13 Best Movies to Watch From 3 Arts Entertainment

Sometimes, nothing beats the easygoing entertainment of watching two attractive characters flirt and fall in love on screen, or seeing a group of ride-or-die friends get into trouble together. HBO's Insecure, which ran for five successful seasons, knows that it doesn't need to exaggerate or put a subversive twist on the romantic comedy to find relatable and affecting storylines. The series stays mostly locked in to South Los Angeles, California as it follows Issa (Issa Rae) navigate the modern dating scene, try to settle on a career path, and manage her friendships as an ambitious and somewhat awkward thirtysomething Black woman.

Even if you don't have much in common with Issa, Insecure is a massively comforting watch. Rae and co-creator Larry Wilmore have an impeccable eye for the messy, unspoken rules of social and romantic interaction that other shows might write off as too trivial. But this show lives and breathes in the ordinary, realistic problems—while still indulging in the warm and fuzzy feelings brought about by meeting someone new or seeing yourself grow up just a little more.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Issa Rae, Jay Ellis, Yvonne Orji

The initial charm of Hacks is in watching sparks fly between its sharp-tongued leads. Neither the elderly Deborah nor the young Ava holds back the digs, both of them cutting to the core of their insecurities. Part of what makes their tension so watchable is that they’re stand-ins for different generations. Deborah represents the all-hustle culture of the boomers, while Ava represents burned-out millennials. Lock them in a scene together and you get endless (and endlessly funny) observations about the modern world. 

Eventually, however, their relationship deepens into something more meaningful than that. As Deb and Ava bond over their shared hopes and flaws, the show transforms into a clever and tender two-hander about their prickly but profound relationship. They’re two sides of the same coin, and even though no one can bring them down like the other can, the opposite is also true: no one else can lift them and push them to new heights like the other can.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hannah Einbinder, Jean Smart

Rating: TV-MA

This satire takes place in the year 2033 when it’s possible to “upload” oneself to a specific software-powered afterlife. In the variety of afterlives possible, there is no heaven or hell. Instead, class struggles persist: ads are everywhere, you have to pay for data, and there are many levels of luxury available.

Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), Upload is an easy and funny show with an interesting and relevant premise. If you liked The Good Place, Silicon Valley, or Black Mirror, you will surely love this.

Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction

Actor: Allegra Edwards, Andy Allo, Josh Banday, Kevin Bigley, Mackenzie Cardwell, Robbie Amell, Zainab Johnson

Rating: TV-MA

What can you expect from a series about a former girl group that comes together for a second chance at pop success? At the hands of co-executive producer Tina Fey (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), it can only be razor-sharp and absurdly funny. 

Girls5Eva, both the show and the group it names, are rife with nostalgia and comic observations about the middle-age condition. Throwbacks to the early aughts, when Girls5Eva first found fame, highlight the silliness of the era, while commentaries about their 40-something lives give the show a realistic edge. The series also has a lot to say about the sexism that continues to haunt female pop stardom. 

Has the music industry learned from its mistakes and is it now better primed for Girls5Eva's more honest and mature work? That's the question the show tries to answer throughout its run, and it does so in endlessly entertaining and thoughtful ways.

Genre: Comedy, Music

Actor: Busy Philipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sara Bareilles

Rating: TV-MA

Harlem follows four 30-something friends trying to live their best lives in their New York neighborhood. It sounds cliché—another group of women navigating work, love, and personal growth in NYC?—but thanks to the deft direction of Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and the dynamic performances of the show’s leads, Harlem is a blast to watch. The women are at once prickly and sparkly as they dive headfirst into romantic escapades, sexual explorations, and career ambitions. Their chemistry with each other is a scene-stealer, and you almost wish you can just sit with them all episode as they spill the beans over cocktails and brunch. Raunchy, ridiculous, and relatable, Harlem is delightful through and through.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Tyler Lepley

Rating: TV-MA

Will Trent is a crime procedural that tackles a new mystery every few episodes. It doesn't differ from other detective shows in that way, but what makes Will Trent interesting is that the intrigue of each case never takes away from the intrigue of the personal lives of the lead characters. 

Will Trent, in particular, remains the biggest mystery in the series. Much like Sherlock Holmes or Monk before him, he's troubled but kindhearted, gifted but hated by all. He's one of the most awkward detectives you'll meet, but what he lacks in social graces he more than makes up for in outstanding smarts. Unraveling Trent, his colleagues, and his subjects is a fun ride, one that makes the 40 minutes or so of watching well worth it.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Erika Christensen, Iantha Richardson, Jake McLaughlin, Ramón Rodríguez, Sonja Sohn

Director: Paul McGuigan

Rating: TV-14

Sprung follows a group of newly released convicts who return to a life of petty thievery after realizing they’re up against an emerging global pandemic. It’s an amusing snapshot of the ridiculous lengths we went through in the horror year that is 2020, but it’s also filled with the good old sentiment that grounds funny shenanigans to their feet. It stars the reliably hilarious Martha Plimpton and is created by Gregory Thomas Garcia, the brain behind the beloved sitcom My Name is Earl.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Garret Dillahunt, James Earl, Martha Plimpton, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera

Compared to all the meaty and daring shows coming out right now, Primo is relatively lighthearted fare. Its easygoing, PG humor hews closer to network rather than cable television, but the series isn’t without its merits. 

Primo is candid and charming as it tackles the realities of school, family, and work. It takes a somewhat progressive approach as it centers on a Latino family, occasionally and importantly bringing up issues of class and race, but it also feels comfortingly familiar. It follows the classic sitcom formula of everyone getting along before the credits roll all while adding its own modern and multicultural twist to it. 

If you ever longed for an old-school sitcom that keeps up with the times, then this just might be what you're looking for. 

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Christina Vidal, Efrain Villa, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Johnny Rey Diaz, Jonathan Medina