Welcome to Watch This Weekend, where every Friday, Darian Lusk, comedian and writer living large in Brooklyn—will gently recommend a roundup of things to watch and stream. Follow him on Twitter @eatpraylusk to send suggestions for future installments.
It’s mid-January, and thankfully for all us East Coasters the insanely cold weather and Bomb Cyclone of last week are behind us — and by Bomb Cyclone, I mean Logan Paul’s trip to Japan. But even though it’s less chilly doesn’t mean we should watch less television.
Content miner Darian took a trip down the well and found a few gems, from a moving new British Netflix series to a David Bowie documentary with some pretty amazing footage. Enjoy, curl up in this bear pillow with weirdly long legs and get in touch with your indoorsy side.
The End of the F***ing World (Added Jan. 5)
While there are many twee romance shows about two misfits finding love, few are this dark — or this charming! The End of The F***ing World, a British Channel 4 series now on Netflix, tells the story of two high school loners; James (Alex Lawther, from the Black Mirror episode, Shut Up And Dance, #TBT) and Alyssa (a dynamic Jessica Barden) who together ditch their boring suburban lives to become literal partners in crime (like, bad crimes).
Adapted from a Charles Forsman comic book of the same name, The End of the F**** World is pretty violent for being a cutesy teen romance, but it will f*** you up emotionally. The episodes are less than 20 minutes each, making it especially bingeable, and it mixes dark humor with the tone of peak Wes Anderson and narrative arc of Bonnie and Clyde. It’s essentially a darling indie film divided into 10 parts — and a delightful surprise drop from Netflix this week.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Added Jan. 1)
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the Jerry Seinfeld talk show that’s equal parts an education in comedy and outlandishly expensive vehicles, is now on Netflix. This is a huge coup for the streaming service, as the show was previously exclusive to Sony’s slightly off-brand service Crackle (sorry Crackle), and purportedly a new season is being added later this year. In each episode, Seinfeld picks up and gets coffee with a comedy god like Lorne Michaels or Jim Carrey, and the stories they tell will inspire any stand-up fan. But the tradeoff is Seinfeld raving about each vintage car he owns with zero self-awareness. Not to be too harsh, but literally, nothing could be less relatable. Except for maybe this Jennifer Aniston Emirates commercial.
Hulu: I Am Love (Added May 17)
For fans of Call Me By Your Name, here’s a suggestion —aside from rewatching Call Me By Your Name or trying to get adopted by a bookish Italian family (no takers yet!) — I am Love, also directed by Luca Guadagnino and produced by and starring Tilda Swinton, is as well-made and transcendent but even more bougie and delicious. And maybe gayer? Swindon plays Emma, the wife, and homemaker to an upper-crust Italian textile dynasty. Set generously in Milan and bookended by dinner parties, the film demonstrates how money and power can never fully repress free will and passion and what happens something so tightly wound suddenly bursts. With impeccable direction, show-stopping sets (Elio’s house looks like a starter home compared to this one) and quietly revelatory acting from Swinton, this film is a decadent gift.
HBO: David Bowie: The Last Five Years (Added Jan. 9)
The first real glimpse of late Bowie since his tragic passing in 2016 (it’s crazy it’s already been two years!) has arrived. Previously aired on BBC but now on HBO, this 90-minute documentary features never-before-seen footage of the Starman as well as conversations with the musicians and producers behind his last two albums and musical, Lazarus.
Director Francis Whately previously made Five Years about Bowie’s famously glamorous ’70s and ’80s. The Last Five Years focuses on Bowie’s work from about 2011 to 2016. While the film depicts the elusive man pulling the strings behind these pieces of art, he stays pretty much that; elusive! The film doesn’t touch on Bowie’s personal life or feature much on-camera time with him but it does piece together enough footage to make us feel like we’re kicking it with the rock god one last time.
iTunes: Comedy Bang Bang’s Best of 2017 (Added Dec. 25, 2017)
It’s not 2018 until you listen to Comedy Bang Bang’s Best of 2017, #Heynongman. The special yearly edition of the beloved comedy podcast —divided into four parts— breaks down the fan-voted highlights of the past year. Not only can we revisit iconic characters like Big Chunky Bubbles and Ho Ho the Elf but the banter between host Scott Aukerman and series regular Paul F. Tompkins is a blessing. Though this entire compilation spans more than 8 hours, it is so worth it. What else are you doing with your life!?
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