10 Things I Loved in 2016

Oh, wow. It has been a minute since I’ve updated this blog. Oops. Graduating college, working an internship, searching for a full-time job, and now working a full-time job actually takes up a lot of time. (Also, I am lazy.) But you can always count on me for a favorite things/end-of-the-year post—especially this past year. Lord knows a lot of terrible things happened in 2016. But it did give us the children from Stranger Things. So. Here’s what I loved the most from this year (in alphabetical order—ranking iz 2 hard): ATLANTA (TV)

Donald Glover’s ode to his hometown is bizarre, but it’s also incredibly insightful and personal. And it’s just different. Atlanta is obviously Glover’s show, but he often pushes his character, Ern, to the background. Van (played by Zazie Beetz) is made out to be a supporting character, yet we get an entire episode (a great one btw) dedicated to only her. Catch up on this one if you haven’t. Highlight: In the eighth episode, “The Club,” a promoter continues to slyly avoid Ern inside his own club so he doesn’t have to pay him. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen this year. DOWN IN HEAVEN by Twin Peaks (album)

I discovered this garage rock band at LouFest this year, and I’ve been hooked since. Their third album, released in May, is loaded with head-banging tracks often laced with bleak lyrics (“You can live how you want / If you don’t mind livin’ alone”), but their energy is insane. I listen to this CD every morning on the way to work, and it can wake me up on the toughest mornings. Favorite tracks: “Walk to the One You Love,” “Cold Lips,” “Holding Roses,” “Stain” FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (film)

A lot of people were unimpressed by this Harry Potter spinoff, but I thought it was a ton of fun (minus a certain cameo toward the end that made me groan out loud in the movie theater). The animals are amusing and wacky, the new characters are suitable stand-ins for the HP trio, and the final five minutes left me smiling for the rest of the weekend. And I find Eddie Redmayne’s socially awkward Newt Scamander quite endearing. Highlight: The Niffler’s epic heist midway through the film is way more enjoyable than it should be. JACKIE (film)

This wasn’t at all what I expected. The film opens with a black screen and the first notes of the eeriest music score I think I’ve ever heard. But Natalie Portman honestly deserves all of the praise she’s receiving for her portrayal of the former First Lady. She’s unsettling and hallowed out by grief. But there are many moments, like her tour of the White House scene, where we get a peek at the complicated life she led pre-assassination. Highlight: Portman’s Oscar nomination clip will undoubtedly be the moment when, as Jackie, she recounts what it felt like to see her husband die right next to her. Oof. MAKE HAPPY (TV)

Bo Burnham’s highly anticipated follow-up to his last Netflix comedy special, what., was sharper, grander (those lights!), and—surprisingly—more melancholy. He touches on subjects ripe for take-down, including contemporary country music and straight white males. Burnham is also candid about celebrity and his personal struggles with anxiety. His final line, “I hope you’re happy,” is spoken so genuinely that after I turned off the special, I sat and thought, “Am I?” Highlight: Burnham expertly mocks Kanye West in his final rap about Chipotle and Pringles, then segues perfectly into something much more solemn and touching. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (film)

Kenneth Lonergan’s critically acclaimed film is as depressing as you think it is—maybe more so. But it’s light moments come like bursts of confetti, from Lucas Hedges’ teenage romantic woes to Michelle Williams unabashedly yelling at her husband (played by Casey Affleck) and his friends at 2 a.m. to quiet down or leave her house. The movie might feel achingly familiar to a lot of people, especially those who’ve had to deal with the loss of a loved one. But its lack of frills feels pretty refreshing. Highlight: Any scene with Lucas Hedges and Casey Affleck together tbh MOONLIGHT (film)

This film by Barry Jenkins reminded me of what great storytelling looks like. This movie truly felt like a story had come to life. It’s three distinct chapters are woven with similar themes (and filmed beautifully with cool hues of—duh—moonlight and bold neons from the Miami setting). Each chapter is also distinctly its own. And the final 30 minutes are so sweet and heartbreaking. Highlight: The swimming scene is v wonderful.

OJ: MADE IN AMERICA (TV/film)

ESPN’s 7-hour documentary isn’t just about the murder trial that everyone and their moms followed in the ‘90s. It’s an important retelling of a tumultuous chapter in America's history, one that is still very relevant today. OJ’s meteoric rise and the development of his odd celebrity persona is juxtaposed with the unrest—police brutality, riots—in Los Angeles. And by the time the documentary reaches the horrific murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman and the impending trial, you’re completely hooked (and then extremely angry for being so hooked). Highlight: Before watching this, I’d never seen any footage of that infamous white Bronco cruising down the highway. This doc dedicates a solid chapter to it. Man was that weird. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’S “DUNKIN’ DONUTS” SKIT (TV)

I can’t think of any other Saturday Night Live skit from this year that made me laugh more. This faux commercial mocks those that use the “real customer” marketing tactic. Everyone has a crude Boston accent, and Casey Affleck smashing a cup of coffee onto a dude’s car as he yells “Go back to Stah-bucks!” is honestly something I think about and laugh at daily. Highlight: All of it, honestly STRANGER THINGS (TV)

I really had no idea what to expect when I started Netflix’s surprise hit show. But it kind of blew me away? Yes, it has guilty pleasure written all over it (and those poor children seem to be on a never-ending press tour). But Stranger Things is put together quite well—the nostalgia-fueled references to Stephen King and ‘80s horror, the kitschy soundtrack, the quirky characters. And that’s the heart of this show—the incredibly loyal middle-school boys searching for their vanished friend, and the nearly bald, otherworldly girl who leads the way. Highlight: There’s so many. But (spoiler) I’m still thinking about Winona Ryder’s speech to her oldest son (played by Charlie Heaton) about refusing to believe Will is really dead, even after they leave his body in the morgue. “I am going to bring him home!” Chills.