2022 in: things i watched, in general
Hey friend, as promised—here’s another round-up of media I liked this year, this time from movies and series. Hope you find something useful/interesting in this list! -K
I don’t think I got to watch as much TV and movies this year—or maybe I was just bad at noting them. In any case, here are some standouts, including a selection from our annual Christmastime binge—back at it with my siblings at our parents’ house, after a couple of years of Covid-hiatus.
For your consideration—if you still have some space to squeeze a binge or two in.
Love & Leashes (Netflix)
One of this year’s surprising ones: Girls Generation’s Seohyun stars in this nuanced film about testing the boundaries in relationships and exploring love and its varieties. It’s all under 2 hours and yet the film manages to talk about BDSM with empathy and tenderness, without overly sexualizing it or capitalizing on its usual taboo-ness, while still managing to still be very hot (consent is sexy!).
Business Proposal (Netflix)
Idol-turned-actress Kim Sejeong (incidentally, also TWICE Jihyo’s best friend) is crazy good in this as Shin Ha-ri, who goes out of her way to help her best friend Jin Young-Seo (Seol In Ah) get out of potential arranged marriages only to meet her literal match in Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). It’s also a crazy attractive ensemble, with Kim Min-kyu completing the foursome as Kang Tae Moo’s best friend-slash-assistant Cha Sung-hoon, Young-Seo’s love interest. Sejeong and Inah are HILARIOUS as best friends, plus I really got so damn invested in Young-Seo and Sung-hoon’s love story (what an attractive second couple??) Anyway, sharing this Samantha and Rachel clip from the first episode—hands down one of my favorite scenes out of any drama this year.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (cinemas)
Michelle Yeoh in this is simply *chef’s kiss* Two words: laundry and taxes. This was one of the first few films that we watched as soon as we were confident enough to go back to the cinemas—and it’s so worth it. We went in not knowing what to expect, and spent the first chunk of it wondering what the fuck is going on, but as soon as we got the hang of it, we eventually learned to appreciate it for what it is: a familial love story at its core.
Thor: Love and Thunder (cinemas)
Watched this at the cinemas too, if only for Natalie Portman’s biceps. So cool.
Spy x Family (Netflix, ongoing)
One word: BOOF! We’d been taking this slowly, because it’s so good, and now there’s a DOG. It’s perfect: Spy, assassin, telepath, seer = family. [Spoilers in video below but really who could resist????]
Avatar (Disney)
I kid you not, I just watched this 2009 movie this year and it hasn’t aged at all. Deserves a rewatch as preps for Avatar 2022, I think.
Emily in Paris Season 3 (Netflix)
My brother was watching it on the big TV so I kinda watched along even if I had not watched any of it prior and oh my god, is this show just really full of hot older French women? Sold.
The Dropout (Disney)
Amanda Seyfried plays disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in this compelling series. Watched this in a room with a couple of molecular biology grads (nerds) and it was such an experience. Whereas Emily in Paris had everything going her way—this fictionalized documentary is the exact opposite: Everything that could go wrong goes absolutely wrong for Holmes, a modern-day Icarus who once had a good idea but ended up being blinded by the sun.
The Midnight Club (Netflix)
Hey, I liked this latest series from Mike Flanagan. His follow up to Hill House, Bly Manor and Midnight Mass features a group of terminally ill kids who meet at their hospice’s library at midnight to tell ghost stories. The format reminded me of that 90s young adult horror TV show “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and the stories are actually based on Christopher Pike tales. As a fan of R.L. Stine back in the day, I found the series quite enjoyable. Funniest part about this marathon is our insistence (our = my siblings and I + C + Luci my sister’s cat lol) to finish the binge at home together, because there was no way we’re picking it back up on our own in our respective apartments HAHAHA. At one jump scare moment, we all screamed at the same time, poor Luci panicked and jumped off the sofa, all crazy-eyed and wondering what the fuck is going on HAHAHHHA.
First Responders (Disney, ongoing)
Of course, Disney+ also has K-dramas, and the one we’ve been bingeing lately is First Responders, which is about an emergency response crew solving police cases, putting out fires and keeping everyone alive in the event of disasters. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order and Chicago Fire rolled into one PLUS Twice Jeongyeon’s sister Seungyeon is the show’s female lead and she’s crazy good in it. If anyone’s looking for a Korean procedural on Disney—this one’s a good one.
Bonus: Time To Twice (Youtube)
Twice’s reality show Time To Twice had seven editions this year—a New Year edition that ran in January, one shot inside a theme park to mark Jeongyeon’s return from TTT hiatus, a pseudo-reality dating show called “Soulmate” (my personal favorite), a Spring Picnic, a “cooking battle”, a Y2K-themed game show, and a holiday special called “Healing December”. Save for its hiatus around the album releases in June/July/August for Nayeon and the JP and KR comebacks, this series dropped episodes on Fridays weekly—so damn regular that I could practically schedule my life alongside it.
Anyway—here’s the teaser to our favorite edition: Soulmate. Which was four episodes of batshit CRAZY. What I wouldn’t give to be able to watch it again for the first time.
So there! Did you watch anything nice this year? Please rec! We recently sat down with a friend and gathered A SHIT TON OF RECS for next year’s occasional binge, so. We’re always on the lookout—leave a comment :)
Thanks for making it this far—always glad to have you here. See you in the next one :)
XO,
K