Over this past weekend (and I am writing this on March 25), my wife and I had a lovely weekend just hanging out together. What did we do? We ended up watching Netflix and during that time we watched three things and all of them were excellent and all of them were very different from each other.
As such, I thought I would pass along my recommendation for these three shows to watch on Netflix if you're bored.
Adolescence
The story of a murder of a young person and the 13-year-old boy accused of the crime. It is a powerful, searing, captivating series and each episode was filmed with just 1 long take. I cannot imagine how difficult this was to film, but the producers managed to do it and it is unlike anything I have seen on TV.
13-year-old Jamie Miller is awakened by the police bashing down his family's door and running up the stairs to arrest him. We follow the detectives as they arrest him, process him, and eventually question him. Again, all of this in one long take. This gives and immediacy to the action, allowing us to feel we are right there with the police, with the family, trying to figure out what's going on.
I can't give much away here, but the real stand out here is episode 3. This is where Jamie and a psychiatrist named Briony, talk and have a session. She has been assigned to assess him and his mental state. The camera here walks around them in an endless, slow, circle, and the performances are so powerful it leaps off the screen.
The true standout here is Owen Cooper as Jamie. This is his first acting role and it must have been a huge challenge. However, he is 100% believable and his acting is stellar. This has to rank as one of the greatest debuts by a child actor in the history of this or any medium.
The acting all around is fantastic. The camera trick might seem like a gimmick, but I personally forgot all about it at some point and was lost in the story. The one-shot method made me a part of the action, walking along with the family, the detectives and in that room with Jamie.
An outstanding TV series that will leave you shattered at the end, too.
The Residence
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the latest TV show that is part of the Shondaland empire. Produced and partially created by Shonda Rhimes, this entire series takes place in the White House, after the Head Usher is killed and it is made to look like a suicide.
I run hot and cold on Rhimes. I watched Grey's Anatomy for a season or two before one of the characters ended up dating a ghost and I gave up. My wife and I eagerly binged Scandal, until we caught up and started to watch it week or week and found ourselves not caring much anymore.
The Residence...is a delight. Uzo Aduba shows up as consulting detective Cordelia Cupp and she is a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Monk and Colombo. She is also an avid bird watcher. Also, she is hilarious.
At her side is FBI agent Edwin Park, played by Randall Park and I did not know what I was craving in my world was the team up of Randall Park and Uzo Aduba as a detective team.
Of course, this hits all of the whodunit key points. It directs and misdirects. There are suspects who turn out not to be. We find out who each person is, what their back story is and why they might have wanted to kill the Head Usher (kind of the guy in charge of the staff that takes care of the residence part of the White House).
All the performances are great. And, again, I was shocked at how damn funny it was. I laughed out loud many times, and was hooked after the second episode. I need more Cordelia Cupp. I want more Cordelia Cupp.
The Twister: Caught in the Storm
Back in 2011 a powerful tornado ripped through Joplin, MO, in the Ozarks and pretty much wiped out the town. There were 161 deaths linked to this shocking and horrific storm that captured the nation's attention. This is a documentary gives us views of this storm from people who were there, and several of them inside the damn storm.
I am petrified of thunderstorms and tornadoes, and yet I cannot help but watch stuff like this. I found this documentary fascinating and I was unable to turn away. Some of these people had their cell phones recording and we get actual footage taken inside the tornado.
It's a story of a profound tragedy, but also one of resilience and determination to carry on. This place went through the worst of the worst, and the town is still there now, carrying on. I highly recommend checking this one out.
So, There You Go
So, check those out the next time you're bored. I recommend all three highly. There's nothing better than a weekend or day off spent watching stuff like this. Enjoy!
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