Three Things We’re Diggin’
Ashleigh - Beef
Well, I just finished Beef and the first thought that comes to mind is, “well that was a WILD ride.” At its core, it’s a story about two very troubled people who get in a road rage incident, and the story snowballs from there. It disgusted me, it made me uncomfortable, it made me feel extremely sorry for people who can’t get over things. It made me angry that people who are in positions of power don’t help those who are not. And it usually made me sad.
Although I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite show, I always love shows that make you think, even if they’re not the most pleasant things to consume. Plus, there was amazing art to introduce each episode, and the acting was spectacular. Ali Wong was a POWERHOUSE and Steven Yeun is definitely someone to watch, as he has been picking really interesting roles lately (Minari, The Humans, Nope). It also really kept me on my toes. I found that about halfway through the show, I thought every episode was the last episode. And, I usually was happy with the ending. THEN, another episode would start! And I would be like “WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN NOW?!” But, I have to say, the last scene cut me to the core. Destroyed me. And I’ll probably think about it for a long time, so that’s why this week I’m diggin’ Beef. Congrats to the writers of that show - you took us all for an extremely wild ride.
A.J. - Molli and Max in the Future
Last Thursday, my friend Rachel invited me to the Lower East Side Film Festival’s opening night screening of Molli and Max in the Future. The film is an effervescent and constantly funny take on When Harry Met Sally but set in outer space. What does that mean? It means you get a melancholic jazz piano score that plays as two people keep bumping into each other over the course of 12 years AND you also get four planets, three dimensions and one space cult. At a breezy 93 minutes, the film is the perfect length for a rom com. It’s also filled with inventive creature makeup, clever DIY visual effects, and woozy sci-fi futurescapes. Zosia Mamet (Girls) and Aristotle Athari (Silicon Valley) shine as Molli and Max. The palpable chemistry between the two is the primary reason why this rom com works so well. Here’s to hoping this movie gets the wide release it deserves.
Bubba - 100 Foot Wave
The recent success of Free Solo – the Oscar-winning 2018 feature documenting Alex Honnold’s superhuman, ropeless ascent of El Capitan – has certainly increased demand for more nail-biting feats of athleticism on streaming platforms. Since its release, we’ve seen documentaries of people pushing (and sometimes finding) the limit, like The Alpinist (2021), 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021), and HBO’s reality competition series, The Climb (2023). If, like me, you enjoy watching people defy what is conventionally considered humanly possible, boy do I have a recommendation for you: 100 Foot Wave (HBO) chronicles the journey of professional surfer, Garrett McNamara, and his quest to surf the world’s biggest wave. Needless to say, this show is – literally and figuratively – one hell of a wild ride. But it isn’t Garrett’s death-defying ambition alone that makes this show great. In season one, Chris Smith (director of Jim & Andy, Fyre, and producer of Tiger King) distills a decade’s worth of footage into 9 hour-long episodes (shout out to the post-production team!), accentuating the emotional beats of Garrett’s journey with a beautiful score by Philip Glass. Let me tell you, this is a damn good series.
