Fools Recommendations: Viewing
curated by the Fools Magazine team
MOVIES
Shirkers is now streaming on Netflix
Vivian Le, Creative Director
Faces Places (2018) dir. Agnes Varda
Shirkers (2018) dir. Sandi Tan
Faces Places directed by Agnes Varda and JR as well as Shirkers directed by Sandi Tan are both documentaries sure to shake you out of your quarantine blues and stamp your imaginary passports full of colorful destinations. Follow JR and Agnés Varda on their heartwarming cross-country road trip, visiting small French towns and collecting monument-sized portraits of the rural residents. Scale the buildings, the cargo containers, the abandoned buildings. Hoist up the ordinary people as you go, commemorate their faces, their spirit. Run, skip through the hallways of the Louvre with an icon of the French New Wave⏤she’ll tell you everything important about living if you listen closely.
Next, hop on a plane to Singapore, go back to 1992, hitch a ride on the back of a moped and accompany Sandi Tan on her search for her lost film Shirkers. Piece together clues with Tan to create a big picture then deconstruct it all again, make something new of it. Challenge yourself to accept the ephemerality of creating art. Lament for the impermanent nature of memory and then hit the ground running again, full speed. Shirkers is a celebration of creativity and the power of girlhood. It’s a reclaiming of authorship done in the most experimental way. ⏤Vivian
Parasite is now streaming on Hulu. Alternative poster by Andrew Bannister.
Natalie Muglia, Writing Assistant
Love Wedding Repeat (2020) dir. Dean Craig
It’s nice to see Sam Claflin in a role where he DOESN’T die! ⏤Natalie
Melissa Martínez-Raga, Writing Assistant
Parasite (2019) dir. Bong Joon Ho
Such compelling, intricately written suspense about two South Korean families. An Oscar winner which gave me nightmares. ⏤Melissa
Onward (2020) dir. Dan Scanlon
Animated film about two boys, their half-dad, and two badass ladies to the rescue in a world of lost magic. So sad but so wholesome. ⏤Melissa
Gabby Estlund, Photo Assistant
Honey Boy (2019) dir. Alma Har’el
Honey Boy is a loosely-autobiographical drama about Shia LaBeouf’s life & rocky relationship with his father ⏤Gabby
Nicole Pagliari, Writing Editor
Good Will Hunting (1997) dir. Gus Van Sant
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Robin Williams put togther a sliver of South Boston as Will, played by Matt Damon realizes that his unparalleled intelligence might be his ticket out of an underwhelming life. ⏤Nicole
Skyler Barnes, Writing Editor
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) dir. Céline Sciamma
Anna Nelson, Editor-in-Chief Assistant
Silence of the Lambs (1991) dir. Jonathan Demme
Hannibal (2001) dir. Ridley Scott
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) dir. Jim Sharman
Classics, favorites. I don’t have the time and space in my brain to consume new movies right now ⏤Anna
Grace Oeth, Managing Editor
Pride and Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) dir. Céline Sciamma
Brave (2012) dir. Brenda Chapman & Mark Andrews
Franny Marzuki, Web Writing Assistant
The Handmaiden (2016) dir. Park Chan Wook
If you’ve already seen Parasite and want to see more excellent Korean cinema, The Handmaiden is you next step. Park Chan Wook outdoes himself in this film as we follow two women navigating love, trauma, and reclamation. ⏤Franny
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Like any Studio Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle offers a great escape from our world. With an adorable love story, beautiful animation, and whimsical soundtrack, this movie is perfect for days when real life feels too pressing. ⏤Franny
Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins
The best movie of the decade. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now. ⏤Franny
Dangal (2016) dir. Aamir Khan
Based on a true story, Dangal challenges gender roles. It puts women in a place of masculinity and power while preserving their femininity. This story explores what it means to be a parent and what strength and hard work mean when the world doesn’t believe in you. ⏤Franny
TV SHOWS
Wild Wild Country is now streaming on Netflix.
Vivian Le, Creative Directior
Wild Wild Country (2018)
For those who wish for something less sensational and exploitative than Tiger King, Wild Wild Country is the perfect docu-series with just as many twists and turns. Wild Wild Country documents the development of the infamous Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregan. What was intended to be a utopia for the followers of the guru Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh quickly became something much more insidious. Former followers share their story with the filmmakers of the documentary, revealing their past wounds and desires for community and acceptance. The Rajneesh are not just another long-haired, doomsday cult--the documentary reveals how each of us could have been susceptible to the promises of the group. Utopia means the good place, but its greek origins ou-topos also means a place that cannot be. Dig into this series and see the lengths people will go to protect their beliefs and their community. ⏤Vivian
Melissa Martínez-Raga, Writing Assistant
Kim’s Convenience (2016)
Absolutely hilarious show about a Korean-Canadian family who owns a convenience store. Makes me feel really happy. ⏤Melissa
Little Fires Everywhere is now streaming on Hulu.
Natalie Muglia, Writing Assistant
Jane the Virgin (2014)
Fun, exciting, Latinx representation, absolutely adored this show!! ⏤Natalie
Gabby Estlund, Photo Assistant
Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
Based on NYT bestseller by Celeste Ng & directed by Lynn Shelton LFE is a fictional Hulu series following the complicated stories of motherhood, adoption, and so much more through the lenses of class & race in America. Not to mention the fact that the main characters, director, and producers are all women, making the experiences portrayed that much more relatable and authentic. ⏤Gabby
Nicole Pagliari, Writing Editor
Gilmore Girls (2000)
Honestly, if you haven’t heard of Gilmore Girls I don’t know what to tell you. It’s the quintessential feel-good sitcom that will have every mother daughter bond quaking. ⏤Nicole
Anna Nelson, Editor-in-Chief Assistant
Seinfeld (1989)
Killing Eve (2018)
I’ve binged these shows when I need a break from working! Seinfeld is very 90s, New York humor. There’s a joke about Seinfeld being a show about nothing, but it‘s the kind of nothing in day-to-day life that I’ve been missing, along with all the shenanigans that come with adulthood and independence. ⏤Anna
Killing Eve is beautiful and I think it feeds the shallow but adventurous side of me. Plus, it reminds me of Silence of the Lambs’ Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling! ⏤Anna
Noah Pottebaum, Web Design Assistant
Altered Carbon (2018)
It's the future and humanity has invented pseudo-immortality. Speculative fiction at its best, Altered Carbon dives deep into the human side of sci-fi. The dystopian utopia explores a myriad of concepts from a variety of lenses and perspectives, including the ever-present ideas of wealth disparity, the nature of being alive, and identity. This is all presented in a visually stunning and engaging manner with characters as complex as the scenarios in which we find them. The show asks many questions and challenges the viewer to ask even more. ⏤Noah
Franny Marzuki, Web Writing Assistant
American Vandal (2017)
American Vandal is a satirical deconstruction of the true crime genre. This mockumentary style show follows a pair of high school students as they try and prove the innocence of one of their peers who was accused of spray painting dicks on the cars of 27 teachers. American Vandal is as funny as it is smart, with surprising moments of honesty amid the absurd plot. ⏤Franny
Fleabag (2016)
Fleabag has some of the best storytelling in recent years. Sharp, funny, and tragic, our titular character looks us in the eyes as she hides her sadness under the comfort of façade. It’s a quick, digestible story that will linger with you for days. ⏤Franny
VIDEO GAMES
Anna Nelson, Editor-in-Chief Assistant
Minecraft (2009)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Not sure these are worth noting, but they’ve been working wonders for my anxiety and my desire to be constantly productive by providing me with an escape which lacks real consequences! ⏤Anna
Noah Pottebaum, Web Design Assistant
Firewatch (2016)
Minecraft (2009)
Terraria (2011)
Kingdoms and Castles (2017)
Explore! Build! Build and explore! Build but cities this time! ⏤Noah
Franny Marzuki, Web Writing Assistant
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Breath of the Wild came out three years ago and it’s still one of the best games on the market. If the pure expanse of the game wasn’t appealing enough as a time-waster, the story is emotional and engaging (enough to push me through over 150 hours of gameplay in the past month). Even if you’ve never played an open world game or even a Zelda game before, Breath of the Wild is endlessly forgiving to beginners and is the perfect introduction to the franchise. ⏤Franny
Ellie Zupancic, Editor-in-Chief
Firewatch (2016)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
I also love a classic table game of Bananagrams and Skittles ⏤Ellie