The Lyric Staff’s Favorite Shows and Movies – Fall 2020
Are you looking for something new to watch in your free time? Here are some of the TV shows and films our staff recommend!
1. Parasite
“It’s a film where you can’t go into it knowing anything, but you’ll be talking about it nonstop afterwards!” – Marieska Luzada, Digital Marketing/Social Media Assistant
Parasite is a South Korean black comedy thriller that was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Han Jin-won. The film follows the members of a poor family who devise a plan to become employed by a wealthy family by infiltrating their household and posing as highly-qualified individuals. It won four awards at the Oscars, becoming the first non-English film to win the award for Best Picture, the first South Korean film to be nominated, and the first non-English film to win Best Original Screenplay since 2003’s Talk to Her. There is no doubt that Parasite is a must-watch because of its gasp-inducing storyline and legacy on the film industry.
2. I Am Mother
“This is a great sci-fi that asks a lot of questions about humanity and the care for humanity.” – Aja M. Jackson, Interim Production Manager
If you are looking for something to watch from the science fiction realm, check out I Am Mother, which is available on Netflix! Directed by Grant Sputore with a screenplay by Michael Lloyd Green, I Am Mother is an Australian science fiction thriller that was based off of a story by Sputore and Green. I Am Mother follows Daughter, a girl in a post-apocalyptic bunker, being raised by Mother, a robot helping with the repopulation of Earth. Their bond is tested when a stranger arrives with alarming news. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and Netflix released the film in several countries later that year.
3. Avatar: The Last Airbender
“It was a fun and nostalgic return to one of my favorite childhood TV shows.” – Kate Casner, Digital Marketing Associate
In the Avatar universe, the four nations (the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation) lived together in harmony, until the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, who is the master of all four elements, can save the world from destruction. When the world needed him the most, he disappeared. Siblings Katara and Sokka discover that Aang, the last survivor of his nation, is the Avatar, and help him on his journey to bring the world back to harmony. Many critics have praised Avatar for being one of the best animated series of all time, and for talking about concepts rarely touched in youth entertainment such as imperialism and war. Because of its arrival on Netflix earlier this summer, Avatar: The Last Airbender has made an impact on adults and children alike: adults have rekindled with their love for their show while young kids are falling in love with the show day by day.
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
“My whole family has watched the whole thing together over the course of the last year!” – Julia Thorn, Digital Media Assistant
Created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes place in Brooklyn, New York, where its 99th precinct often gets into mischief and sticky situations. The show follows Jake Peralta, an immature but talented NYPD detective, who often conflicts with the new precinct commanding officer, Captain Raymond Holt. The series has been praised for its cast, and has won two Creative Arts Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series has also received praise for its portrayal of serious issues while retaining a sense of humor.
5. Schitt’s Creek
“It is much smarter than the premise suggests that it’s going to be.” – Matt Chapuran, Executive Director
Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian sitcom created by Dan and Eugene Levy that aired on CBS Television from 2015 to 2020. The show follows the trials and tribulations of the formerly wealthy Rose family when they are forced to relocate to Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once bought earlier as a joke. The couple—video store magnate Johnny and his soap opera star wife Moira—and their two children must leave their rich past behind them and must face their new lives head-on and come together as a family to survive. The series has won various accolades, including two ACTRA Awards and 18 Canadian Screen Awards. Schitt’s Creek is also the first Canadian series to be nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Series.