Here are some films and podcast episodes that I liked in 2018.
Sights (Film, TV, etc.)
Bladerunner 2049 was a thought provoking movie and a well-deserved sequel to Bladerunner.
Love per Square Foot was a cheerful and peppy urban love story set in Bombay. NetFlix has made a movie that Bollywood has forgotten how to make.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell made by BBC boasts high production and some great acting by all the principal characters. The TV series is less-nuanced than Susannah Clarke’s book by the same name, i.e., the TV series is darker and misses the whimsical funny elements in the book, that are understandably harder to translate to screen.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 1) is great TV featuring exceedingly well-done motormouth standup acting performances by Rachel Brosnahan. Although, the season 2 (so far) seems to be terribly lost, awfully in love in its own self-referential cleverness, and seems to be searching for that proverbial shark to jump over.
Tokyo Girl miniseries on Amazon Prime, was a character study of Tokyo neighborhoods, growth, professional career ambitions, family joys and sadness.
Doctor Who — my kid absolutely loves Jodie Whitaker as the Doctor — seems to be trying some new direction in Season 11, but the writing can definitely be better. I thought Demons of the Punjab was the best episode — an episode that would have made Le Guin proud. I am a patient fan, and so I am looking forward to an improved Season 12.
Sounds (Podcasts, Music etc.)
ReplyAll’s episode on Negative Mount Pleasant is a brilliant study of Foxconn production plant in Wisconsin and the local effects of the supply chain. Highly highly exciting.
I loved Tyler Cowan’s podcast with Juan Pablo Villarino (the most mind opening episode for me). I recommend the episodes featuring Agnes Callard, Daniel Kahneman and Charles Mann, which I thought were great conversations.
The Choiceology podcast by my talented colleague Katy Milkman has been very enjoyable. It is a great primer for anyone interested in Behavioral Economics and Decision Making.
Postscript:
I limit my TV and media consumption every year to a certain number of hours (X). This constraint allows me to be choosy about what I should watch, what I can binge, and what to watch with family. It also helps me to easily discontinue things I do not enjoy or find meaningful. On the other hand, a downside to this constraint is that it increases the probability of not partaking in some topical TV excitement (Bird box!). I am less worried about missing out on good content, as you can always consume them in future, and there is more in the universe than we can all watch.