Everything I Watched in April 2023

Things to add to your list!

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Back with another monthly watch list recap!

Once a month I send out a list of everything I watched the previous month to give you some ideas of things to add to your own watch lists, so I’m here to share the rundown of all of the stuff I watched in April.

Also note that I only include seasons of TV shows that I finished in any given month — if it’s still on or I’m still currently watching it, then I’ll include it when it’s over.

READ ALSO: No, Sofia Richie’s Wedding Wasn’t ‘Stealth Wealth’

You’ll find that my reactions to things lean positive, because 1. I actively try to seek out stuff that I expect to be entertaining, has been well reviewed and/or has value to me — I’m not just going to watch the most popular show on Netflix because everyone else is if I don’t think I would like it — and 2. I’ve given myself more leeway recently to give up on shows that I’m not enjoying (here’s the list of all the shows I dropped last year). I used to force myself to finish things even if I hated them, which is truly unnecessary and a waste of time.

Keep scrolling for the list of everything I watched in April 2023 (and here’s the list from March if you want more ideas for things to watch):

Pretty Baby (Hulu) 👍👍

This two-part doc about Brooke Shields’ life in the spotlight and the oftentimes uncomfortable treatment of her physical beauty — especially as she was growing up — was extremely affecting and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.

Class of ’07 (Prime) 👍

An Australian series that centers on a group of women who get stranded inside their high school after a flash flood event occurs during their tenth reunion, it takes some survivalist elements of “The Wilds” and “Yellowjackets” and imbues them with a “Sex Education”-esque sensibility. It’s a quirky show that roped me in — curious if it gets a second season.

Rye Lane (Hulu) 👍👍

Looking for an actually-good new rom-com? Look no further than “Rye Lane,” a captivating British film about two young adults fresh out of breakups who pretend to be dating to get back at their exes. A familiar setup with an extraordinary reward.

A Thousand and One (in theaters) 👍👍

Another excellent movie. This one won a top prize at Sundance and stars Teyana Taylor as a woman released from Rikers who reconnects with her son, who has been in the foster care system. It follows them as he grows up and through his time in high school. Teyana’s performance left me awestruck, and I can’t wait for the inevitable awards recognition she’ll surely receive for her turn in this movie. Incredible.

Beef (Netflix) 👍👍

I loved this show — and hope it doesn’t get a second season. Inventive and one-of-a-kind and self-contained, it felt like a revelation in many ways.

Kourtney & Travis: The Wedding (Hulu) 👐

Blink and you missed this one, which served as a prelude to the upcoming third season of “The Kardashians.” It felt mostly just like a bunch of home footage of Kravis’ Italian wedding weekend than anything. Very light on drama, very heavy on PDA.

Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker (Apple TV+) 👍

This two-part docu-series centers on the grand slam tennis champ Boris Becker — his hall of fame-worthy career and catastrophic post-tennis life, during which he made a lot of poor business decisions, let the wrong people in and ultimately went to jail for two-and-a-half years for hiding assets. It features interviews a lot of notable talking heads from the tennis world, and I found it to be very well done.

Tiny Beautiful Things (Hulu) 👐

I had high hopes for this Kathryn Hahn-starring show that ultimately felt too one-note and failed to go anywhere. I would kind of group it in with shows like Amy Schumer’s “Life & Beth” and Bridget Everett’s “Somebody Somewhere,” but both of those were better than this one was. Love Kathryn, but this was just okay.

Air (in theaters) 👍

For some reason, I tend to find myself resistant to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team-ups, but their new production company and the philosophy behind it are really beginning to change that (read this awesome Ben Affleck interview for more on that). “Air” is the first offering from this era of theirs and, well, it’s a great sign for what’s to come. It follows the team at Nike Basketball’s quest to sign Michael Jordan as he turned pro, but it never shows Michael Jordan’s face. Instead, it places deserved emphasis on his mother, Deloris, played by a very in-form Viola Davis. Chris Messina as his no-bullshit agent was also a highlight. A very good movie!

Love Is Blind - Season 4 (Netflix) 👍👍

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a minute, then you know that the fourth season of “Love Is Blind” completely absorbed me. I was hooked. A genuinely entertaining, twisty (and twisted) season featuring couples that ran the gamut from fully in love to fully despising one another that ended in a disastrous “live” reunion for the ages.

Waco: American Apocalypse (Netflix) 👐

I’d never watched a comprehensive show about what happened in Waco so, on that level, I appreciated this short docu-series. I learned a lot about a pivotal moment in American history. But ultimately it just felt like another fine Netflix doc project about something from relatively recent memory.

Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - Season 3 (Peacock) 👐

The third installment of “RHUGT” was definitely its worst, for reasons that I’ve already written about in this newsletter. While there were still some great moments (how fun was it having Porsha Williams back on TV?), ultimately the cast chemistry wasn’t at the level that we wanted and there was too much rehashing of stale drama from each of the individual franchises. I really do think that this show is best served when the cast features more former ‘Wives than current ones.

Jury Duty (Freevee on Prime) 👍👍

One of the best new shows of the year, no doubt. If you missed the first wave of excitement around this show and think it’s too late to watch, think again — it’s not too late to jump in. Without spoiling it, it centers on the jury of a low-stakes trial and their time working a case while sequestered in hotels together. The twist is that everyone involved is an actor (including James Marsden as himself) except for one of the jurors. It’ll have you crying of laughter from start to finish.

Abbott Elementary - Season 2 (ABC/Hulu) 👍👍

How lucky are we that we had a new episode of “Abbott Elementary” to watch every week? While I sometimes wish they could shorten the network sitcom seasons just a tad, I’m not going to complain about having too much of a good thing. “Abbott” didn’t skip a beat in its sophomore season, continuing the momentum is sustained during its breakout first season. I can’t wait for more of this irresistible cast!

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (In theaters) 👍👍

A complete delight of a movie about a young girl who moves to the suburbs in New Jersey from NYC with her parents while at that age when you so want to be an adult but the adults around you aren’t quite ready for you to grow up. Rachel McAddams is fantastic as Margaret’s mother, Kathy Bates is great as the grandmother and newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson is phenomenal in the titular role.

Judy Blume Forever (Prime) 👍

It was fun to watch this documentary about Judy Blume’s career and impact on young women after seeing “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” because it would’ve been difficult to walk away from that movie without the sense that it could be really important for young people to see. This doc proves that feeling. I particularly loved hearing some of her adult fans reading fan letters that they’d written to Judy when they were growing up. I’m so glad that she is getting her due!

The Diplomat (Netflix) 👍

I really enjoyed this series, which stars Keri Russell as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from the woman behind “Showtime.” While some of the dialogue and plot went over my head (truly had no idea what they were talking about at some points…), it genuinely hooked me. It’s also getting a second season, so it’s worth investing your time into.

The New York Times Presents: Sin Eater (Hulu) 👍

This two-part documentary under the New York Times Presents banner on FX/Hulu spotlighted Anthony Pellicano, who was an infamous fixer in Hollywood who worked with the likes of Michael Jackson and Chris Rock during times of extreme controversy. A super interesting behind-the-scenes look at how money and power can get people out of sticky situations in Hollywood.

My Kind of Country (Apple TV+) 👐

I had high hopes for this mini country music singing competition executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves, which brought together Mickey Guyton, Orville Peck and Jimmie Allen to judge unlikely country artists in an effort to encourage better representation and diversity in Nashville. While it was well-meaning and served up some genuinely stirring performances (the right person won), it never quite came together for me and felt a little heavy-handed overall.