The best of what I watched and read in 2023
A still of Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in “Past Lives.” A24.
I’ve always believed it’s important to consume as much good art, writing, music, and media as we can. It makes us better at understanding how humans work, what drives attitudes, behavior, and decision-making, and it improves our cultural competency and emotional intelligence. Understanding the depth and breadth of human experiences helps us appreciate the many things that shape a person’s point of view, and makes us more empathetic and creative.
And…all of that aside…it’s the good stuff in life: when the quality is there, it’s truly worth our time, energy, and attention. It moves us, makes us feel, makes us think, makes us less lonely, brings us alive, and brings us together.
So it is in this spirit that I have compiled a list of recommendations for you: the best of what I watched and read in 2023. Stand-outs only.
TO WATCH
This was my favorite movie of the year…by far. A24 did it again. Written and directed by Celine Song (impossibly her first film!?), this poignant and beautiful story features unimpeachable performances by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. I wrote and re-wrote a paragraph about this movie, and decided to scrap it altogether because nothing I write can do it justice. It’s that good. I saw this in the theater, and the entire audience was in tears at the end, including yours truly. Just trust me. And if you can’t just trust me, the NYT critic’s pick review is pretty decent.
This documentary about Jon Baptiste and Suleika Jaouad is simultaneously heart-breaking and gorgeous in the way that life is simultaneously heartbreaking and gorgeous. It was filmed over eighteen months as Baptiste prepared a symphony for his debut performance at Carnegie Hall and his partner, Suleika Jaouad, received treatment for a recurrence of leukemia. My only complaint is that the film allows you a window into Baptiste’s genius, but Jaouad’s full brilliance is a bit obscured. I concede the difficulty of that task, as Jaouad is a writer (I’ve included her memoir in the list of recommended reading below).
A sweet, but not too sweet movie to go see this Holiday Season. As far as Christmas movies go, this is one for the top of the pile. The story itself is a bit formulaic and oh-so-sincere, but the performances are A+, as are the set design, costumes, and soundtrack. The movie follows three lonely souls spending the holidays together during winter break at a New England boarding school. I cannot imagine the story working without the sublime Da’Vine Joy Randolph who is reason enough to watch. Please cast her in more movies, Hollywood.
If you live under a rock and somehow missed Greta Gerwig’s masterpiece, take a few hours of your holiday break to fix that. I admit to being skeptical that I would enjoy this one, but wow, was I wrong. I have seen this movie three times, and I have cried all three times during America Ferrera’s monologue about womanhood. For some extra fun, follow Mark Ronson on Instagram and see some BTS on the making of the soundtrack and score as well as his [and Ryan Gosling’s] new Kristmas rendition of “I’m Just Ken.” (Confession: I cannot stop watching this).
I’m from Chicago, so I might be biased, but this is one of the best shows I’ve seen on television. If you’re a grown up theater kid, you need to watch this show. Season I is great, but Season II is excellent. The show embraces the ensemble, with each at the center of an episode that shows us who they are. Every character has depth and every actor delivers, even the ones with the smallest parts. Episode 6 is like an Edward Albee play extraordinarily brought to the screen, with cameos from greats like Sarah Paulson and John Mulaney.
A charming series staring Jason Segal, Jessica Williams, an 80-year old Harrison Ford. Both of my parents are retired clinical psychologists and I’m preeeetty sure they would hate this show (they typically hate any media that depicts therapists breaking the code of ethics or saying outlandish things to their patients, both of which are integral to the plot). I can’t take my eyes off a curmudgeonly Harrison Ford doing a grouchy-old-man act (especially since underneath the gruff exterior, his character is actually a big-hearted softie). Jessica Williams and Jason Segal give performances that are both hilarious and moving and utterly human. The supporting cast is equally talented, and the setting will make you think that just maybe you should live in Pasadena.
A Murder at the End of the World
If you know me, you know I am a sucker for dystopian stories. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it’s comforting for me to know that it’s not just my brain that goes there. I binge-watched this seven-episode series when I was sick recently. Rolling Stone called it “Riveting…thrilling and compulsively watchable,” and I agree! I was also a fan of Brit Marling’s [very controversial] series, The OA, but this has a *much* tighter script and story. It’s beautifully shot. Clive Owen is a terror to behold. The depiction of the “King of Tech” might drive some in Silicon Valley a little bananas, but I found it to be eerily true to form.
See previous note about me being a sucker for dystopian stories. See new note about me also being as sucker for Pedro Pascal who is good in everything he does. Bella Ramsey is incredible, and episode 3 with Nick Offerman is exceptional and will make you weep, and if it doesn’t, you might not have a beating heart. I cannot believe I am saying this about a series that is based on a video game (!?!), but I am. Loved it. Would watch it again. Probably will.
TO READ
Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner
Yes, this was written by thee Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast(!) Yes, it is infuriating that one person can be this talented as both a musician and a writer. Yes, you will cry while you read this book (I cried on an airplane, at a Nordic spa, and in the guest room at my in laws’ house). This memoir is ostensibly about grieving her mother’s death, but it’s also about so much more than that: growing up, the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, the complicated relationship between fathers and daughters, what it’s like to live between cultures, the dichotomy of repressed emotion and artistic expression, learning and unlearning, and so on. “Be Sweet” is probably the top song I listened to over and over this year (I refuse to check Spotify), and this was the top book. Michelle, you’re killing me.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This book made quite a splash and was on many must-read lists just after it came out, so when I picked it up, I felt sure it would not live up to the hype. The protagonists of the story are also gamers, and I thought I would find that boring (not a gamer, myself…I can’t even get into sports). Then I read it. I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone, because at its heart, it’s about something nearly every one of us can relate to: the ever-evolving nature of enduring friendship.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
An oldie but a goodie for all you writers out there. One to read and re-read, chapter by chapter, page by page. ;-) Picking this back up also sent me down an Anne Lamott internet rabbit hole, because it turns out she speaks just like she writes. Her TED Talk on 12 truths she learned from life and writing is worth a watch.
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
I’m cheating because I read this last year, but oh how I loved this book. Jaouad wrote this memoir about life before, during, and after her first leukemia diagnosis. The title refers to the moving back and forth between the realm of the well and the realm of the sick. This is a stunning book, and I read it in one sitting while on vacation. Jaouad is not just an inspiring person, she is an extraordinary writer and artist. If you, like me, cannot get enough of her writing after reading this book, I highly recommend her Substack, The Isolation Journals.