Everything I Watched Last Month (April 2024)

And what I thought about it all

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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.

RELATED: Everything I Watched in March 2024

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 2024 (and here’s the list from March if you want more ideas for things to watch):

Steve (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+) 👍

This two-parter all about Steve Martin and his incredible career was really effective in both teaching me a lot about his trajectory and imbuing his signature sense of humor into the storytelling. The first part is told fully through voiceover and found footage, while the second part features new documentary footage and talking heads. It’s a nice balance!

The Traitors UK - Season 2 (Peacock) 👍👍

A 10/10 season of reality TV. It’s hard to even compare the UK edition of “The Traitors” with the US version — while they have the same format (and many of the same challenges), because they cast their shows in opposite ways, they make for very different viewing experiences. While the American version features all famous people and reality stars, the UK version is fully made up of civilians, which raises the stakes in a way. The choice of Traitors makes this season quite brilliant, it’s full of epic Roundtables and irresistible characters you can’t help but become attached to. What a brutal finish! I’m going to start the Australian version next…

Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion (Max) 👐

There was a lot of hype around this 90-minute documentary that blows the lid off of Brandy Melville’s mysterious origin story, dubious sales tactics and problematic messaging. I found that portion of the doc to be compelling and interesting and genuinely revealing, but it lost me when it focused on the broader fast fashion industry. Obviously, the industry as a whole has huge problems and contributes to an unconscionable amount of waste around the world, but it didn’t quite land to essentially blame this one brand for that entire problem for me.

Side note, it’s wild to see that, despite this documentary’s release, if you walk by any Brandy Melville in New York City on any given weekend, there will still be a line out the door to get in. In fact, I think the lines got longer.

RHOP - Season 8 (Bravo) 👎

This was, sadly, this incredible franchise’s worst season yet — by a mile. I got into why via this deep dive on my podcast a few weeks ago, so I won’t regurgitate my thoughts again here. That being said, I’m pleasantly surprised that the cast made a few big changes and then jumped right back into filming. I have faith my girls can get it back on track!

Baby Reindeer (Netflix) 👍

There’s no denying that this series is damn good. It’s original, it sends chills down your spine, it’s darkly funny and it tells an impactful story. The public response and obsession with the show reflects that. There’s a “Pop Culture Happy Hour” episode about the show that encapsulated some reservations I had about this show that I couldn’t quite put into words before I listened to it, which brought me some peace about the fact that, while I liked this show, I’m not quite as enthusiastic about it as everyone else seems to be.

Ripley (Netflix) 👍👍

It’s hard to imagine that many shows will surpass this one as one of my favorites of the entire year. It’s exquisitely shot, Andrew Scott’s performance as Tom Ripley is electrifying and I loved the way the show played with pace and storytelling. If you never jumped into this one, run don’t walk.

Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told (Hulu) 👍

I’d heard of Freaknik, an annual street festival in Atlanta, but I wasn’t very familiar with its history and cultural significance until I watched this great doc about it. It features a superstar roster of talking heads and tells Freaknik’s story in an engaging way. Loved this.

NYC Prep (Peacock) 👐

Peacock dropped a slew of shows from Bravo’s vault last month, and the first one that I rewatched was the 8-episode season of “NYC Prep,” which followed a group of elite high schoolers in Manhattan and billed itself as the real-life “Gossip Girl.” I had fond memories of watching this show when it first aired in 2009, but upon rewatch it raised a lot of questions and left me with an uneasy feeling as a viewer. Listen to my rewatch podcast episode about it here.

The New York Times Presents: Broken Horses (Hulu) 👍

The “New York Times Presents” series does such a great job at telling in-depth stories in a digestible way at a pace that keeps your attention. This episode focused on the various controversies surrounding professional horse racing and the treatment of the horses by several high-power owners around the sport. This made me never want to watch another horse race for the rest of my life, honestly. Justice for the horses!

Challengers (in theaters) 👍👍

So nice I saw it twice. Seriously, I loved this movie so much that I went to the theater on two separate occasions to see it. I don’t remember the last time I did that. The three central performances from Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist are top-notch, their chemistry and sexual tension is off the charts and Luca Guadagnino’s direction is inventive and original and genius. One of my favorite things I’ve watched all year.

The Idea of You (Prime) 👍

I wrote about this record-breaking rom-com in a recent newsletter, but basically I thoroughly enjoyed it and Anne Hathaway is great in it, but I read the book too close to seeing it which tainted my enjoyment of the movie a bit. They make a lot of changes from the original story that were too fresh in my mind to not think about as I watched it, but it’s a perfectly entertaining and fun romantic comedy on its own that I’d recommend to anyone! I’m looking forward to a rewatch in a few months.