Nicole Stawiarski
Lead Content Manager for The Thought & Expression Company, Inc.
-
These ‘Squid Game’ Deaths Messed Us Up For Days
The beauty and the terror of each subsequent season of Netflix’s Korean language global phenomenon, Squid Game, is that we perceive the impending emotional turmoil before it arrives. We know both the characters we fall in love with and despise are in for equally gruesome deaths, and it’s that dramatic irony that creates a heightened…
-
Netflix’s ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Packs Feature Film Quality Into Bite-Sized Episodes
The Summer Hikaru Died is not a loud, boisterous, level-up-til-infinity, rock ’em sock ’em robots type affair. Honestly, it’s as quiet, sleepy, slow-paced, and understated as the village it’s set in; exactly what you’d expect from an art house or Memories of Murder style film. Of course, it has it’s own sci-fi/fantasy twist, but not…
-
Watch This Movie When You Forget How To Enjoy The Little Things In Life
Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days might be the Perfect Film. Released back in 2023 at Cannes, where it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and Best Actor Award, I still haven’t seen anything since then that can top it. Stylistically, its simplicity is just kind of… mesmerizing, the same way you can lose yourself in…
-
‘The Safekeep’ Could Be The Next ‘Carol’ If A Studio Jumps On The Film Rights
I found Yael van der Wouden’s novel, The Safekeep, advantageously positioned on display table in my local bookstore, while I was shopping the same way I sometimes do for a new bottle of wine—scanning for an image that captures my attention, and taking a risk without doing any additional research. Something about the two pears…
-
‘Pulse’ and ‘The Residence’ Deserved Better: Why Netflix’s Latest Cancellations Sting
Let me just start by saying that I would have done CPR on Pulse longer than medical student Dennis Whitaker worked on his hopeless patient on The Pitt. So it’s no surprise Netflix is cutting its losses after going head-to-head with HBO over two very different medical dramas; the reviews and word of mouth agreed…
-
4 Iconic Mexican Novelas To Binge In July
American audiences are so trained to binge their favorite television series in a mad, bender-like dash of non-stop action and entertainment that leaves them bored and unsatisfied when all is said and done and there is “nothing left to watch”. This July, maybe it’s time to dip our toes into an artform perfected by our…
-
The Way Pete Handled Sugar And Francie On ‘The Bear’ Is So, So, So Evolved
For awhile, it felt like Francie Fak was to The Bear what Maris was to Frasier, a divisive character who is referenced multiple times, but never actually seen on-screen. All of that changed this season when she was officially brought to life by Brie Larson in the seventh episode, “Bears”, depicting Tiff and Frank’s wedding.…
-
6 Shah Rukh Khan Deep Cuts To Stream On Netflix In July
Shah Rukh Khan is the cultural reference for anyone trying to make an impact with Indian audiences, and everyone from former President Barack Obama to Dua Lipa and David Beckham have paid hommage to the Badshah of Bollywood and his legendary film career. But while anyone can name drop for clout, only the most die-hard…
-
4 Separate Beatles Biopics Are Coming—Each From A Different Band Member’s POV
Hollywood loves a recipe for success, and its latest obsession is a classic rock biopic with a household name. Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Elvis, and A Complete Unknown all gave their leading men a chance to show off their acting chops and vie for coveted award season nominations. Now, director Sam Mendes will do the same…
-
Sophie And Camila’s Relationship Was The Heart Of Netflix’s ‘Pulse’
Netflix’s first English language medical drama packed a punch with a constant barrage of hard-hitting conflict and suspense that often veered into outlandish territory, but it’s most subtle and realistic storyline flew so low under the radar you might have missed it completely. As a queer person, it had me second-guessing my own ‘gaydar’ right…
-
‘Squid Game’ Seriously Underestimates How Many People Want To Be Slapped By Cate Blanchett
You'll have way more than 456 players for this game.
-
5 Dark, Twisty Shows To Watch After ‘Squid Game’
There’s nothing more bittersweet than reaching a much anticipated season finale, and no show in recent memory has done a better job at building intense anticipation across such a wide audience as Squid Game. But before you fall into the depths of despair, convincing yourself there’s nothing worth watching in Squid Game‘s wake, give these…
-
Hulu Has The Best Summer Comedy To Stream This July
Eldest daughters like me have always been suckers for the female mentor comedy. With no older sisters of our own, we looked to the likes of Tyra Banks in Life-Size, Brittany Murphy in Uptown Girls, and Anna Faris in House Bunny to fill that need for an older, wiser, woman with more sex appeal than…
-
Netflix’s ‘The Lady’s Companion’ Is The Perfect Comedy To Stream This Summer
Netflix’s newest period drama, The Lady’s Companion, takes all of the best elements of Bridgerton from the manners of the 19th century marriage market to its bright whimsical costumes and choreographed dance numbers, and combines it with the most memorable structural elements of the 2001 film, Amélie, including a playful, omniscient narrator, quirky flashbacks that…
-
How To Stream Caitlin Clark + The Indiana Fever
The ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ has made a monumental impact on women’s basketball, and the Indiana Fever point guard has been credited with generating an estimated 26.5% of the WNBA’s economic activity for the 2024 season. With ticket prices on the rise, and an ever-growing fandom, the appeal of catching her talent (or the media-generated rivalry…
-
What To Watch On July 9, 2025: ‘The Gringo Hunters Premiere’+ ‘Always Sunny’ Returns
Today we have a new action-packed series launching, a beloved comedy going strong in it’s seventeenth season, and a classic coming of age film ringing in another anniversary. Check out everything you need to know in streaming below! The Gringo Hunters Netflix is bringing us a limited series about an elite Mexican police task force…
-
Where To Watch Zorro: All Movies And Series Streaming Now
The main character in Johnston McCulley’s 1919 serialized novel, The Curse of Capistrano, Zorro, has made his mark (literally) on all kinds of public property, but perhaps most notably on the silver screen. A nobleman who returns to Spanish California after studying in Spain, he adopts the alter ego and hides behind the identity of…
-
The ‘Honey Don’t’ Trailer Is Gay Christmas In July
Focus Features dropped the new trailer for their upcoming film starring Aubrey Plaza and Margaret Qualley, Honey Don’t, and boy are we obsessed with the new avatars they are stepping into. The film will be the second installment in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “lesbian B-movie trilogy” following 2024’s Drive Away Dolls (also starring Qualley),…