The Toronto Raptors are in the NBA playoffs. They’re up 3 games to 2 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. That means if you are a Canadian basketball fan like me, you’ve planned your whole weekend around Game 6. On Saturday night, when I would usually be curled up on my couch with Netflix’s latest rom-com offerings, I’ll be in a bar yelling words of affirmation at Kawhi Leonard.
Between the Raptors and my new favourite movie, Booksmart, opening this weekend (I plan to see it as many times as humanly possible), it might seem like I have little time left for some good old binge-watching. The good news is I’m really great at neglecting all my other responsibilities for pop culture. And there’s a lot of enticing content to fill my days off — and yours. Here are my picks for what to watch on Netflix this weekend.
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They had me at Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. The duo stars in this dark comedy about a widow named Jen (Applegate), who's trying to track down the driver responsible for killing her husband in a hit-and-run. She befriends Judy (Cardellini), a free-spirited optimist she meets at a grief support group. The show has been called a “traumedy”and deals with such heavy stuff, Applegate started therapy after filming. But it’s also funny! Famous funny men Will Ferrell and Adam McKay serve as executive producers and the show’s showrunner, Liz Feldman, has a string of hit comedies under her belt with All That, 2 Broke Girls, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Dead To Me was inspired by the death of Feldman’s cousin and her struggle with infertility. Again, I swear you’ll laugh... and maybe cry a bit too. If you need anything else to convince you to watch Dead To Me, I have two words for you: James Marsden.
DeWanda Wise is my new favourite human. Leading up to She’s Gotta Have It Season 2, I got the chance to speak to Wise. She was just as hilarious as I hoped she’d be, and she dished on what to expect from Nola in the new season. Things are looking good with her girlfriend, Opal (who won the battle for Nola’s heart in Season 1), when the season picks up 18 months after the finale, but that doesn’t last long. That’s not a spoiler. If you’ve seen the show at all, you know that monogamy isn’t really Nola’s strength. Along with the complications of Nola’s love life, Season 2 tackles gentrification, artist integrity, and delivers your Anthony Ramos fix. What more could you want?
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Comedy specials on Netflix are like Kardashian scandals — there are so many to choose from it’s hard to know which one is going to be the most entertaining. If you’re sifting through the bevy of options, I promise Wanda Sykes will deliver on laughs, unexpected social commentary, and reality show gossip, just like a Kardashian! Just kidding, Sykes would probably have a cutting one-liner for me if she knew I was comparing her to the first family of controversy. Speaking of scandal, Sykes’ opening line sets the tone for the special by making it clear where her political allegiances lie. “Let me just start by saying: If you voted for Trump, and you came to see me? You fucked up again.” The Trump jokes are plentiful, but her set also focuses on parenting, feminism, race and body image.
I’ve been excited about See You Yesterday since I read the synopsis: “As two teen prodigies try to master the art of time travel, a tragic police shooting sends them on a series of dangerous trips to the past.” A sci-fi movie about black nerds with an important underlying message? Yes, please. The Guardian called it a “poignant time travel caper” and Wired wrote that the film challenges every trope about going back in time we’ve been conditioned to expect. See You Yesterday is director Stefon Bristol’s feature-length debut and with all this buzz (and the support of his mentor Spike Lee), he’s proving he’s a unique talent to watch in Hollywood.
Everyone has dreamed of being a contestant on The Price Is Right. Yes, everyone. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. We’ve all had the fantasy of spinning the coveted $1 on the Big Wheel to make it to the Showcase Showdown or of placing that perfect bid to win a *Bob Barker voice* BRAND NEW CAR! Well, Ted Slauson, a Price Is Right super fan from Texas, spent his days dreaming about the show too. So much so he recorded and memorized the product prices and even helped another contestant place — you guessed it — the “perfect bid.” The documentary features Barker himself, new host Drew Carey, and all the other players in Slauson’s plan to outsmart his favourite series. Sure, a high-stakes documentary about The Price Is Right may seem like it’s more for your grandma’s demo but trust me, it’s a riveting look behind a beloved show and the fandom its inspired over its 60-year run. Always remember folks, have your pets spayed or neutered!