Another month in lockdown means another month of evenings and weekends spent mostly in front of the TV. So I managed to get through quite a few TV shows and movies this month. Add in even more episodes of Below Deck - I'm already on season six! (see my review here) and the new episodes of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries (see my review here). And it's been a good month to escape the rain and falling leaves outside. So here's what to stream right now on Netflix, Apple TV, the BBC iPlayer and YouTube;
Love Life
If you follow me on Instagram (I'm @ellistuesday on there), you will have already seen me rave about this show on my Stories. It stars Anna Kendrick, one of my favourite actors, as Darby. And each episode is dedicated to one of the loves of her life. It takes you through her twenties and thirties, with an episode that even takes you back to a summer in her teens. As we see how her friendships, family life, relationships and jobs evolve with her.
This is easily one of the best TV shows that I have seen in years. It feels really authentic but with a rom-com flair to it. And you're immediately invested in Darby's life. But not only that, the supporting cast, in particular her friends Sara, Jim and her mother, Claudia, truly feel like they've known each other for years. It also doesn't hurt that it's set in NYC. It's just so good! I seriously cannot recommend this show highly enough. You'll find it on the BBC iPlayer, where all ten episodes are available to stream right now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Haunting Of Bly Manor
As a huge fan of The Haunting Of Hill House (see my review here), I was literally counting down the days until Bly Manor was added to Netflix. And even though I shouldn't have been comparing the two, I undoubtedly did. Both share quite a few of the same main cast members. And obviously both are set in haunted houses. But I've got to admit, I really struggled to get into this series. I had to urge myself to keep going with it, which is never a great sign. Despite some creepy moments and far too many utterances of the phrase 'perfectly splendid', things don't really get going until the last few minutes of episode six. And even then, things are confusing as hell.
But once it did start to get going, it was good but sadly not great. Episode eight was particularly strong. But overall, it just lacked something for me. Something that also really bugged me was that Danni's fiance is featured heavily in the first few episodes and then never mentioned or seen again. That didn't feel resolved and further cemented the fact that the first five episodes could have been seriously condensed. And as a Scot, it kind of made me cringe every time I heard Peter Quint's Scottish accent. Which definitely distracted me from the dreamy looking Oliver Cohen-Jackson who played him. After watching it all, I saw the show's creator refer to it more as a gothic romance, rather than a ghost story. And that does make more sense but it wasn't an all encompassing romance either.
⭐⭐⭐.5
Emily In Paris
When I heard that a new show, created by the man who brought us Sex and the City was coming to Netflix, I was beyond excited. I also saw so many people on social media talking about it, that I just had to press play the day that it debuted. But after just two episodes, I had to switch off. I know that some people have loved it but it just felt far too clichéd and cringe worthy. Not even the fashion could save it for me. That same night I discovered Love Life. And that made it even more glaringly obvious how forgettable Emily In Paris was.
If 2020 has taught me anything, it's been not to waste time on something that I'm not enjoying. If I'm not liking a book or something that I'm eating, I just stop. Instead of forcing myself to keep going just because I've started it. So, do I persevere with Emily In Paris? Does it get any better? I've heard mentions of an influencer event, which could be interesting to see their take on. Plus, it was nice to see somewhere I've always wanted to travel to, especially during a year when travel is a no go. But is it really worth my time?
DID NOT FINISH (⭐⭐ for the 2 episodes that I watched)
On The Rocks
Lost In Translation is one of my favourite movies of all time. So I was beyond excited when I saw that On The Rocks was being released this year. And if you've got Apple TV+, you'll be able to watch it from the comfort of your own home right now. It stars Bill Murray and Rashida Jones as father and daughter, with the plot revolving around Jones' character suspecting that her husband (played by Marlon Wayans) is having an affair/becoming disinterested in her.
Both Bill Murray and Rashida Jones are brilliant in this. Murray will make you smile, laugh and cringe a few times. And to see the relationship between the two of them as they go on a bit of an adventure, in their quest to see what her husband is up to, was great. It's not so much a mid-life crisis as much as it is someone feeling lost and like every day is pretty much the same (dropping the kids off at school, attempting to write, falling asleep on their own). It may take me watching this a few more times to truly appreciate everything. But if you're a fan of Sofia Coppola's work or any of the cast in this, I would definitely recommend that you give it a watch. You can even get a free trial of Apple TV+ solely to watch it, along with the next pick of mine for this month.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Long Way Up
Having watched both Long Way Round and Long Way Down previously. It's a bit of a tradition in our family to watch Ewan and Charley on their motorbike trips. And you don't necessarily need to be interested in motorbikes or the two of them in general to enjoy the Long Way series. Long Way Up sees the duo, along with their team, aim to ride from the tip of South America to Los Angeles on two completely electric motorbikes. And these motorbikes weren't even in production when they started their trip. Their team will also be travelling in two prototype fully electric SUVs, as well.
Given what's going on in the world right now, it's nice to be able to see far away places and travel without leaving the house. And to see them think about sustainability, reducing their carbon footprint and visiting local initiatives, particularly where deforestation has happened, was really refreshing. Plus, Ewan and Charley still have the same chemistry and friendship that they have always had, even after all these years. You'll find new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+. And you'll also find Long Way Round and Long Way down on there too. I think we'll be rewatching them next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Is Paris
In my early teens I was such a Paris Hilton mega fan. I watched The Simple Life religiously, knew every word to every song on her debut album. I owned her perfume, book and dreamed of one day visiting Kitson or Fred Segal, just like her. So when I saw that she had released a feature length documentary, on YouTube of all places, I was 100% on board.
I had a feeling that a lot of what Paris did, in terms of her voice and persona was put on. But I had no idea how different she really was from the character that she had ultimately created. I also wasn't expecting her to share as much as she did about how the whole sex tape fiasco happened or to really dig deep and discuss what she experienced at boarding school. However, saying that, I wasn't sure about the animated sections that were used to show her past abuse. It just didn't gel with the rest of the documentary. But if you are/were a fan of Paris' or enjoy a good celebrity documentary, I would still give this a watch. Plus, it being on YouTube means that you don't need a subscription. Like you do with Netflix or Apple TV+ to watch.
⭐⭐⭐.5
So those are just some ideas for what to stream right now.
What have you been watching this month? Have you seen any of the shows in today's blog post? If so, what did you think of them? I'm particularly interested in hearing what you thought of Bly Manor and Emily In Paris.
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