We return with a new set of recommendations for movies and series to watch at home, while we stay safe in isolation and avoid social contact. If two weeks ago I came up with some suggestions of what to watch on Netflix, this week it’s time for HBO GO. Not for nothing, but I finally started watching Curb Your Enthusiasm and I was looking for a pretext to further recommend this series.

So, here they are:

FIVE MOVIES:

– The Tale (dir. Jennifer Fox; drama) – Based on the filmmaker’s own story, The Tale is an investigation into one woman’s memory as she’s forced to re-examine her first sexual relationship. Jennifer has it all, with a loving boyfriend and a great career as a journalist and professor. Everything changes when her mother discovers a story that Jennifer wrote when she was 13, detailing a “special” relationship she had with two adult coaches.

– Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino; drama, comedy) – The action of the film takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. Although there are mixed reviews, I actually find it to be quite good; the only downside is that it has 3 hours (for me, at least. Sorry, patience is not my strong suit).

– Monsters (dir. Marius Olteanu; drama) – Why not also recommend a Romanian movie, right? Of course, it’s not the only one on HBO GO, but it’s among the most recently added this week, matter of fact in premiere. Dana and Arthur, wife and husband in their forties, have been together for almost 10 years. They are a couple that society, family, friends seem to love together, but despise separately. Because of their needs, their beliefs, their life options, their inner monsters. The day comes for them to decide if letting go is the biggest proof of love.

I also recommend reading the Films in Frame interview with Judith State and Cristian Popa.

– The Lion King (dir. Jon Favreau; animation) – Yes, yes, the live-action remake of the classic Lion King. It certainly doesn’t compare with the original experience, which will never be surpassed by any other remake, but the 2019 version is also interesting and full of emotion. Or at least different, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

– Whiplash (dir. Damien Chazelle; drama, musical) – Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of the country’s most elite music conservatory. Haunted by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats.  But he is mentored by Terence Fletcher, whose unconventional training methods push him beyond the boundaries of reason and sensibility.

FIVE SERIES:

– Curb Your Enthusiasm – If you watched and liked Seinfeld, then you will surely appreciate Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has Larry David in the lead role, one of the two co-creators of Seinfeld. He plays his own role, a man who apparently has everything he wants, but simply can’t help but get into awkward and funny situations, often on purpose. Based on “nothing good can happen when you get out of the house”, a great motto to also describe this period.

– Westworld – The new thing to watch on Monday night, now that there’s no more Game of Thrones in our lives. If someone asked me how I would describe Westworld, it would be hard to give an accurate answer. It’s a combination of western, artificial intelligence, robots and a desire to conquer (or at least change) the world. I can’t compare it to anything else, all I can tell you is that it’s a must-see, in case you haven’t watched it yet.

– The Young Pope – Apart from having the coolest intro (along with Big Little Lies, but we’ll talk about it right away), this series also has a super interesting script and a super-actor in the lead role: yes, Jude Law. In theory, the series follows the story of the newly elected Pius XIII, the first American pope in history. In reality, each episode is full of intrigue and will raise many questions.

– Big Little Lies – Imagine three mothers and wives who seem to live the perfect life, in perfect houses by the sea, in a perfect city. Well, certainly appearances are often deceiving and their lives change as a result of an unfortunate “accident”. The series has a wonderful soundtrack, extraordinary actresses and a script full of intrigue, plot twists and hidden things.

– The Wire – A very realistic series and highly recommended to those interested in movies and series with crimes and investigations. It’s written and directed by David Simon, author and former police reporter, so it certainly contains some valuable insights.

If you’re looking for even more movie recommendations, maybe even from representatives of the Romanian film industry such as Andrei Huțuleac, Ana Ularu or Dorian Boguță, I recommend our article on the  #LeapsaFiF challenge, the tag game we started online to put together the biggest watchlist so far – here.

Romina Banu

Photographer and editor; she co-founded Dissolved Magazine together with Melissa. For Films in Frame she gathers film and TV series recommendations for lazy weekends and she writes about interesting projects from the film industry. Other than that, she likes traveling, chilling with her cats and sleeping.