Everything I Watched in January 2023
Some ideas to add to your watch list!
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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 January! 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.
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 January 2023 (and here’s the list from December if you want more ideas for things to watch):
My Policeman (Prime) 👍
This movie didn’t get very good reviews, but I still enjoyed it. It follows a policeman in 1950s Britain, an era during which homosexuality was illegal, who falls in love with a female teacher while also carrying on an affair with a male museum curator. Emma Corrin is especially great and, while his acting leaves a lot to be desired, Harry Styles is still endlessly watchable in whatever he does, as far as I’m concerned.
Causeway (Prime) 👍
A small but mighty movie about a soldier with a brain injury attempting to reacclimatize to daily life about returning from duty. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a gorgeous performance as the soldier, and Brian Tyree Henry is captivating as her new friend who helps her get back on her feet. He was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for this one, so definitely add it to your list.
Elvis (HBO Max) 👍
A flawed but entertaining movie with an incredible performance at its center. Austin Butler deserves all the praise he’s gotten for this one, and he’s a total star — I’m just curious what he does next or how much this role does or doesn’t paint him into a corner (especially considering how long he’s carried on the charade of the Elvis voice in real life). Tom Hanks, who plays Elvis’ evil genius of a manager, was by far my least favorite part of this movie.
Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu) 👐
This series about the origins of the Chippendales male stripping brand started off really strong, but it started to flounder as the business relationship at its center starts to crumble. It wasn’t bad, but it considering it’s a story that involves male strippers and murder, it should’ve been irresistible.
M3GAN (in theaters) 👍👍
She remains the moment. Nothing left to be said about her, other than if you have yet to see it but want to, do try to catch it while it’s still in theaters — it’s a movie experience best enjoyed surrounded by others.
Ziwe - Season 2 (Showtime) 👍
Ziwe continues to do what she does best, putting famous people in the hot seat, asking them disarming and oftentimes uncomfortable questions and seeing how they react. Julia Fox and Drew Barrymore were guest highlights in this batch of episodes, for sure. The only reason I didn’t give this two thumbs up is because not all of the asides — sketches, musical numbers, transitional interstitials — work for me, and sometimes I wish they would place sole emphasis on the interviews themselves. But Ziwe is one of the brightest stars and minds in this industry, and I’m excited to track the continued evolution and growth of her career.
Matilda: The Musical (Netflix) 👍
When I first heard about this movie adaptation of the Matilda musical, I dismissed it. But then that viral dance clip started to make the rounds, and people started to rave about the movie itself, so I checked it out. I’m glad I did — this will make you smile.
The Menu (HBO Max) 👍
Wild and fucked up and wholly original. Nicholas Holt’s annoying character nearly ruined this one for me, but he toed the line just right in the end. Anya Taylor-Joy delivers another star performance in this movie and, while I didn’t totally understand everything it was trying to say, I picked up enough of it to appreciate it.
Madoff (Netflix) 👍👍
The rare Netflix documentary series that I actually loved. I thought this was a well done, well paced and informative look at Bernie Madoff’s life and crimes.
TÁR (in theaters) 👍👍
Absolutely one of my favorite movies of this awards season. It’s been said already, of course, but Cate Blanchett delivers perhaps the performance of her career as Lydia Tár in this enthralling and immersive film about a prolific composer whose life slowly unravels. An incredible feat.
Bling Empire: New York (Netflix) 👐
I interviewed Dorothy Wang about her long-awaited “Bling Empire” spinoff based around her move from Los Angeles to New York after over 30 years on the West Coast, and she seemed to share some of the same frustrations that I have with this one. She’s undoubtedly the star and can carry her weight on a show, which makes it all the more frustrating how much time is spent focusing on some of the other cast members with little to no connection to her. It felt forced and overly produced at points, which is unfortunate because I would’ve loved a more straightforward look at Dorothy’s move and life in NYC instead.
The Traitors (Peacock) 👍👍
What more is there to be said about this one? Mafia meets “The Mole” featuring reality stars from a handful of popular shows? How could you not love this?
Break Point (Netflix) 👍👍
The team behind Netflix’s popular Formula 1 series followed a slew of professional tennis players during the year-long 2022 season. The first five episodes dropped this month (the next five come this summer), and I found them to provide a great balance between profiling the players, following a few through-lines of the season and tracking individual matches with the right level of tension and intensity. Never mind that there seemed to be a “Netflix curse” at this month’s Australian Open, with many of the players profiled here dropping early in the tournament. I’m excited about the next batch of episodes!
High School (Freevee on Prime) 👍
Another one I’ve already recommended: Based on real-life singing sister duo Tegan and Sara’s memoir, it chronicles their teenage years figuring out their sexualities, their sudden discovery of their musical talents and their relationships with family and friends. A fantastic, intimate series.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris 👍
A belated watch on a recent Saturday night that I found to be utterly delightful. A fantasy-filled tale about a cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in London who scrapes together enough money to buy herself a custom Dior gown while living in Paris. It’s nominated for a few Oscars, so I’m glad I checked this one off my list!
Reasonable Doubt (Hulu) 👐
This series about a high-powered lawyer who takes on a high-profile murder case amid her own separation started off strong, but it kind of fell apart for me in the back half of the season. Entertaining, but a little too messy for me.
Southern Hospitality (Bravo) 👍👍
In case you’re new here… this “Southern Charm” spinoff based around the staff at Leva Bonaparte’s Charleston hot spot Republic is as close as we’re going to get to the glory days of early “Vanderpump Rules.” The cast is young and messy and has a lot of history with one another. I’m hoping we get a second season for them to really prove themselves!
Gossip Girl S2 (HBO Max) 👍
Joke’s on me, because HBO Max pulled the plug on this one the week that its season finale dropped. I’ve been enjoying this oft-ridiculed reboot since it premiered (I appreciated the reference-filled dialogue and generally high production value), but I really think it found its footing in this second season — the finale episode being most indicative of that. Sad to see this one go.
Heartbreak High (Netflix) 👍
I already recommended this Australian high school-set dramedy in a recent edition of this newsletter. Netflix renewed it for a second season shortly after it premiered last fall, so binge this one before that comes out. Think “Sex Education” with a little more grit.
Missing (in theaters) 👍
Before seeing “Searching” back in 2018, the idea of a movie told entirely through computer and phone screens sounded unenjoyable and gimmicky, but the movie proved to be immersive and suspenseful and featured a twist that nobody saw coming. This standalone sequel starring Storm Reid as a daughter searching for her missing mother (Nia Long) was just as engrossing, twist-filled and entertaining as its predecessor.
Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount+) 👍👍
I kept putting this off, overwhelmed by how many of the Oscar movies this year were in the 2.5 - 3 hour range, but I finally watched it at the end of this month and found it to be just as thrilling as everyone said it is. This is capital-M Movie Magic and checked boxes across the board. I’m glad it nabbed a Best Picture nomination.
George & Tammy (Showtime) 👐
Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon as legendary country singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette? The initial trailer for this 6-episode show got me so hyped, and yet the show itself never quite popped for me. Both of their performances are pretty stellar, but that wasn’t enough to make this work for some reason.
The Fabelmans (in theaters) 👍👍
Finally saw Steven Spielberg’s ode to his childhood and the formative years that led to his love of making movies, and I couldn’t say enough great things about it. I wanted to roll my eyes at yet another movie that serves as an ode to ~the art of filmmaking,~ but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. This was a delight.
Inside Man (Netflix) 👎
The worst show I watched this month. The parallel plot structure was intriguing at first, but then things just completely fell apart. I did not understand the tone this show was going for at all. Stanley Tucci deserves better!