I spent the second half of my year discovering underrated movies and all-consuming miniseries. It’s also been comforting to have new seasons of Nobody Wants This, Abbott Elementary and My Life With The Walter Boys. All’s Fair is a standout new series as well. Not only does Kim Kardashian prove she’s a capable actor, but I also love how it focuses on divorce-related drama.
The Emmy nominated miniseries Sirens starring Julianne Moore and Meghann Fahy was truly engrossing and should’ve won awards. It was also interesting to learn more about how Martha Stewart became the original influencer. Her Netflix documentary highlighted how the media harshly judged Martha for her Kmart partnership despite its massive success. Fit For TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, my favourite miniseries of the year, was super timely amidst ongoing discussion about obesity, Ozempic and reality TV.
The biopic Swiped was one of the best new movies released in the last six months. Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd is on my shortlist of CEOs I want to meet and her story is worth watching. I loved how they gradually made Lily James look more polished and sophisticated through subtle hair, makeup and wardrobe changes. My favourite songs from the 2010s perfectly captured the early days of dating apps.
Toronto attracts many of the biggest comedians. This year, I had a chance to see Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Taylor Tomlinson, John Mulaney, Caroline Rhea, Sophie Buddle and Leah Rudick live. In between their shows, I loved streaming comedy specials by Ali Wong, Tom Papa and Alex Edelman!
I kicked off the holiday season with an overdue rewatch of Sleepless In Seattle. I haven’t watched it since the 90s, which was before I ever entered the dating scene. Despite the outdated fashion – who wears a suit to chase after your crush? – it’s still one of the best romantic comedies. It really illustrated the power of the radio to bring people together before technology became so divisive.
I also rewatched Clueless to celebrate its 30th anniversary and contemplate buying its limited edition Barbie dolls. I decided to pass, but it was a tough choice!
The cancellation of Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much wasn’t too much of a disappointment. I abandoned it after the pilot. And Scott Foley couldn’t make me finish his Netflix movie La Dolce Villa either. If you want to see a movie with beautiful scenery that will keep you entertained, A Tourist’s Guide To Love with Rachael Leigh Cook is a better option.
My top 5 hidden gems I discovered recently:
- The Holdovers (Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph)
- Joy – The Birth Of IVF (Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, Bill Nighy)
- Somewhere In Queens (Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Sebastian Maniscalco)
- I Used To Be Funny (Rachel Sennott)
- Doin’ It (Lilly Singh)
If you’re open to subtitles, the French comedy Honeymoon Crasher is funny too! Most of my recommendations are available to watch on Disney+ and Netflix. I’m curious to discover new releases in 2026!
Follow me on Instagram & YouTube to see what’s hot in Hollywood, including my latest interviews and reviews!