Everyone has a go-to “something” for when they’re bored or stressed. And for many people, that something comes in the form of TV shows and movies. It’s basically the perfect kill-time antidote, and 2017 has been blessed with a host of great content. So without further ado, here is a list of our favourite TV shows/movies and why you guys should watch them too:
Joel Conceicao, Writer
Okja
I’ve never been a fan of K-films. Always found them too sappy, and they’re more than what my cringe tolerance can usually handle. So it was to my surprise that I fell in love with Okja. Sure, it’s not your typical Korean flick, having been co-produced along with Netflix, with big Hollywood names like Steven Yeun, Tilda Swinton, and Jake Gyllenhaal starring in big roles. But it asked important questions that I think society is struggling to tackle, like how do we save the environment while continuing to eat what we eat? How far will food companies go for profit? Or are the vegans right? Is killing for food a moral stain on our souls? Philosophies aside, the super pig Okja was just so cute! And seeing her tortured at the slaughterhouse sucked – definitely a tearjerker this movie, and will make you reconsider your dietary choices.
Narcos Season 3
There’s just something fascinating about gangsters, especially drug dealers. They’re really just violent maniacs that don’t give a damn about what society thinks of them, and they take what they want, when they want. If they’re powerful enough, they’ll conquer whole cities too, which is basically the core storyline of Narcos Season 3. Everything good and decent goes to shit because of overly powerful drug kingpins dominating what is essentially a narcotics-driven society, with corrupt law enforcement officials, shady politicians, dangerous hit men, and the interference of the CIA (this is all based on real life, mind you). Plus, season 3 is all about subtlety, with sneaky tactics like money laundering and bribes taking prevalence over Escobar’s lionised, gung-ho terror-like approach. In one word, this show is chilling. Two words? Binge-worthy.
Patrene Mathieu, Designer
Logan
Despite the influx of superhero movies this year, Logan continues to be the one that broke the mould. Having been FOX’s first film in the X-men franchise that disregarded all censorship, we finally get to see Wolverine for what he really is – a foul-mouthed drunk with a raging temper. I, for one, am glad that they’re finally bringing the real Logan in all his crude glory to the big screen. I silently cheered whenever he and the equally savage Laura tore through their assailants in a brilliant display of blood and guts. Carnage aside, a huge part of why this movie resonated with me so much is the fact that there’s just enough emotional overtones for me to have my heart tugged, and coming from someone who’s watched every single X-men film…seeing Professor X deteriorate to what he was, and that damned ending…I’m not ashamed to say that I cried. A lot. Their problems were realistic enough to invoke tears in non-Marvel fans, while the storyline kept existing fans satisfied. It was the perfect marriage of realism and fantasy, and it made me want a version of the other superhero films that was catered to adults instead just so I don’t have to hear awkward, forced jokes every five minutes. That aside, there was really no better way to send off Hugh Jackman as he donned those metal claws for the final time.
Game of Thrones
The night is dark and full of spoilers. You have been warned.
Honestly, if you have yet to watch the latest season of Game of Thrones (allow me to ring the bell while reciting the word ‘shame’), chances are the Internet has already spoiled you on what went down. While I felt a little shortchanged since Season 7 was made up of only 7 episodes that were not as long as originally promised, there were enough satisfying moments (Daenerys VS The Lannister army! Baelish gets ‘reacquainted’ with his dagger! Viserion! The entire Dragon Pit scene!!) to fill up our weekly lunch discussions the day after the episode aired. Despite the complaints I have about the season (I mean, killing two Houses off? Really?) I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every episode. After all, now that Dany’s dragons are not as impervious as we thought, it’s really anyone’s game now. Having said that, Game of Thrones has a good reputation of leaving us with a damned cliffhanger that makes us dread the one-year wait for the next season. In this case, it’s two whole years before we revisit Westeros. Oh well, our watch begins now.
Marcus Lee, Editorial Assistant
Wonder Woman
2017 has been the year of the superhero movie, but none quite satisfied me like Gal Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman. Sure, she’s an Amazonian (in and outside her role), but her beauty in the film is never overpowered by her strength and determination to do good. Her naiveté of the real world showed me that it’s still a good thing to have a moral compass and not bow down to societal standards of acceptability. We certainly need female empowerment represented in media these days, and what better way to execute that with an idol we all grew up looking up to.
American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson
Having not grown up in the States, the OJ Simpson trials were never a huge discussion among the people in my life. I’ve heard references to his White Broncho chase and alleged homicide, but the sensationalism surrounding his celebrity didn’t hit me until I watched Ryan Murphy’s retelling of this important part of American pop culture. The acting was spot-on, the directing made the series even more riveting, and somehow the story felt relevant even in today’s context. I already can’t wait for Season 2, which follows the assassination of famed designer Gianni Versace
Michelle Ng, Writer
Bad Genius
There’s been so many good movies released this year that I can talk about for ages, but everyone took all the good ones first. So here is mine: a Thai heist thriller. But this heist is not your typical gun robbery or police-and-thief chase; it’s about something as mundane as crimes can go – cheating. How Nattawut Poonpiriya managed to wrangle a thriller film out of a high school examination is already reason for praise. I mean; we all know cheating exists, some of us having partook in it too, but seeing it unfold on the big screen was certainly nerve-wracking as far as thrillers go. Punctuated with those sparse jokes that only Thai movies can pull off, Bad Genius pits intellectual and ethical integrity against each other as (yawn) sparks fly between our two leads whilst they navigate a rigged social system, with a hefty dose of misguided loyalty thrown in for good measure. It might sound boring, but the movie will suck you into its plot so fast you won’t feel like you just bought a one-way ticket to a two hour snooze-fest. The only gripe I had was that the twist at the end felt a bit out of place because you would not want to encourage academic dishonest considering the half the audience would still be in school, but humans are fickle characters after all. Another score for Thai cinema!
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Honestly I only watched this series because Nam Joo Hyuk was the main lead (yes, I’m one of those people) but the drama totally won me over. The chemistry between the two leads was off the charts because it turns out that THEY WERE FLIRTING FOR REAL. Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk, who star as the main lead couple, are both models turned actors, but they were a pair that were really easy on the eyes and had way too many hilarious scenes. Now that I’m done gushing about my favourite ship, the drama is about a group of college athletes as they pursue their sports dreams that were inspired by the life of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-Ran. It makes the perfect coming-of-age drama as it really highlights the struggles that athletes face for choosing to pursue a ‘tougher’ career, especially when it comes to weightlifting. While Lee Sung Kyung is not exactly aesthetically unpleasing (she’s a model after all), the character she plays – Kim Bok Joo – is made out to be unattractive as a weightlifter because of the nature of the sport and its unpopularity compared to other major sports like swimming and gymnastics. The drama really touches on the angst of growing up; building friendships, and that sometimes willpower alone is not reason enough to pursue your dreams. Oh, and there’s plenty of hilarious scenes which makes Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo a pretty lighthearted drama overall. Definitely recommend it, especially if you love K-dramas!
Sai Vidhya, Editorial Assistant
Coco
One of Pixar’s best works — I watched this twice and cried both times. The animation and colours are beautiful, the exploration of culture is done well, and the narrative of death in a kid’s movie is handled perfectly. Above all that, however, is this film’s incredibly creative and well-thought out story. It’s funny, clever, and equally as immersive as the visual spectacle that this film is.
Black-ish
Not only is this show hilarious af — making it a perfect watch after a long day at work — but this family sit-com also covers very relevant and current controversial topics that is usually not discussed at the dinner table. Oh, and the casting is on point too.
Nurasyiqin Sedik, Media Executive
IT
A lot of people told me that the book was way better than the movie but since I’ve never read it, I went in without any expectations and really loved it! IT wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be but I loved how the movie kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The Pennywise Projector scene has got to be my favourite scene – I remember my heart beating really fast in the cinemas because it was super, super creepy!! I believe there’s going to be a part two to the movie and I’m looking forward to it already (if there really is a sequel, that is). In the meantime, guess I’ll pick up the book first and find out what I’m missing out.
American Horror Story: Cult
The show started off slow and a little boring to be honest but I’m glad I did not give up on the series and watched it through. After about 5 episodes, the major twisted factor AHS is known for kicked in – it was a relief, as I knew I wouldn’t be sitting through a disappointing season. I especially loved Evan Peters’ character development and personally thought his performance in Cult was his best as he pulled off every emotionally intense scene really well.
Jade Yeo, Writer
A Ghost Story
From the title alone, you’d assume this film is in the same vein as Paranormal Activity. But it isn’t. In A Ghost Story, Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara play a married couple living in a small, modest home, and one day, Casey’s character is killed in a car accident right outside their house. Deceased, he returns home in the form of a cartoonish white-sheeted ghost to visit his wife, and from there, he embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history in a spectral state. I went to see this film with a friend quite blindly because apart from the fact that my all-time girl crush Rooney Mara was in it, I knew pretty much nothing else. This turned out to be one of the most impactful films I’ve ever seen in my life. And if you’ve ever read The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard, you’ll probably appreciate this film even more. It compels you to recall moments you’ve shared with someone in a lived space, as well as confront the immensity of existence. This film is unlike any other, and it continues to haunt me till this day, I shit you not.
Mindhunter
In this 10-episode drama, Jonathan Groff (you might remember him from Glee) plays FBI agent Holden Ford, who is instrumental in expanding our understanding of murderous psychopathy in the late 1970s. Together with his fellow agent, they travel around the US interviewing serial killers and recording their responses to develop a system, helping them categorise killers and possibly predict future behaviours. Sounds a bit like The Silence of the Lambs, but unlike the movie, Mindhunter is actually based on this true crime book. Yup, my latest Netflix obsession has terrifying roots in reality, which makes it even better to be honest. It’s a compelling story that’s masterfully handled by my favourite director David Fincher, as we watch Holden’s mind begin to unravel towards the end of its first season.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...
