Q Wave’s Watchlist: November 2022
"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!
1899 (Netflix)
If you were a fan of Netflix’s Sci-Fi thriller Dark, you’ve undoubtedly been mourning the loss of the show after its satisfying conclusion two years ago. But it’s time to rejoice as its creators, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, are back to twist your mind into a pretzel once again with their new mysterious show, 1899.
Not much is known about the show, which certainly fits the creator's MO and the trailer that recently dropped (see below) only adds to the mystery. The official plot is as follows: The series tells the story of mysterious events set during the voyage of an emigrant ship from Europe to New York. The passengers on board are all looking forward to the dawning of a new century with hope, dreaming of a better future abroad. When they discover a second ship on the open sea that’s been missing for months, their journey takes an unexpected turn with a web of secrets seemingly tying the back stories of each passenger together.
A key point that the creators were eager to feature was a widely diverse cast playing the group of immigrants from a variety of backgrounds. The show stars a multilingual cast and features several different languages, which was important to Friese and bo Odor as they didn’t want all the characters to be from different backgrounds but all speaking English.
The series drops on Netflix on November 17th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Dark, Sense8
Runtime: 8 episodes, approx 60 mins each
Genre: Mystery, horror
High School (Amazon Prime)
If you live in the Calgary area, you’ve surely noticed an uptick of film and television productions taking over the town. Big-budget shows like HBO’s The Last of Us and FX’s Fargo have utilized the city and dressed it up to look like major American metropolitan areas like Boston and Minnesota, respectively. So rarely does Calgary get to play itself, at least until Amazon Studios gave the green light for Tegan and Sara to bring their memoir to the small screen in their new show, High School.
For those that don’t know, twin sisters Tegan and Sara are an indie pop duo from Calgary who have won multiple Juno awards and been nominated for a Grammy. In 2019, they released their memoir titled, High School, which recounted their coming-of-age story of growing up as queer teens in Calgary in the 1990s. The book became a bestseller, and Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B and Amazon Studios teamed up to help adapt it to a television series.
The show is nothing if not authentic, having filmed at Crescent Heights High School this past summer - the very same school Tegan and Sara attended when they were teenagers.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Love Simon, Awkward
Runtime: 8 episodes, approx 30 mins each
Genre: Comedy
The White Lotus (Crave)
When season 1 of The White Lotus premiered in July of 2021, it was intended to be a self-contained, six-episode miniseries. Well, after becoming a smash hit and picking up three Emmys (two acting wins for Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge and an award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series), season 2 is here, and we are ready to check in!
The show is being billed as an anthology series, with seemingly the only connection between the two seasons being Jennifer Coolidge's character, who appears in both. The White Lotus is a fictional hotel chain, with season 2 taking place at their location in Italy (as opposed to Hawaii, where season 1 was set). The series is a sharp social satire, and much like the first season, the new season focuses on a group of wealthy and privileged vacationers at The White Lotus resort and the employees who work there. The guests' lives begin to unravel during their stay as dark complexities begin to emerge amongst the travellers and the staff.
There is always a concern when a show that wasn’t expected to go past a single season all of the sudden decides to switch things up and extend its stay. But series creator and writer Mike White has been around a while, penning comedies like HBO’s cult hit Enlightened and the Jack Black-fronted music flick, School of Rock. The early reviews from critics have all been extremely positive, so it appears The White Lotus hasn’t worn out its welcome.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Succession, Big Little Lies
Runtime: 7 episodes, approx 60 mins each
Genre: Comedy, drama
Willow (Disney Plus)
As evidenced with Hocus Pocus 2 last month, Disney is not shying away from giving fans fresh content even as it relates to cult classics of yesteryear. Officially serving as a sequel to the 1988 fantasy flick of the same name, Willow premieres on Disney Plus on December 30th.
The original movie was made by some heavy hitters, with a story by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard. Only Howard is involved in this version as an executive producer. Warwick Davis returns as the titular character.
The original film is a fantasy adventure about a dwarf farmer/apprentice magician Willow who meets a great swordsman. Together they journey through a war-torn land of magic and monsters to save a baby princess from an evil queen. The sequel series centers around Willow and a group of heroes who set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their homes.
The original film did decently at the box office for its time, but its legacy grew when it was released on home video. Since then, it’s been adapted into video games, novels and even a board game. Talks of creating a TV show as a follow-up have been ongoing since 2005 but really ramped up in 2018, not long before Disney Plus was launched.
Val Kilmer, who played the main role in the original film, was unable to participate in filming due to his recovery from throat cancer, but the showrunners promised his character would be involved in the series.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Princess Bride, The Wheel of Time
Runtime: 8 episodes
Genre: Fantasy, adventure
Causeway (Apple TV+)
Awards season is right around the corner, and with its somewhat surprising Oscar haul last year thanks to CODA, Apple looks to be going for gold again. This time it’s with the weighty psych-drama Causeway.
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (Don’t Look Up) plays Lynsey, a US soldier who suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan. When she returns home to New Orleans, she struggles to adjust to everyday life. She meets James, played by Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), and the two form a deep connection as Lynsey waits for her eventual redeployment.
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, and the early returns from critics are overwhelmingly positive, praising Lawrence and Henry's performance.
In a sign that Apple has Oscar hopes for the film, in addition to being released via the streaming service on November 4th, it will also receive a theatrical run as well.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Palmer, C’mon C’mon
Runtime: 92 minutes
Genre: Drama