Happy Friday, friends! It's week 23 of the pandemic. How are you holding up?
I've been finding comfort and calm at the beach. Sitting on the sand, book in hand, things almost feel normal.
As I have every week since mid-March, I'm back this week with a fresh list of TV and movie recommendations. If you missed any of the earlier picks, you can find all of them on my TV recaps page.
A few upcoming things to look forward to:
- Today - Les Miserables is now available on Netflix. Warm up those vocal cords for the sing-a-long!
- Saturday, August 22 - Love in the Time of Corona premieres on Freeform. It will be a two-night event. Check out the trailer - it looks super cute!
- Tuesday, September 1 - Wedding Crashers hits Amazon Prime! I love this movie.
- Thursday, September 3 - Netflix is releasing a new movie starring Rachel Leigh Cook (yes, from She's All That) called Love, Guaranteed. She plays a lawyer representing a dating website that guarantees finding "the one."
- Friday, September 4 - Hillary Swank and Josh Charles co-star in a new Netflix series called Away. Swank plays an astronaut.
Now onto this week's top six.
1. Selling Sunset (Netflix) - Last Friday Netflix dropped season three of Selling Sunset and boy is it good! If you aren't watching this show, what are you waiting for it? It's like the dream mix of The Hills, Million Dollar Listing and Real Housewives.
This season really delivers on the jaw-dropping Los Angeles mansions. Each one is more exquisite than the next.
The two major storylines are Christine's upcoming wedding and Chrishelle's surprise divorce. We also get to see more of Amanza's family life as a single mom. Her children are gorgeous and so sweet.
I really hope there is going to be a fourth season because I need more!
2. Work It (Netflix) - I love a dance movie. Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Save the Last Dance, Center Stage - I can't get enough. Work It is a new movie from Netflix starring Sabrina Carpenter (of Disney fame) as Quinn, a high school senior who lies in a college admissions interview, proclaiming she's on the dance team. When the admissions counselor says she plans to attend the dance showcase, panic sets in.
Quinn frantically works to assemble a squad. She finds herself a great choreographer, Jake (played by Jordan Fisher) and they get to work.
This movie is adorable and when it was over I felt like I wanted to watch it again immediately.
3. The Lost Husband (Netflix) - This movie is based on the book by the same title. Leslie Bibb stars as Libby, a woman starting over after the death of her husband. She moves to her aunt's farm, where she meets O'Connor (played by Josh Duhamel), the farm manager. He trains her on all the daily chores and surprise! They fall in love.
This movie is painfully predictable, but the farm house Libby moves into with her aunt is totally swoon-worthy and will have you wanting to redecorate your home.
4. Silver Linings Playbook (Netflix) - This gem originally came out in 2012 and was a major contender during that awards season. It is written and directed by David O. Russell and co-stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. To me, this is when Bradley Cooper transitioned from raunchy party movies (Wedding Crashers, The Hangover) to become a more serious actor.
This movie is family dysfunction at its finest (plus football and ballroom dancing). Grab the popcorn!
5. The Royals (Amazon) - I just learned that this fantastic, soapy, drama is available on Amazon. I used to watch it live on Sunday nights on E!
Elizabeth Hurley stars as the Queen of England, and William Mosley and Alexandra Park play her spoiled children, Liam and Eleanor. Eleanor falls in love one of the security guards, Jasper. Their romance is the best part.
There are four seasons, 10 episodes each. You'll fly through it.
6. Doctor Foster (Netflix) - My mom and I binged the first season of Doctor Foster together. We watched the first episode and were completely hooked. The show originally aired on BBC, so yes, you can look forward to British accents.
Suranne Jones plays Dr. Gemma Foster, who discovers that her husband is cheating on her. His young mistress is played by Jodie Comer, now famous for her role as Villanelle on Killing Eve.
I would classify this show as a thriller. It's suspenseful, heart pounding and at times you may feel like yelling at the TV. There are two seasons, each with fives episodes.
There you have it! This week's list. I'll be back next Friday with a fresh round.
*Images courtesy of Unsplash, PopSugar, Entertainment Weekly, New on Netflix, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and The Telegraph.
