Q Wave’s Watchlist: October 2020
"There's nothing to watch," is not a phrase that should exist in a world drowning in content. Join us every month to get curated content - from the latest and greatest to revisiting oldies - we'll help you avoid the dreaded “Netflix Block” and find something to watch!
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
There are very few aspects of our lives that social media has not touched. In fact, you’re probably reading this because it showed up on Facebook or Instagram! Especially in these times when it’s harder to connect in person, the virtual connections on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms are more important than ever. But there’s a darker side to social media.
You’ll hear from experts who have worked in the very companies that keep us connected. From the man who built Google Inbox to the guy who developed Facebook’s “Like” button, there is no shortage of industry knowledge. Although this documentary is a little over-the-top with its portrayal, it will definitely give you something to think about.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Explained, Broken
Runtime: 89 Minutes
Genre: Documentary
Tehran (Apple TV+)
In this international spy thriller, a Mossad agent is smuggled into Tehran to sabotage the power grid so that fighter jets can safely destroy a nuclear reactor in Iran. But when the mission takes a deadly turn, she must find a way to escape capture and survive.
Originally produced for Israeli public channel Kan 11, this series was picked up by Apple through an exclusive streaming deal to worldwide audiences. Niv Sultan, who stars as the Mossad agent, must contend with the lead investigator for the Revolutionary Guard Corps, played by Shaun Toub (Homeland). The show seamlessly blends suspenseful international sequences with grounded human interactions that highlight the dignity of people on both sides.
There are a multitude of languages present here, often switching from Farsi to Hebrew to English at the drop of a hat, which give the show a more authentic feel. It may be a world that is often only viewed through a political lens, but features people who only want what is best for themselves, their families, and their countries.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Homeland, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Runtime: 8 Episodes
Genre: Spy, Thriller
Mulan (Disney+)
Disney has continued their trend of creating live-action versions of their classic catalogue of animated films, this time taking on the Chinese story of Hua Mulan. Unlike the other remakes, this version is not a musical but rather a more modernized telling that incorporates the ethereal martial arts style made popular by films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The titular role is played by Liu Yifei, a relatively unknown rising star to North American audiences, who challenges the traditional role of a woman in dynastic Chinese society. Taking her father’s sword and armour, she joins the army in disguise, knowing full well that if caught, the penalty would be death. Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha) steals the show as a sorceress who sees herself in Mulan.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Mulan (1998), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Runtime: 115 Minutes
Genre: Action, Adventure
The World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji (Amazon Prime Video)
If you thought Olympic athletes were inhuman (or superhuman), you’ve never seen what Eco-Challenge athletes can do. Hosted and narrated by Bear Grylls (Man vs Wild), the show follows 66 teams as they race across the Fijian island of Viti Levu to claim the grand prize of $100,000.
Teams hike, mountain bike, paddleboard, rappel, canyoneer, whitewater raft, and sail outriggers on little to no sleep through treacherous terrain without the aid of electronic technology. Not all teams will make it to the end, but watching those who do will give you a new appreciation for what the human body can do.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Survivor, The Amazing Race
Runtime: 10 Episodes
Genre: Reality, Documentary, Adventure
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Crave)
We all know the Starfleet motto, “To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” We’ve also seen how officers and captains behave, but what about the crew who run the ship and are only seen in passing? In this animated look at the Star Trek universe, we meet Ensign Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys) and Ensign Mariner (Tawny Newsome, Space Force) as they go about their daily lives on the U.S.S. Cerritos. Is it weird to say that Starfleet officers can be raunchy? Sure, but that’s not a bad thing in this case.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Star Trek, Rick & Morty
Runtime: 8 Episodes
Genre: Comedy, Animation
Schitt’s Creek (CBC Gem)
When a wealthy family loses everything in a financial scam except their claim to a town the father (Eugene Levy, American Pie) bought as a joke, nothing but hijinks could possibly ensue. Written by and starring father-son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy (MTV, as his son, David Rose), this small Canadian production focuses on the comedic trials and tribulations of the Rose family (including Catherine O’Hara of Home Alone fame as Moira Rose, and Annie Murphy as the daughter, Alexis Rose) as they navigate their new lives stripped of all their wealth.
Their depiction of a town free from hatred and bigotry, and a love story that will have you laughing and crying at the same time, are just two of the themes that made viewers fall in love with Schitt’s Creek. The show has won numerous awards, and swept all seven comedy categories at this year’s Emmy Awards.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Arrested Development, Kim’s Convenience
Runtime: 6 Seasons
Genre: Comedy
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