If you’re looking for a way to enjoy the rippling, blissfully euphoric full-body high of an edible, without waiting forever for said high to kick in (which inevitably leads you to eat more in an effort to “feel it” faster only to find out you’re now feeling way too much, you’re too high to move, you’re in desperate need of water and the only thing that’s going to make you feel less paranoid is time)… well, then you should definitely consider drinking your THC instead of eating it. And if you’re not interested in that whole “rippling euphoria” thing and just want something non-alcoholic that’ll chill you out, you might as well give CBD a shot, too.
Either way, cannabis-infused drinks are a great way to get all of the relaxing benefits of weed without the smell and mess of smoking or the time-sink of eating an edible. Your body absorbs THC and CBD much faster via a liquid carrier, so you can expect a good high to kick in by the half-hour mark. In short, the days of waiting hours for the effect of an edible to kick in are thankfully over 9if you want them to be). Drinkables are easier to dose, faster acting, and less calorie intensive, but just as fun!
Before you get too excited, no, this is not THC beer. We wish it was, but for legal purposes, vendors cannot currently sell THC-infused alcohol. Sorry, but them’s the breaks. Lagunita’s THC brews are pretty beer-y though, thanks to the inclusion of hops, giving each formula a citrusy undertone that is more in line with what you’d expect from a Lagunitas IPA than a lemon or orange seltzer.
Lagunitas offers three formulas, Reverb, which features 2mg of CBD and 10mg of THC, Tuner, which sports an even ratio of 5mg CBD to 5mg THC, and Unplugged, which features a super dose of 18mg of CBD with no THC, offering a little something for everyone depending on how you like to dose.
The Bottom Line:
Hops and cannabis make for a delightful and earthy flavor combination and Lagunitas offers a variety of dosing options making this a versatile pick.
Another casualty of the “crossfaded law,” this THC wine is actually more akin to grape juice. Who cares? It’s delicious!
House of Saka makes both White and Pink “vinfusions” — made from grapes grown in vineyards from California’s famed Napa Valley that are infused with 25mg of THC 5mg of CBD for a relaxing and heavy high that isn’t that far off from what you’d expect from an actual glass of vino.
Of the two, we prefer the Pink, which features notes of strawberry and grapefruit on the palate with a citrusy subtly floral aftertaste. The white is more vanilla forward, with a buttery undertone that probably pairs well with food, but on its own leaves something to be desired.
The Bottom Line:
As close to THC wine as we can legally get in 2021!
If you’re looking for a stronger high from a single can, San Francisco-based cannabis brand Wünder has got your back. The newly released Wûnder20 features 10mg of Delta-9 THC to get you in a relaxed state of mind and another 10mg of Delta-8 THC for a pretty potent body high. This drink is an absolute stress killer. It has a juicy, slightly bitter blood orange flavor that gives it a nice bite and makes it taste like more than just glorified sparkling water.
You’ll be tempted to add the alcohol to this one, it seems like a natural mixer candidate, but we’re going to strongly advise against that. Tread carefully here, this is much stronger than a microdose and can knock those with a low tolerance out.
The Bottom Line:
Deliciously bitter with a strong high that’ll melt away your stress. Vacation in a can.
PBR’s cannabis-infused lemon seltzer is easily one of the best-tasting THC-infused seltzers on the market. Sporting a clean and crisp lemon peel flavor, this seltzer is remarkably transparent, lacking that bitter herbal weed flavor that a lot of other THC-infused beverages suffer from. That transparency makes this brew a great mixer to toss with tequila.
You’re going to need that extra edge, too, because as far as THC goes, this drink is laughably weak.
It’s great for a body relaxing effect, but if you’re really looking to cut loose you’re going to need to reach for multiple cans. The weak punch and lack of fizz are this drink’s biggest downside. PBR would be wise to release more flavors here and up that THC content.
The Bottom Line:
An ideal choice for microdosing or people new to the edible/drinkables scene. Heavy users with a high tolerance should look elsewhere ,unless you feel like killing a four-pack in a single sitting.
The Recess experience is very akin to La Croix, but with CBD. Meaning it’s objectively better than La Croix. The brand uses real fruit flavor blends like coconut lime, peach ginger, blackberry, chai, pomegranate hibiscus, black cherry, and blood orange to deliver a blend of broad-spectrum hemp extract, ginseng, l-theanine, and lemon balm.
If the words “natural” and “botanical” are turn-offs in your drink preferences, look elsewhere because Recess tastes very much like what you’d imagine a healthy CBD drink to taste like — a bunch of plants infused in fizzy water.
The Bottom Line:
You could try all of the flavors or you could just take our word for it and grab the pomegranate hibiscus or blood orange. Looking to take it to the next level? Add a shot of good dry gin and prepare to chill out.
“Joe Rogan has a keto-friendly spicy pineapple CBD energy drink with b-vitamins” sounds like a Joe Rogan-based SNL fake ad. But here it is, a reality. And a damn good one at that!
Seriously, this spicy pineapple blend is pretty addicting, with a nice crisp note to it and a sweet tangy and spicy aftertaste that lingers nicely. Be warned though, this’ll give you Flaming Joe burps, which aren’t pleasant.
If Spicy Pineapple isn’t your thing, Kill Cliff has four other flavors including strawberry lemon, orange, mango, and grape, all of which are delicious — but the Flaming Joe is easily a class above the rest. The 25mgs of CBD also makes this the strongest non-THC drink on this list. I can’t say that I felt the effects of the b-vitamins, but I was more chilled out after a single can than anyone drinking from a can with Joe Rogan’s flaming head surrounded by UFOs ought to be.
The Bottom Line
Sweet and spicy with a heavy dose of CBD to relax the body and mind. Way better than you’d expect it to be.
Ryan Tedder’s CBD seltzer brand Mad Tasty is, well, pretty tasty, and you could reach for Watermelon Kiwi, or Grapefruit, but why would you when you can have Unicorn Tears? We don’t know what it is, we don’t care what it is, but it tastes better than we’d like to admit. Mad Tasty is easily the fizziest drink on this list too, so if fizz is what you’re after look no further.
The 20mg of CBD will do well to relax any aches you have and clear your mind, a great wake-up and go drink for those who like to “feel” their CBD. We wish Mad Tasty would drop a Full Spectrum formula but for now this will have to do.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the best flavor with no psychoactive high, reach for Unicorn Tears. What flavor is it? We have no idea. It tastes and feels like a Harry Styles song.
Infamous jam band pivoter John Mayer decided to join TikTok today, but little did the two set aficionado realize that coming into Gen Z’s world means playing by Gen Z’s rules. Almost immediately after Mayer made his first post, a clip of him mocking his own age by fumbling with the camera and pretending not to know how to work it.
The comments underneath his first post were, ahem, Swift, with thousands of teens reminding him that they have not forgotten that when he reportedly dated Taylor Swift for a hot minute between 2009 and 2010, he was reportedly, kind of the worst. Around the time the pair allegedly dated Tayyor was about 20 and John was about 32… just for reference. And yes, there is a song on Taylor’s 2010 album Speak Now called “Dear John” that Swifites have been convinced for years now is about none other than Mr. Mayer himself.
For his second post on the video sharing app, Mayer seemed to poke fun at the fan’s reactions, captioning the clip: “POV: You’re berating me and I’m hearing you out.” Well, at least he does seem to have a grasp on how TikTok works, after all. For her part, Taylor is currently too busy fighting battles against Netflix and jokes made in poor taste to care about the guy who was a jerk to her a decade ago.
Sometimes, a Wednesday night game heading into the All-Star break isn’t the most competitive or aesthetically pleasing affair. Guys are gearing up for a well-deserved break and/or preparing to head to Atlanta for the abbreviated version of the annual mid-season festivities.
That was particularly true for the Blazers-Warriors game, the nightcap to ESPN’s doubleheader, which featured some relatively lackluster basketball for the majority of its three-plus quarters right up until both teams realized that somebody had to try and win this game.
It was a poor shooting night for both team’s star players, but Steph Curry, who had a big first quarter before cooling off, came up with a couple of huge three-pointers late in the fourth to put the Warriors ahead. Ultimately, it was Damian Lillard who was able to seal the 108-106 win for the Blazers with a clutch three-pointer with under 15 seconds remaining, which he followed on the ensuing possession by drawing a charge call on Draymond Green.
The Warriors got one more chance on a halfcourt heave from Kent Bazemore that missed wide-left, and the Blazers walked away with the close victory. Lillard finished with 22 points, but was just 3-of-10 from three on the night. He joined Carmelo Anthony, who also had 22 points for the game, and three other Blazers in double figures scoring, including Gary Trent Jr. and Robert Covington, who had 15 apiece, and Enes Kanter with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Curry led all scorers with 35, but didn’t get enough from the rest of the Warriors to get a win.
It’s been quite a night for referees around the NBA. First, it was Donovan Mitchell who had plenty to say about the officiating after the Jazz dropped a nailbiter in overtime to the Sixers on Wednesday night, claiming that it was just the latest example of how his team gets “continually screwed by the refs.”
And he wasn’t the only one who was frustrated. Teammate Rudy Gobert later went on an expletive-laden rant in which, among other things, he implied that the Jazz are victims of some kind of widespread conspiracy to keep small market teams down. There was plenty of subtext here that also included Joel Embiid, who took his own shot at a Sixers beat reporter who previously insinuated that he was scared of other star centers like Gobert.
But that wasn’t the only game of the night that featured rising tensions involving the refs. During the first half of the Lakers-Kings game, Montrezl Harrell found himself on the receiving end of a technical foul, seemingly for the cardinal sin of yelling “AND ONE” after knocking down a contested layup.
Screaming “AND ONE” after such a play is so woven into the fabric of today’s game that it’s almost baffling that any referee would even pay attention to it, let alone consider it an offense worthy of a technical foul. But here we are. It was just the latest example of an official seemingly overreacting to something that appears could’ve easily been ignored entirely in order to de-escalate the situation, as was the case with the technical foul Devin Booker received earlier this week for simply spinning the ball toward the ref with a little too much mustard on it for his liking.
Between a combination of players constantly arguing calls wearing on officials and the lack of fans in arenas allowing them to hear everything guys say clearly, it’s been a season filled with what feels like more apparently soft technicals than usual.
A 2019 study from the University of Colorado Boulder looked at the relationship between marijuana usage and exercise habits, and contrary to what you’ve seen in movies, people who get high regularly are not necessarily lazier than those who abstain from the drug. “There’s some really good longitudinal data that shows that long-term cannabis users have lower weight, lower risk of diabetes, better waist-to-hip ratio, and better insulin function,” Angela Bryan, a psychology professor at CU Boulder, told Westword. Long-time weed smokers are also creatively productive, if Seth Rogen is any indication.
The actor, who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of stoners alongside Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, and Rihanna (Cheech and Chong get their own statute), has been impressively productive in quarantine. Meanwhile, my greatest pandemic accomplishment has been beating an eight-year-old video game (The Last of Us, check it out!). Let’s look at some of Rogen’s more enviable achievements since last March.
1. Seth Rogen has gotten very good at making pottery. This is from February 2020:
Why am I so proud of him? Rogen got into ceramics because “there’s inherently something meditative about it. I do like tactile things; I like to produce tangible work,” he told the Cut. “With movies, we spend years on them and then they’re very intangible. They don’t have weight, they don’t occupy a physical space. You used to at least get a DVD or a Blu-Ray, and you don’t even really get that anymore. I don’t like to keep my own movie posters around because those are just advertising for the product, not the product itself. I do really like being able to create an artistic expression that is a thing that I can pick up, hold, show to people. It is just so different from what I normally do which has no mass to it.” Speaking of things that you can hold up…
2. Rogen wrote a book! Yearbook is a collection of “true stories that I desperately hope are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best.” He even got his mom to write the press release. “At first I was worried that Seth was writing a book, because I was like, ‘Oh no! What’s he gonna say?!’ I was actually scared to even read it. But I’m very happy I did,” she said. “Overall, I think it’s more sweet and funny than anything, so I like it, and I’m glad he wrote it, but I’d be even more glad if he called me more.”
I wrote a book called Yearbook. It’s true stories and essays and stuff that I hope you think are funny. It comes out in May, but if you like you can order it now. Yay! https://t.co/Cqwwi4qq3opic.twitter.com/nDxwBqnkp8
She’s already kvetching about why he hasn’t written a second book (I might be basing this on my own Jewish mother). But don’t worry, Mama Rogen, he’s still been busy.
3. Rogen is a first-time author, but he’s a many-time actor, writer, and producer. Since last spring, he’s starred in a movie (American Pickle); executive-produced the most recent seasons of The Boys, Black Monday, and Future Man; and guest-starred on Big Mouth. Rogen has announced numerous upcoming projects, as well, including HBO Max’s Santa, Inc. animated series with Sarah Silverman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Darkwing Duck reboots, the Luca Guadagnino-directed Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood adaptation, and Platonic, an Apple TV+ series co-starring Neighbors buddy Rose Byrne. I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention that one of his old shows (and one of the greatest shows ever), Freaks and Geeks, is “whole again” on Hulu.
4. He’s continued to spread awareness for Alzheimer’s research through HFC, “a national non-profit organization whose mission is to care for families facing this disease, educate young people about living a brain-healthy life, and activate the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates.” The charity has raised over $13 million since 2012.
This isn’t a Twitter “feud.” @tedcruz tried to overthrow our government. He inspired a deadly mob to storm the Capitol. And I think that deserves ridicule. So fuck him.
I think @SenTedCruz is desperately trying to rebrand from the “inspired a deadly insurrection” motherfucker to the “left my constituents to freeze to death so I could go to Cancun” motherfucker, but luckily he can be both. He’s just that big a motherfucker.
Rogen told the Washington Post that people calling his exchanges with Cruz a “Twitter spat” is “honestly the most annoying thing to me” because “this man is trying to overthrow the United States government… The false equivalency between what I am saying and what he is saying to me is one of the biggest problems in America, to me. The fact that calling out a fascist and being a fascist are put on the same platform or the same plane is incredibly upsetting.” Here’s a helpful way to tell the two apart: the one calling out the fascist is a comedian; the actual fascist only thinks he’s a comedian.
6. Someone made this.
OK, the video is technically from 2019, but I wanted to remind everyone about it.
People of British Columbia! Please do not go out to parties and BBQs and other large gatherings! The COVID is still out there! It’s more fun to hang out alone and smoke weed and watch movies and TV shows anyway! Do that instead! Thank you!
8. And lastly, a dream came true: Seth Rogen: pot magnate. Following a successful launch in Canada, Houseplant, a cannabis company founded by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg, is coming to America. “Almost ten years [ago], I envisioned having my own weed company. And today I can say that my company Houseplant’s weed will be available in California next week!” he tweeted. “Also, Houseplant is making lovely Housegoods like ashtrays, lighters, and YES, even ceramics.”
He has never looked happier.
Almost ten years I go, I envisioned having my own weed company. And today I can say that my company Houseplant’s weed will be available in California next week! Also, Houseplant is making lovely Housegoods like ashtrays, lighters, and YES, even ceramics. https://t.co/TNjpWFhbWBpic.twitter.com/00xR8QKNH3
Kendrick Lamar isn’t a musician who spends much time on social media. The Good Kid M.A.A.D. City rapper usually hops on to make announcements or share new releases from fellow TDE acts and other artists. But on Wednesday, Kendrick made a rare appearance on Twitter to show some love to a video Jack Harlow posted of himself rapping as a kid.
Kendrick Lamar hasn’t liked a single tweet in 2 years and he came back to twitter just to like the video of Jack Harlow rapping as a kid??????? pic.twitter.com/qfiHgjChMP
A fan of Harlow recently discovered the video of the young Louisville rapper spitting some bars with friends by his side. It may not be the finest display of rap skills but it does show that he’s come a long way. Harlow himself reposted the video on Twitter and wrote, “Still some of the realest sh*t I ever wrote.” It was this tweet that Kendrick Lamar liked — a simple act that the rapper had not done in over two years.
A Twitter user took note of this and tweeted a screenshot of Kendrick’s “likes” section on his Twitter profile. “Kendrick Lamar hasn’t liked a single tweet in 2 years and he came back to twitter just to like the video of Jack Harlow rapping as a kid???????” the person wrote.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Sixers and Jazz played in one of the best and most exciting games of the first half of the regular season on Wednesday night, so naturally the conversation afterwards was about the officiating.
The main point of contention came with 30 seconds left, when Royce O’Neale appeared to save a steal before he stepped out of bounds, but was ruled on the floor to be out. Upon review, the call was upheld as we eventually found out that the officials determined the ball hit the referee standing out of bounds before O’Neale saved it, which was not really visible on the initial review because of the angle.
Joel Embiid would hit a preposterous three to tie the game and force overtime on the ensuing possession, and from there, the Jazz were on tilt. Donovan Mitchell, who had 33 points to lead Utah, was ejected for two technical fouls in overtime and after the game he went off on what he feels is a pattern of the Jazz getting “screwed” by the officials. Mitchell will be joined on the Thursday fine list by his fellow All-Star teammate, Rudy Gobert, who went in even harder on the refs, insinuating calls are rigged against the Jazz because they’re a small market team and wondering what they have to do to get calls that others get around the league, as transcribed by the indomitable Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Rudy Gobert’s full comments after the game on the way the Jazz are officiated: pic.twitter.com/SRToSdu3TR
Gobert wasn’t happy with the way he felt Embiid, who had a dominant 40-point, 19-rebound performance, pushed him around at times, and he was also unhappy with the lack of calls for his guards on some late drives where they thought there was contact. Still, there are always calls that are questionable to downright blown on both sides, and it’s hard to really buy in on the “the NBA is rigging things against Utah” when the Jazz just went on a 22-2 run, with wins over most every top team in the NBA, before losses to the Heat, Pelicans, and Sixers this week. That stretch of three losses in four games seems to be the root of the issue, because, well, it’s kind of hard to buy in on the league having it in for the team with the best record.
There were undoubtedly some misses by the crew in Philly, but that happens nightly and the Jazz have surely been the beneficiary of some calls this season that they probably don’t remember because you never do. The All-Star break is probably coming at a perfect time for Utah, a team that went on a phenomenal run and is now getting everyone’s best shot and has dropped three close games, causing frustration to rise and a week off might help them get back level-headed for the second half push for the 1-seed in the West.
It’s kind of amazing how much bourbon whiskey and Scotch whisky start to vary at these higher price points. Whereas bourbon is zeroed in on one-off barrel picks, one-off limited editions, and proprietary blends at this point, scotch is only just now getting into limited editions with unique finishings and slightly older agings. Quality-wise, we’re starting to hit a long road of nothing but greats — depending, of course, on whether you like the sweeter or the smokier side of Scotland’s signature tipple.
The ten bottles featured below are generally found in the $80 to $90 price range here in the United States. As always, these prices are going to vary. It really just depends on where you’re standing when you buy the bottle.
With everything priced close to the same, it opens the door for us to focus solely on the taste of each of these expressions. There’s no other metric or ranking. We’re simply talking about the best-tasting whisky at this dollar amount and giving you the bottom line for why it made the cut.
Auchentoshan is a great example of a Lowland malt that harkens back to the old days of varied oak aging. In this case, the triple-distilled whisky is aged in ex-bourbon oak for around 12 years and then is finished in ex-Olorosso and ex- Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a fruitiness on the nose that speaks to blue and blackberries with slight tartness next to orange oils and a hint of prune. The taste has a toffee-covered-in-almond vibe, next to more of that dark fruit with an almost “maple syrup spiked with woody cinnamon sticks” note (hello, bourbon barrel). The end is surprisingly light, a little woody, and full of plenty of fruit as it slowly fades out.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice change-up to the usual sweet scotches from further north. It’s got a touch of bourbon deep in the body of the drink (that maple) but still feels like a bright and very drinkable single malt.
Chivas 18 is the brand’s signature high-end blend. The juice is built around a specially made Strathisla 18 single malt. That juice is supported by 20 other single malts from around Scotland with various casking processes.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a bar of bespoke dark chocolate from a really fancy-schmancy shop that’s been bespeckled with dried berries — blackberry, blueberry, raspberry — on the nose, plus a rich and very buttery toffee that draws you in closer. The palate holds onto that chocolate bar while adding in dry rose pedals with a slight singe, creating a whisper of sweet and fragrant smoke. The end builds on that floral and bitter chocolate note as it very slowly fades away while warming your soul.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic “on the rocks” scotch, full stop. That being said, don’t sleep on mixing this into some killer scotch-based cocktails.
Born a stone’s throw from the sea on Islay, Laphroaig is the peat-lover’s whisky. This expression is a very unique dram in that it’s aged for five to eleven years in an old bourbon barrel and then transferred to one-quarter-sized casks, also made of used American oak. The small format oak allows the whisky to interact with the wood in a more concentrated manner, speeding up the whole process.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rush of red charcoal burning in a firepit and spitting earthy smoke into the air with a hint of toasted coconut and butter fried bananas cutting through the pall. That banana sweetness and butteriness manage to hold on as hints of fresh Band-Aids sit next to the billows of smoke and ashy embers dominating the palate, along with hints of brown spices popping in from time to time. The end is extremely slow and will build and fall with notes of the banana, spice, smoky ash, and earthy peat.
Bottom Line:
Speaking personally, this is not my thing. But I can still absolutely appreciate the craft and understand how it could totally be someone’s beloved dram. If you’re looking for a peat-monster, it’s our pick at this price point.
“Oog-a-dal!” This dram, also from Islay, is a blend of old and young single malts aged in ex-sherry casks with ones aged in ex-bourbon casks. The final product is a single malt that’s deeply flavored yet still approachable.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a definite peat smoke on the nose but it’s kissed with sea brine and counterpointed by notes of holiday cake stuffed with candied orange, fatty nuts, dried fruit, and plenty of dark spice. Those spices marry to the smoke as the palate sweetens with toffee and becomes almost like silk with a rich choco-tobacco chew arriving late, bringing a buzz to the tongue. The end really embraces that chew as notes of toffee, dried fruit, and spice lurk behind the billows of briny smoke.
Bottom Line:
Peat aficionados who need more balance than a pure peat bomb can offer will appreciate the touch of sea brine alongside the smoke. Still, this is a bold smoky whisky that’s simply not for everyone.
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Fennel leads to some dried fruits and fresh apples on the nose. The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, figs, pear candies, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe. The end is full of sweet fruits and has just the right touches of oak, vanilla, and savory greens as it fades at a good clip.
Bottom Line:
This is a personal favorite single malt at the moment. It’s also a great candidate for drinking neat. It really doesn’t need any cooling down as it’s already perfectly well-rounded and pure silk. Still, get a few drops of water in there to really let it bloom and take your time enjoying it.
This small Speyside distillery has been producing quality whisky for over 200 years. This expression is aged 16 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Olorosso sherry casks. It’s then married and proofed with soft Speyside water from the Highlands and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a matrix of dried dark fruits next to powdery dark spices with hints of walnuts and dried florals that draw you in on the nose. The taste delivers on those notes while adding a deep plummy jam cut with clove and slightly sweet wood. The end really holds onto that jammy fruit and spice as it slowly fades across your senses, leaving a velvet texture in your mouth.
Bottom Line:
Aberlour 16 is always one of those, “Oh, shit!” drams because it’s so refined, deeply flavored, and easy-drinking. While water does help it bloom, this is a super easy whisky to drink neat.
This blend used to be called Johnnie Walker Platinum, which was aged for 18 years. You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This is the same juice, which is comprised of 18 whiskies all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rich and buttery toffee that’s counterpointed by a bowl of ripe and sweet fruit that really draws you in. The caramel malts mix with marzipan, creamy vanilla pudding, and a nice rush of juicy winter tangerines that have just been peeled. Adding a little water, those orange oils marry to a deep, dark chocolate nature, which leads towards a velvety and ever-so-lightly smoky close.
Bottom Line:
This expression just beat out Johnnie Blue in our ranking of the brand. It’s one of the tastiest blended scotches there is. It’s also pretty cheap for what it is, making it great whisky to sip neat, on the rocks, or even try in a highball.
This whisky from the Isle of Jura is a one-of-a-kind that highlights both expert barrel work and blending. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon for an undisclosed amount of years. The whisky is then re-casked in seven barrels: first-fill ex-bourbon from the U.S. and Vosges, Bertranges, Jupilles, Allier, Tronçais, and Limousin barrels from France.
The ripple here is that all of those French barrels were new (never held wine) when the whisky went in.
Tasting Notes:
This is shockingly un-woody. Instead, you get a burnt coffee note next to a dark chocolate bar cut with candied ginger and, maybe, a hint of strawberry. Black licorice arrives with a note of burnt orange peels and grilled peaches with a drop of honey next to a wisp of beach campfire smoke. The end lingers for just the right amount of time as the distant smoke fades, leaving a hint of sea spray, cacao, and burnt fruit.
Bottom Line:
There’s a softness to this dram that makes it very approachable. The minor note of smoke is more a briny accent than a dry billow to the senses, which is easy to dig. You’ll definitely need to take your time though and add a bit of water, nose multiple times, and really let it settle on your senses to get the deeper notes.
This is an interesting blend that made its way to the U.S. via South American migration. The Scotch blend is a mix of Diageo single malt and single grains that are all at least 18-years-old. Those whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before their married into this well-crafted expression.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of malt next to hints of orange zest, honey, and bright cherry. The palate really delivers on the cherry as the orange zest becomes candied and a nutty edge arrives, ushering in a subtle and almost sweet smoke. The smoke dries a bit as a note of pine arrives late, supported by the orange, cherry, and honey with a touch of warm spice.
Bottom Line:
This is another classic “on the rocks” whisky that also works really well as a cocktail mixer, especially if you’re looking for a very mild smoky vibe.
This Distiller’s Edition from the seaside Talisker Distillery is all about that sea and the finishing barrel. The whisky spends a final maturation in Amoroso sherry casks, which is more of a dry sherry than a classic sweet one, giving the final product a unique depth.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a dried fruit edge that leads towards a bit of sea spray with hints of Christmas cake spices, vanilla, and toffee. The taste has a vibe that’s kind of like the wax paper wrapping of saltwater taffy or salted caramels with bright berry notes, a bit more of that spice, and the distant wisp of campfire smoke from way down the beach. The end has this choco-peppery buzz with vanilla roundness and another whisper of that briny campfire smoke.
Bottom Line:
This has the perfect balance of very distant and briny smoke with beautifully rendered vanilla, spices, and fruit. It’s so subtle and almost unbelievablyy soft, making this a fantastic sipper any time.
Even though the streaming wars are heating up and every studio/network seems to be building their own platform, Netflix still has, arguably, the best movie library of them all. They’re getting better at categorizing them too, but when you have a film library that big, it’s hard to make sure all of the worthwhile titles get seen. That’s where we come in. Let this must-watch list be your guide to the overcrowded streaming landscape and an end to the mindless scrolling through Netflix’s movie catalog. There’s something for everyone here and it’s all good.
The second film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is undoubtedly its best. Not only does Christian Bale fully immerse himself in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, playing the tortured-billionaire-turned-vigilante with a singular conviction, the film also boasts Heath Ledger’s Joker, a maniacal villain worthy of sharing the screen with our hero. The film marks one of Ledger’s final roles before his death, but it’s a viscerally gripping portrait of a man burdened by past trauma and driven by his madness for chaos and destruction. Sure, we’re all rooting for Batman to win, but we can’t deny the fun in seeing Ledger blow sh*t up for two-plus hours.
Leonard DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin star in this crime thriller from Martin Scorsese about an undercover cop and a mole in the police department who attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in Boston. DiCaprio plays the good guy (or as close as) with Billy, a disturbed officer playing the part of a criminal to get close to Nicholson’s kingpin, Frank. Damon plays the rat, Sullivan, who serves as a police officer on the force, but really works for Frank. The two unknowingly thwart each other at every turn, playing a thrilling game of cat and mouse before their secrets eventually come out.
Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this gritty, Oscar-winning drama from Paul Thomas Anderson playing a turn-of-the-century prospector, who risks his faith and his family for oil. Daniel Plainview is a shrewd, callous businessman who adopts the orphaned son of a dead employee to make himself look more appealing to investors. When he hits oil in California, he wages a war with a local preacher and his family who stand in the way of Daniel’s progress. Violence and yes, plenty of blood, follow.
Martin Scorsese delivers another cinematic triumph, this time for Netflix and with the help of some familiar faces. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up (again) for this crime drama based on actual events. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran a World War II vet who finds work as a hitman for the mob. Pacino plays notorious Teamster Jimmy Hoffa, a man who frequently found himself on the wrong side of the law and the criminals he worked with. The film charts the pair’s partnership over the years while injecting some historical milestones for context. It’s heavy and impressively cast and everything you’d expect a Scorsese passion-project to be.
This dramatic interpretation of August Wilson’s iconic play is already garnering considerable awards buzz. That’s mainly due to Viola Davis, who turns in a stunning performance as the legendary Blues singer, and the late Chadwick Boseman, who plays a frustrated young Jazz musician whose ambition disrupts a fateful recording session.
Oscar-winning writer/director Alfonso Cuaron delivers what may be his most personal film to date. The stunningly-shot black-and-white film is an ode to Cuaron’s childhood and a love letter to the women who raised him. Following the journey of a domestic worker in Mexico City named Cleo, the movie interweaves tales of personal tragedy and triumph amidst a backdrop of political upheaval and unrest.
Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig’s first James Bond entry, but he plays the suave MI6 agent like he’s been doing it for decades. The film gives fans of the spy franchise a soft reset, as we’re introduced to the new Bond when he sets off on his first mission as 007. Bond’s tasked with catching a private banker funding terrorist operations by beating him in a high-stakes game of poker in Montenegro, and he’s joined by Vesper Lynd (a terrific Eva Green), an MI6 accountant with a secret that threatens to derail the mission and may cost Bond his life.
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, and Cybill Shepherd star in this Martin Scorsese crime thriller about a veteran with mental health issues who works a night job, driving a taxi around New York City. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a Vietnam war vet who moonlights as a cap driver to cope with his insomnia. During a long shift, he contemplates assassinating a politician to help out the woman he’s fallen in love with (Shepherd) and killing a pimp after befriending an underage prostitute (Foster). It’s a wild ride, full of darkly comedic moments, and an even more harrowing looks at the consequences of war.
Public scandal often makes for good drama, but that’s not why Todd McCarthy’s biographical re-telling of one of the most shocking cases of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church makes this list. Yes, the film has a famous list of names attached, including Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Keaton. Yes, it’s a true story about a group of Boston Globe investigative journalists, who uncovered decades-worth of corruption and molestation accusations buried by leaders of the church. Yet with McCarthy’s restrained direction, the film rejects the trope of glorifying its heroes and sensationalizing its narrative to instead give us an accurate, detailed, and unbiased look at history.
Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy war epic focuses on a young girl named Ofelia, who grows up during a time of political unrest in her native Spain after a brutal Civil War ravages the country. Ofelia escapes the horrors committed by her stepfather when she accepts a challenge from a magical fairy, who believes her to be the reincarnation of Moanna, the princess of the underworld. If she completes three tasks, she’ll achieve immortality. The film is a play on folklore and fables from Del Toro’s youth, but there’s an undercurrent based in reality — the real cost of war — that grounds this film and makes it even more compelling.
Another Quentin Tarantino classic, this violent visit back in time to America’s era of slavery carries major Western vibes and gives Lenoard DiCaprio a refreshing turn as the film’s big bad, a plantation owner named Calvin Candie. Tarantino favorite Christoph Waltz plays a German bounty hunter who teams up with Jamie Foxx’s Django, a former slave looking to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from Candie’s clutches. There’s a lot of gore and uncomfortable dialogue and over-the-top action, really, everything you’d expect, but DiCaprio, Waltz, and Foxx make it all worth it.
David Fincher directs a who’s-who for this biographical drama centering on screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz during the time he was crafting the script for Citizen Kane. Gary Oldman plays Mank, a singular kind of man engaging in emotional affairs with Hollywood actresses (played by Amanda Seyfried) and on-set feuds with directors like Orson Welles, and we watch as work on perhaps his greatest project slowly upends his personal life.
Amy Adams turns in a haunting performance as a woman being, well, haunted by her ex-husband. More specifically, by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she assumes is some kind of threat or tale of revenge. As Adams’ Susan reads the novel — which plays out as a kind of separate film — she reminisces on her relationship with her ex-husband (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and her current relationship with her cheating spouse (Armie Hammer). It’s a beautifully-shot neo-noir that feels like the most dangerous break-up drama you’ll ever see.
The film that turned the tide of public opinion on Sea World and convinced Pixar to change the ending of Finding Dory, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s animal rights muckraker is more than just 83 minutes of theme=park shaming. In telling the story of Tillikum, the psychologically damaged orca who spent his life in captivity and was involved in the deaths of three people, the movie is an elegy for the freedoms that marine creatures like him were once able to enjoy. Is there an ethical way to view creatures like Tillikum up close and personal, and if so, should we trust a private company to deliver it to us?
It’s hard not to watch this Aaron Sorkin-penned, David Fincher-directed masterpiece and have your viewing experience colored by Facebook, and founder Mark Zuckerberg’s, many political misdealings. Jesse Eisenberg plays the boy genius, an outcast whose brainchild is the product of a bad breakup and sexism. He partners with Andrew Garfield’s business-minded Eduardo Saverin and the two create the famous social networking site before Zuckerberg outs his friend and alienates himself. The story isn’t new, but watching it play out is still thrilling, mostly because Eisenberg is just so damn good at being a dick.
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera play a couple of best friends in search of a good time in this raunchy high school comedy from pals Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) hope to close out their senior year by getting wasted and getting laid with a blow-out to end all blow-outs. Their mission to get booze for the party, impress their crushes, and have a memorable night is derailed rather quickly thanks to fake IDs, a couple of incompetent cops, bar fights, and their own bickering. It’s a gross, over-the-top, and surprisingly poignant look at friendship and what happens when we outgrow people.
Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded courtroom drama is finally here, and besides carrying some serious Oscar buzz, it’s also delivering a handful of ridiculously good performances from its impressive cast. That cast includes everyone from Succession’s Jeremy Strong to Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, and Watchmen breakout Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The film follows the true story of a group of anti-Vietnam war protesters charged with conspiracy counts and inciting riots during a demonstration at the 1968 Democratic Convention. We heard that Strong asked Sorkin to tear-gas him for this thing so, yeah, it should be an intense watch.
Michael B. Jordan carries this powerful drama from Ryan Coogler. The film marks Coogler’s debut and covers the true story of Oscar Grant III, a Bay-Area resident who was killed in 2009 by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale district station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in Oakland. Rather than focusing solely on the tragedy, Coogler weaves a compelling story of a young man who wrestled with his past and had hope for his future just before his life was taken from him.
The early aughts action-comedy borrows elements from famous Kung Fu films of the ’70s and pairs them with a completely ridiculous plot and some impressive cartoon-style fight sequences to produce a wholly original flick that we guarantee you’ll marvel at. The film follows the exploits of two friends, Sing and Bone, who impersonate gang members in the hopes of joining a gang themselves and inadvertently strike up a gang war that nearly destroys the slums of the city. Of course, the real draw here is the absurdist, over-the-top comedy that takes place during some of the film’s biggest action sequences. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, but only if you check your brain at the door.
This gritty crime drama hailing from the Safdie brothers transforms star Robert Pattinson into a bleach-blonde sh*t-stirrer from Queens who’s desperate to break his developmentally disabled brother out of prison. Pattinson plays Connie, a street hustler and bank robber with grand plans to break out of his urban hood while Benny Safdie plays his brother Nick, who gets roped into his schemes. When Nick is sent to Rikers Island for a job gone wrong, Connie goes on a downward spiral to get him back. Pattinson’s manic energy carries this thing, and there’s plenty of police run-ins, shootouts, and heists (however botched) to keep the adrenaline pumping.
Julia Child is deep in the American home-cooking psyche. The funny, charismatic, often eccentric TV chef made her mark in the culinary world by bringing French cuisine to American shores via television and cookbooks. This film follows the true-life story of a young food blogger struggling to find her voice and decides to parse Child’s seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking by cooking all 524 recipes and giving her review of each. Meryl Streep’s transformation into Child is profound, and Amy Adams brings it as the earnest and inquisitive food blogger on a quest. It’s really hard not to love this movie … especially if you’re a foodie or Francophile.
Edgar Wright’s 2010 action comedy about a hapless boy, who must defeat evil ex-boyfriends in order to win the hand of the girl he loves, is a fast-paced ride that bombards the senses. Michael Cera plays a loveable goof in the titular hero, a young man enamored with a woman named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to be with his lady love, Scott must fight her evil exes (six guys, one girl), who challenge him to truly strange contests. The film is a cinematic mash-up of Japanese anime and gamer culture, intended for the crowd who grew up on Nintendo and comic books, but it brings plenty of laughs all the same.
Greta Gerwig’s love letter to her hometown of Sacramento, California follows Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf as they navigate the often-frustrating relationship between mother and daughter. Ronan plays “Ladybird,” a young woman attending Catholic school who longs for the culture and change of scenery that New York City promises. Her mother, Metcalf, is overbearing and overprotective, and the family’s lack of money and social standing contributes to a rift between the two. Some hard truths are explored in this film, but watching Ronan manage teenage angst, first love, and everything in between will give you all kinds of nostalgia.
Charlie Kaufman’s latest film is based on a book of the same name and stars Chernobyl’s Jessie Buckley as a young woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, which normally would be a happy event except she’s secretly been planning to break up the with the guy. That guy is Jesse Plemons, who seems to be in everything these days, and along with Toni Collette and David Thewlis who play his parents, they make for hellish dinner mates. There’s a sinister vibe permeating everything about this straightforward plot so if you think you know how this ends, let us be the first to tell you: You don’t have a clue.
Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight will always be remembered for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture after a mix-up that initially named La La Land as the winner. But that’s just an asterisk attached to a momentous coming-of-age story set over three eras in a young man’s life as he grows up in Miami, grappling with the sexuality he feels will make him even more of an outcast while searching for guidance that his drug-addicted mother (Naomie Harris) can’t provide. The film is both lyrical and moving and won justifiable acclaim for its talented cast, including a Best Supporting Actor award for Mahershala Ali as a sympathetic drug dealer.
Noah Baumbach’s star-studded divorce drama is pure Oscar bait, but in the best way. The film takes a look at messy breakups with Scarlett Johansson playing an actress and mother named Nicole, who is intent on separating from her stage director husband Charlie (Adam Driver). Laura Dern and Ray Liotta play their hard-hitting lawyers, who don’t help in diffusing the tension and resentment building between the pair when Nicole moves herself and their son across the country. It’s an intimate look at the emotional wreckage of a divorce and the struggle to put a family back together again, and it’s carried by some brilliant performances by Driver and Johansson.
This adventurous mindf*ck starring Adam Sandler finally landed on Netflix, and our only advice before watching this criminally-good romp is this: prepare yourself for a wild, over-the-top ride. Sandler gives one of his best performances, and the Safdie Brothers prove they’ve got a knack for crafting thrillers textured with grit and a realness that just can’t be beaten.
This time-hopping drama set in the backwoods of West Virginia is basically an excuse for director Antonio Campos to assemble his own Avengers-style squad of Hollywood A-listers. Seriously, everyone’s in this thing — Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Eliza Scanlen, Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Haley Bennett, that kid who played Dudley in the Harry Potter franchise. The whole gang’s living in shacks and picking up hitchhikers only to murder them later and speaking in tongues and falling victim to generational trauma. It’s a heavy watch, and there’s not really a happy ending, but boy does Pattinson deliver a batsh*t crazy turn as a perverted preacher.
Your love or hate of this film will squarely fall on who you feel about the film’s lead (real-life) character, Chris McCandless. On the one hand, McCandless struck out on an adventure to eschew the doldrums of modern life in the Alaskan wilderness. On the other hand, his woeful underestimation of the wilds and unpreparedness is maddening and cost him his life. Still, the kid gets a lot of points for at least trying when so many don’t.
Before he was bringing The Mandalorian to Disney+ and helming Marvel movies, Jon Favreau wrote, directed, and starred in this foodie gem about an overworked chef who upends his life to rediscover his passion. Favreau plays Carl Casper, a head chef at a high-end eatery who, fed up with his life, decides to quit and buy a food truck in order to get back to his neighborhood roots. Come for the food porn, stay for Favreau, who’s just as good an actor as he is a director.
This beautifully animated French fantasy film follows the story of a young man named Naoufel, or rather, his hand which has been severed from his body and spends most of the film escaping labs and trying to get back to its owner. The film flits between the past and present, watching Naoufel’s life unfold from a young orphan to an accidental carpenter’s apprentice — which is how he lost his appendage — all while exploring themes of love, loss, and destiny.
Any Spike Lee joint is worth a watch, but this genre-bending thriller about a group of black Vietnam War vets returning to the battlefield decades later feels especially timely. That’s because Lee manages to shed light on a little-known part of our shared history: the way our country treated Black soldiers returning from the war, but he also raises the stakes with a subplot that includes a buried treasure hunt and a heartwrenching mission to retrieve the remains of a fallen comrade. The cast, which includes Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, is brilliant, the story is gripping, and you’ll probably be seeing more talk of it come awards season, so go ahead and watch it now.
DiCaprio and Scorsese team up again, this time for a dramatic thriller that feels different from their normal fare but still just as intense. DiCaprio plays a detective drawn to a mysterious island that houses a psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. He’s investigating the case of an escaped convict, but a conveniently-timed storm, a hostile staff, and some strange happenings lead him down a rather dark and dangerous rabbit hole. There’s a twist ending here worthy of its build-up, and DiCaprio shares the screen with some notable talents including Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Emily Mortimer.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this truly bonkers crime thriller from Dan Gilroy about a con-man who muscles his way into L.A.’s crime journalism scene and very quickly becomes the star of his own reporting. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a petty thief who stumbles his way into the stringer profession — photojournalists who chase crime scenes to sell the footage to local TV stations. As Lou begins to record more exciting crimes, demand for his work grows and he starts staging scenes, obstructing police investigations, and inserting himself in high-speed chases to get the best shot. It’s a twisted, depressing look at the ethics of journalism and the consequences of consumerism, and Gyllenhaal has never been better.
Netflix spent much of 2017 trying to establish itself as an alternative to movie theaters as a place to find quality new films. The results were mostly strong, and none stronger than Mudbound, Dee Rees’ story of two families — one white and one black — sharing the same Mississippi land in the years before and after World War II. Rees combines stunning images, compelling storytelling, and the work of a fine cast (that includes Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan, Garett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, and Mary J. Blige) to unspool a complex tale about the forces the connect black and white Americans and the slow-to-die injustices that keep them apart.
Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star in this muted crime thriller from David Fincher based on a best-selling series of books. Mara plays a gifted young hacker with a dark past who teams up with Craig’s journalist to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy woman from a prominent family 40 years earlier.
Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi thriller from auteur Bong Joon-ho. The film, set years into the future following a devastating ice age caused by mankind, follows Evans’ Curtis who lives in poverty on a train that continuously circles the Earth and contains all that remains of human life. Curtis is part of the “scum” that the people relegated to the back of the train while the “elite” enjoy the privilege of wealth and status that comes with living in the front. Curtis sparks a rebellion that ends in bloodshed and a devastating reveal when he makes it to the train’s engine room and discovers just how the elite have been fueling their operation. It’s a dark, grimy action piece that should give fans a new appreciation for Evans’ talent.
This documentary, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, is based on the unfinished manuscript, Remember this House, by James Baldwin. The author and civil rights activist recounts the history of racism in the United States through personal observations and his relationships with friends and leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a beautifully-shot, sobering reminder of how far we have yet to go when it comes to equality.
Writer/director Trey Edward Shults followed up his unnerving family portrait in 2015’s Krisha with a look at another family under the most desperate of circumstances. After an unknown illness has wiped out most of civilization, a number of threats — both seen and unseen — come for a family held up in their home out in the wilderness. It’s a subtle, dream-like tale that stars Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbot as two patriarchs intent on keeping their families safe, no matter the cost.
Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith share the screen in this Oscar-nominated tearjerker about a struggling salesman trying to provide for his family. Smith plays Chris Gardner, a man at the end of his rope who’s looking to make a fresh start in a new career. When Gardner’s ex splits, leaving him to take care of their young son, we watch as he attempts to create a better life for them both despite the setbacks and roadblocks put in his path. It’s heavy, emotional work that Smith does here. It’s also some of his best.
This sci-fi drama is a bit of a hidden gem over on Netflix but we think it’s time more people checked it out. That’s because it features some terrific performance, most notably from Pedro Pascal who plays a miner with nefarious designs, and Jay Duplass, who plays a dad who travels to an alien moon with his teenage daughter to mine precious gems and ends up in a fight for both their lives.
Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, and Adam Driver star in this thrillingly dark road trip flick from director Jeff Nichols. The story follows a father (Shannon) and his young, gifted son, who are on the run from the Feds and a religious cult after both groups learn of the boy’s special abilities. The sci-fi here is played more for mystery — we’re never quite sure what the boy can do, but it’s dangerously big — big enough to have Driver’s government investigator spooked. Shannon is terrific as a father scrambling to do right by his kid, and Edgerton is sturdy as the friend/hired gun who transports them where they need to go.
Priyanka Chopra stars in this crime drama based on a NY Times bestselling book. Adarsh Gourav plays Balram, an academically gifted young man hailing from one of the lowest castes in Indian society. He longs to break free of the poverty and systemic oppression that prevent him from going to school and bettering his station, so he becomes a driver for a very wealthy family. Chopra plays the wife of Balram’s employer and over the course of the film, their lives become intertwined in extreme ways as Balram does whatever he must in order to rise through the ranks and earn a better life.
Patricia Highsmith made her name with dark, misanthropic thrillers like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train. But her early work also included The Price of Salt, a novel about the relationship between a shopgirl and an older married woman. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett bring this doomed romance to life, playing a pair of lovers kept apart by societal conventions. Their heartbreaking romance ends as well as can be expected, but the journey definitely involves some tears.
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce play off each other in this fictionalized comedy about two of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church. Hopkins plays Pope Benedict XVI near the end of his tenure as he struggles with the disillusionment of his role and his faith. Pryce plays Cardinal Bergoglio (who would later become Pope Francis) who’s also going through a crisis of faith and wishes to leave his post. What follows is two hours of two of the greatest actors paling around with each other, delivering some laughs as they get deep about the philosophical leanings of these two great men.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in this drama that’s equal parts rom-com and a harrowing look at mental illness. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a former high school teacher who recently completed a stint at a mental institution. Things aren’t going well for Pat. He’s moved back in with his overbearing parents (a wickedly-funny Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), his now ex-wife cheated on him, he doesn’t get along with his therapist, and he’s operating under the delusion that if he gets fit and gets his sh*t together, he can get his wife back. Lawrence plays Tiffany, a young woman with problems of her own. She’s depressed after the death of her husband and prefers sex with strangers to drown the pain. The two strike up a friendship that pushes both to their mental and emotional limits. It’s a messy, complicated love story, which makes for a nice change of pace if sappy-sweet rom-coms just aren’t doing it for you.
Willem Dafoe lends his name to this little indie that generated plenty of buzz during awards season just a few years ago. It follows the story of six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who lives with her mother in a run-down motel near Walt Disney World. Moonee, along with a couple of kids also living at the motel, gets into all sorts of mischief while her mom works first as an exotic dancer, then resorts to prostitution when things get rough. Poor and neglected, Moonee still finds joy in her unforgiving environment and though things end on a bittersweet note, this feels like one of the more hopeful movies on this list.
Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun stars this psychological thriller from South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong. Yeun plays Ben, a rich millennial with a mysterious job who connects with a woman named Shin Hae-mi on a trip to Africa. The two journey back home together where Ben meets Shin’s friend/lover Lee Jong-su. The three hang-out regularly, with Lee growing more jealous of Ben’s wealth and privilege while he’s forced to manage his father’s farm when his dad goes to prison. But it’s when Shin disappears, and Lee suspects Ben’s involvement, that things really go off the rails.
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams take on the planet’s most-watched singing competition with this campy comedy about an Icelandic duo named Fire Saga, who are set on achieving glory on the world’s biggest stage. Ferrell and McAdams play Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir, artists chosen to represent their nation in the Eurovision Song Contest, a real competition that features musicians from all over the world, who are often performing in wild get-ups. Dan Stevens almost steals the show while Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato make appearances. We’re calling it now: “Volcano Man” is going to be a bop for the ages.
This coming-of-age indie is based on a beloved book, but if fans were worried that the story of a depressed teenager who finds friends and a sense of belonging in a group of lovable misfits wouldn’t translate on screen, they shouldn’t have been too concerned. Stephen Chbosky wrote the novel, but he also penned the screenplay and directed this flick, which sees Logan Lerman play Charlie, the social outcast, and Emma Watson play Sam, the alt-pixie-dream girl he falls for. Everyone’s good in this, but it’s Ezra Miller’s Patrick who really stands out.
Barack Obama has never been one to keep his music interests a secret. The former president has shared numerous playlists over the years, and on Wednesday he delivered another one. After a recent episode of his and Bruce Springsteen’s Renegades: Born In The USA podcast, Barack dropped his shower playlist — all 44 tracks of it — after speaking about one of his favorite habits. “I sing in the shower, I sing outside of the shower. I am unembarrassed about singing,” he said during the episode. “My daughters and my wife sometimes roll their eyes.”
The playlist finds notable contributions from Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce (“Freedom”), The Roots (“You Got Me”), Stevie Wonder (“Living For The City”), Billie Holiday (“Strange Fruit”), and more. Bruce Springsteen himself makes nine appearances on it, including “My Hometown,” “American Skin (41 Shots),” and two versions of “Born In The U.S.A.”
The playlist arrives after Barack and Bruce launched their podcast at the end of last month. So far, the duo has shared three full-length episodes, where they’ve discussed their respective lives, the U.S., and, of course, their love for music.
Two months ago, Barack showed off his wide-ranging music taste with his favorite songs of 2020 playlist. Megan The Stallion, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Lil Baby, and J. Cole were among the many names that appeared on it.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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