583 Contributions by: Renee Cuisia (Page 4)

Based on the bestselling book of essays by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things is, well, made of many tiny beautiful things. It’s at once a meditation on grief, a coming-of-age tale, a contemplation of family ties, a sobering look at a midlife crisis, a romance, a comedy, and an absolute tearjerker of a drama. It’s clunky on some fronts and much better on others, but overall the series packs a gut-wrenching punch with the ever-compelling Kathryn Hahn as the lead. 

It’s surprisingly light with each of its eight episodes running at just under 30 minutes, but in all, the show effectively tugs at the heartstrings and provides welcome insight into navigating the highs and lows of living a small but meaningful life.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Johnny Berchtold, Kathryn Hahn, Quentin Plair, Sarah Pidgeon, Tanzyn Crawford

Despite being released amid a deluge of period dramas and biopics, Starz's  The Serpent Queen, which follows Catherine de' Medici’s rise from Italian servant to Queen of France, is a strong standout in today's streaming fare. 

By balancing modern storytelling (expect poppy needle drops and fourth-wall breaks a la Fleabag) and historical realism (the costume and production design are as accurate and detailed as any thoughtful production), The Serpent Queen manages to have a genuinely fresh take on the historical drama. It's also refreshing in its refusal to sugarcoat history’s crude ways, so despite its modern feel, don't be too surprised to see 13-year-olds bedded and bodies graphically pulled apart by horses.

Genre: Drama, History

Actor: Amrita Acharia, Barry Atsma, Beth Goddard, Danny Kirrane, Enzo Cilenti, Liv Hill, Nicholas Burns, Ray Panthaki, Raza Jaffrey, Samantha Morton, Sennia Nanua

It’s often said that history is told by the victors. Thankfully, this isn’t the case in The Good Lord Bird, which tracks the tumultuous events preceding the Civil War, as led by real-life abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke). 

Some viewers might already be familiar with the story of how Brown "saved" slaves, but with Black teenager Henry (Joshua Caleb Johnson) as the narrator, history is repositioned and recounted through a fresh new lens. Nuanced questions about slavery, abolition, and even the revered Brown himself are brought up by Henry and his kin, such as: how much of the movement is driven by justice and how much of it by guilt? Should the white savior be absolved or are his intentions inevitably marred by ego?

Accompanying this thought-provoking tale are richly detailed costumes and backdrops, impressive cameos by historical and celebrity figures, and of course, career-defining performances by Hawke and newcomer Johnson. 

Genre: Drama, Western

Actor: Beau Knapp, Daveed Diggs, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Jack Alcott, Mo Brings Plenty, Nick Eversman

Rating: TV-MA

Sweet Tooth is set in a post-apocalyptic America, where the population has been ravaged by a mysterious virus and the new generation of humans has evolved into animal hybrids. The circumstances are bleak and the things people do to survive even more so. Driven by fear and grief, they both isolate and attack in moves that are eerily reminiscent of the early days of our own pandemic. Sweet Tooth is a robust adventure story then, gritty and reflective and tragic, but it’s also incredibly sweet.

We’re introduced to a myriad of characters, each of them with their own arc, but we mostly follow Gus (Christian Convery), a nine-year-old human-deer hybrid who has yet to be disillusioned by the human race. Gus grounds the story’s many flights of fancy, and along with the other main characters, he gives us timely reminders of the importance of kindness and humaneness without ever being too corny. And to the show’s serious credit, no one plot line overpowers the other; instead, all feel just as vital to the larger story of survival that’s being told. 

The blend of these tales is lovely, the world-building is imaginative, and the technical aspects of it—the color, the costuming, and the cinematography—are all beautiful. Ultimately, Sweet Tooth is a packed a show wrapped in gorgeous layers, sure to delight even the most casual of viewers. 

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Adeel Akhtar, Aliza Vellani, Christian Convery, Dania Ramirez, James Brolin, Nonso Anozie, Stefania LaVie Owen

Rating: TV-14

In Please Like Me, twenty-year-old Josh (Josh Thomas) navigates love and adulthood alongside his friends and immediate family. He's far from perfect, and his loved ones are far from always right, but the ups and downs they go through—as small-stakes as they may seem—are always familiar and relatable. 

Please Like Me touches on modern issues and treats them both wryly and realistically so that the series never verges on either extreme. It's charming and sensitive and bold, and the whiny arrogance that often curses millennial shows is balanced here thanks to smart self-deprecating jokes and tender characterizations. Despite its pleading title, Please Like Me is very easy to watch and, as such, very easy to love. 

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Caitlin Stasey, David Roberts, Debra Lawrance, Emily Barclay, Greg Kinnear, Hannah Gadsby, John, Josh Thomas, Judi Farr, Julianne Moore, Keegan Joyce, Lily Collins, Michael Angarano, Renee Lim, Thomas Ward

Director: Craig Zisk

Rating: TV-MA

It’s hard not to be swept away by the epicness of Masters of the Air. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, with the first four episodes directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die, True Detective), it’s made sure to flex its massive $250-million budget. Everything is accounted for here, from the sweeping and historically accurate production design to the stacked cast of rising male stars (Oscar nominees Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan easily steal the show). Even the rousing score and sound design, while bordering on melodrama at times, build up tension and add a premium air to it. It’s a visual and sonic feast bolstered by upstanding performances and an endearing show of brotherhood. Whenever it risks being propagandistic or misguidedly patriotic, it’s the believable relationship between the boys and their grave understanding of war that ground it and give it heart. And of course, the air combats are edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Like Band of Brothers and The Pacific before it, it’s a visceral entry in the genre of World War II must-sees.

Genre: Drama, War & Politics

Actor: Anthony Boyle, Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Edward Ashley, Elliot Warren, Nate Mann, Ncuti Gatwa

Rating: TV-MA