer here) is doing exactly that for me right now. The show follows the story of Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist who works for one of the top newspapers in Japan during the ‘90s. Covering the local crime beat, Adelstein quickly finds himself involved in the world of the yakuza (Japanese organized crime) along with Detective Katagiri (Ken Watanabe). It’s all a little more interesting because Jake Adelstein is actually a real person; he was the first foreign-born journalist to be hired by a Japanese newspaper publisher, and the show was adapted from his memoir of the same name, published in 2009.
TOKYO VICE has a solid balance of Japanese and English dialogue, which showcases the actors’ outstanding abilities to speak multiple languages—especially Ansel Elgort who at this point speaks better Japanese than I do. What’s so cool about this show is the fact that it gives you a glimpse into the underworld of the yakuza’s life and how their business affects those around them. There are three more episodes still to come and I truly cannot wait to see what happens next for these characters. TOKYO VICE is a real treat for those who are fascinated with Tokyo, the 90’s, and/or the world of the yakuza.
—Eri Sofia Taira, Associate Graphic Designer
I spent the week bingeing OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (trailer here). I thoroughly enjoyed it, but honestly, I really wish I had savored it a lot more. This show is such a palette cleanser, a light-hearted comedy set against the backdrop of the 1700s (when being a pirate was “hip” apparently). The main character Stede Bonnet is essentially the Leslie Knope of the pirate world—he believes a little too hard in his ragtag crew of rejects, and they pillage only the minimum needed to keep the ship going. Everything changes when Blackbeard, the most gruesome and unforgiving pirate in the world, takes a liking to Stede and his more refined, aristocratic behaviors. The show follows the two as they learn more about one another’s lives. Drama and mystery of course unfolds between the crew and the people they meet at each stop, and you get to know each character deeply as they navigate each increasingly bizarre situation. Though there are serious moments, the humor is what makes the show so refreshing. It’s almost like a workplace comedy if the workplace was…the high seas.
–Victoria Moniz, Development Intern
Theater
If you find yourself in New York this summer, I implore you to see Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A STRANGE LOOP, now running on Broadway. This self-described “big, Black & queer-ass” musical follows Usher, a young writer struggling to finish his autofictional musical. As Usher searches for validation and acceptance, the play raises the question: Is it possible to love yourself if the people around you—your parents, your sexual partners, our cultural leaders—take issue with fundamental parts of your identity? Your bigness, your Blackness, your queerness? The result is totally heartbreaking and yet somehow still uplifting. The cast is superb, particularly newcomer Jaquel Spivey in the lead role. This is exactly the sort of show that belongs on Broadway and I just love it so much!!
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
