Two weeks ago we brought you the SOBDL Summer Reading List–if you missed it check it out!
However, a lot of us are having trouble concentrating this year because well, you’ve seen the news/twitter/instagram/facebook etc etc. So we wanted to keep bringing you different kinds of entertainment lists so we can meet you wherever you are–whether you’re in the mood for a good read, to binge a TV show or just scroll through some feel good Instagram accounts. Think of it as a Summer Reading List with a little 2020 twist–it’s only fitting.
With the help of some of the wonderful women of SOBDL this week we’re bringing you a Summer Watching List. Enjoy!
I May Destroy You
It’s heartbreaking, complicated and probably the best thing on TV right now. Writer/Director/Actress Michaela Cole explores sexual assault and consent in a super personal HBO series. It’s also so worth reading the interview she did about remaining in control of her story & creative vision. She’s incredible!
Black Is King
This visual album from Beyonce, based on songs from The Lion King: The Gift reimagines lessons from The Lion King for today’s little kings and queens searching for their own crown. We could go on but all we really need to say is it’s something new from Queen Bey and that’s probably all the endorsement you need.
Hamilton
Disney+ has released a filmed version of the original Broadway cast performing Hamilton and it’s the best of live theatre and film brought together. Whether you’ve seen Hamilton live or are viewing/discovering it for the first time it’s well worth a watch to catch this cultural phenomenon. Hamilton is the story of the American Founder Father Alexander Hamilton as told through a score that blends hip hop, R&B, jazz and Broadway. It’s the story of America then, told by America now.
13th
This thought-provoking documentary interviews scholars, activists and politicians as it analyzes the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom. It’s a fierce call to action, directed by Ava DuVernay, that doubles down on both educating viewers and inspiring them to take a stand against racial injustice in America.
Please Like Me
This is a bit of an oldie, well from 2013, but it’s truly so good. Please Like Me is an Australian comedy series that covers mental illness and sexuality with humour, candor and sensitivity. Trust us when we say it’s worth a watch.
Schitt’s Creek
This is Canadian content at it’s finest. This multi-award-winning show follows the formerly wealthy Rose family who suddenly find themselves broke and reduced to living in a ramshackle motel in a town they once bought as a joke: Schitt’s Creek. Not only is it hilarious but it really gets better and better with each season.
Normal People
Based on Sally Rooney’s New York Times best-selling novel (which we featured in the Summer Reading List!), Normal People tracks the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from the end of their school days. Not only is the acting so compelling and but the sex scenes are *fire emoji* 🔥
Knock Down the House
This documentary takes you behind the scenes as four determined women–including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez–challenge big-money politicians in the 2018 race for Congress. It’s empowering and hopeful and tbh anything with AOC is worth watching because how can you not love her.
We’re Here
If you love RuPaul’s Drag Race this spin off is for you. The six-part unscripted series follows small-town residents as they’re recruited and trained to participate in a one-night only drag performance. In each episode, former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley will help prepare their “drag daughters” by teaching them how to step outside of their comfort zones. Just be warned, you will probably cry every episode!
Hannah Gadsby: Douglas
Gadsby’s powerful show Nanette was groundbreaking. If you loved Nanette, you need to watch Douglas. If you found Nanette too dark this one might still be for you–Douglas is a little lighter. Hannah returns for her second Netflix special and digs deep into the complexities of popularity, identity and her most unusual dog park encounter.
X-Files
If you have Amazon Prime Video you might have noticed they have the entire catalog of the original X-files and it’s so worth watching. The writing holds up pretty well plus the 90s hair and attire are always entertaining. It’s such a kickback to watch Mulder & Scully, the will-they-won’t-they and their amazing chemistry.
See You Yesterday
See You Yesterday is produced by Spike Lee and directed by Stefon Bristol (they also worked together on BlacKKKlansman and we highly recommend that one, too). This is a beautifully-made movie that perfectly executes time travel (love the idea but it’s usually spoiled for me by the temporal paradox, Jaime says) It also has a Stranger Things vibe because the main characters are all kids-geniuses. And the cherry on top is the timeliness of the underlying (or not so underlying) theme of police brutality against black people
Becoming
This Netflix Documentary follows former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others as she tours with her New York Times bestselling book “Becoming.”
