Another weekend, another binge session with Netflix, and this time I’ll be catching up with a lot of animation, some drama, and comedy. If you’re settling down to a weekend of watching too, here is what I recommend.
I’ll admit my initial reaction to Wednesday being centered around her in school gave me Monster High vibes. Not to mention being partial to Christina Ricci’s performance as Wednesday in The Addams Family movie. However, this cast list is awesome: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Steve Buscemi, Gwendoline Christie, and even Christina Ricci plays a role as one of the teachers.
Luis Guzmán, for example, is so emotive as an actor that it works at making Gomez charismatic, bombastic, and rather tender at times. And Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday has the right amount of angst to be endearing, not annoying. In fact, I can’t think of a better setting than high school to put that bit of doom, gloom, and angst to good use. More importantly, the messaging is very sweet. Just like I’m a sucker for feel-good movies, series that revolve around friendship and self-acceptance are welcome, so I can’t wait for more of that in season 2.
I learned of Tim Robinson through social and comedy osmosis, but I never actually watched any of his skits on my own time. However, I recently watched Friendship, where I got a real sense of his comedy, and now I’m totally invested in his career. That movie ultimately led me to watch I Think You Should Leave and discover it also has the same cringe humor I really enjoy.
In the very first episode, the tone for the show is immediately set: a man tries to leave after an interview, only to pull on a push-only door, which is then followed up with a Baby of the Year skit, and more. The skits range from raunchy to downright uncomfortable, but that’s what makes them particularly funny. And it stars more than just Tim Robinson—there are some great guests, like Steven Yeun, Tim Heidecker, and Will Forte.
I’m always on the lookout for anthology series, being a big fan of The Twilight Zone, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, animation, and the short-story format in general. Love, Death + Robots is a melting pot of art and storytelling, across many of my favorite genres, like fantasy and science fiction.
Most of the episodes are animated, which is another reason I’m loving Love, Death + Robots so far, though a few episodes are live action. The animation is definitely my favorite aspect so far, and just like the variety of genres, it doesn’t stick to one style, but ranges between 2D and photo-realism.
The Hunting Wives is a saucy drama centered around the lives of two wives, Sophie and Margo (played by Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, respectively), who are both married to conservative husbands. Being new to the neighborhood, Sophie and Margo hit it off, resulting in Sophie becoming part of Margo’s social circle, which also includes other wives from Maple Brook, Texas. On top of that, the Hunting Wives—that’s what they call their social group—gets wrapped up in a murder mystery.
It’s the kind of show I think exemplifies the phrase “What’s the tea?” Using two wives to explore the political nature of America’s conservative party is intriguing; the pressures and effects of the ideology are on full display. For example, Sophie’s husband (played by Evan Jonigkeit) nitpicks his wife over the outfit she chooses for an NRA fundraiser (which she wasn’t aware of, nor seems to support) or how Jed (Dermot Mulroney) talks to his wife, Margo, like she’s his subordinate. With the mysterious murder, I get the feeling this won’t end well for anyone.
Also available on Crunchyroll and Disney+
One Piece covers the pirate adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, who’s on a quest to find a legendary treasure called “One Piece,” making him the Pirate King. As if that isn’t enough to attract my attention, Luffy has an unnatural talent for being stretchy, like Marvel’s Mr. Fantastic. But what draws me in the most are the characters, especially the pirate captains, whose designs and powers amp up the mythical side of pirate folklore.
I held off starting One Piece for far too long, and now that my youngest has shared an interest in it, I figured it was time to spend a weekend feeling out the show. I’ve caught a few episodes in my spare time, and I have to say I love the feeling of adventure in One Piece, especially the locations. With my limited knowledge of the show, I could easily believe the Fountain of Youth exists in this universe. Luffy’s unwavering good nature, like Goku’s from Dragon Ball, is magnetic and puts a nice bow on the show’s first impression, too.
There’s no way I’m going to finish all these shows this weekend, especially One Piece, but I’ve at least started each one already. Wednesday and Love, Death + Robots are at the top of my priority list, with One Piece being a close third. Now that I think about it, Netflix has a surprisingly solid list of great anime to watch!
