Looking for some viewing inspiration? Here’s what the IMAGE staffers are watching this month

Struggling to decide on what to watch this weekend? I feel you. It can sometimes seem as though the infinite scroll through the rotation of streaming services is designed to overwhelm us with endless options, and leave us simply unable to make the right choice.

So, in order to tee up some worthwhile shows and films to enjoy during some well-earned downtime, I turned to trusty team IMAGE to gather some suggestions, and the range of genres and titles chosen have ensured that there’s something to suit every mood.

From languorous Sunday afternoon viewing to more immersive titles that will keep your interest piqued throughout, here are some suggestions to add to your weekend watch list…

Colin in Black and White

As always, we were not sure what to watch so we clicked through suggestions on Netflix and then checked the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The series looked interesting and got 74% from Rotten Tomatoes. We ended up watching it all in one go and our teenage daughter ended up watching the whole mini series with us (as anyone with teenagers knows, it is hard to get them to sit through a movie). After watching it, I was chatting to a friend with an adopted Black daughter and we got talking about the series. She also loved the series. Colin Kaepernick narrates the series, recounting growing up navigating race, class and culture while following his dreams to be a great football quarterback. The series got a much lower audience score, it takes a bit getting used to, but do stick with it!

— Marlene Wessels, Art Director, IMAGE Magazine

The US Office

I have recently started re-watching The Office (the American version) on Netflix. I started thinking I would just watch one episode and I am now on season four. There is so much to love and oh my god it has aged so well. I had also forgotten how invested I was in Pam and Jim’s office romance, truly one for the ages. There are very few shows that will make me truly LOL, but this does. 10/10 recommend!

— Dominique McMullan, Editorial Director, IMAGE.ie

The Last of Us

If you’re not already watching The Last of Us on Sky Atlantic, I highly recommend jumping on the bandwagon – everything about the series is fantastic. While it’s technically about undead mushroom zombies it has much more heart than you’d expect and, quite simply, episode three is one of the best TV episodes of recent memory. As for my last cinema outing? One of the last films I went to see was Babylon with Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. I had heard mixed reviews about it so was admittedly kind of sceptical – at over three hours long, it’s definitely a marathon, not a sprint – but, I absolutely loved it! I think it might be one of my new favourite films ever.

— Sarah Finnan, Acting Deputy Digital Editor, IMAGE.ie

Taskmaster

I’ve recently started watching old series of Taskmaster, the Channel 4 comedy show. Each series takes a group of comedians and gets them to compete doing various (usually very odd) challenges. Not only is it hilarious, it’s always a really fun one to watch with someone else, as you end up discussing what the best way to approach each task would be. If you haven’t seen it before, start with the most recent series, which was so funny I was frequently laughing until I cried. It’s available on All 4.

— Megan Burns, Deputy Editor, IMAGE, IMAGE Interiors

Smother

I will be the first to hold my hands up and say it: I am a serial re-watcher. I find great comfort in pressing play on a story I’ve seen play out before in the comfort that I’ll take something new from it this time around. I just finished my fifth spin of Normal People (yes, I cried at every episode and no, I’m not ashamed to admit it), and curled up in front of the 2004 Kate Hudson classic, Raising Helen, last weekend. My current exceptions to this have been RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, and Smother. Set in coastal county Clare, the series follows Val (Dervla Kirwan) and her family whose secrets simultaneously bond them together and tear them apart. It’s full of suspenseful intrigue and the theme turn by Villagers always gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

— Sarah Gill, Staff Writer, IMAGE.ie

Shrinking

I’m currently obsessed with Shrinking, AppleTV’s new comedy about grief. Like many of us, I was looking for something to fill the White Lotus-shaped hole in my life and this show, with the same production team as Ted Lasso, is perfect.

— Emily Farrell, Social Media Manager, IMAGE.ie

Dead Poets Society

I’ve really been enjoying The Last of Us on Now TV. The Frank and Bill episode was such a masterpiece and this latest episode had one of the most incredible zombie scenes I have ever seen! Unlike other post-pandemic shows, it’s about so much more than surviving – it reminds us of what is worth surviving for. I know that sounds incredibly cheesy but that’s just a way of saying that it really builds out its characters and beautifully develops their relationships. Incredibly moving and addictive! Also, I recently watched Dead Poets Society – the 1989 film with Robin Williams – for the first time on Disney+. It’s been on my bucket list for ages, and I have to say it lived up to the ‘legendary movie’ hype that precedes it. It’s a fantastic coming-of-age story and a poignant reminder to live life to the fullest. If you, like me, have been putting it off, move it to the top of the list!

— Shayna Sappington, Branded Content & Staff Writer

Dear Edward

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano was by far my favourite book of 2020. I devoured it in two days during lockdown and the story really stuck with me, told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. Losing his entire family in an instant he has to learn to make sense of the world and find his new place in it. The construct of the novel also really cleverly weaves in the stories and backstories of other characters that were on the ill-fated plane with him. It is a beautifully written book, so moving and compelling, and now it’s just released as a 10-part series on Apple TV, starring the brilliant Connie Britton (of White Lotus and Friday Night Lights fame) who I could watch in anything. I’m three episodes in and enjoying it. It’s not as good as the book, but then is it ever? But well worth a watch, and if you can read the book before you do, even better!

— Lizzie Gore-Grimes, Editor-in-Chief, IMAGE Media

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari on Netflix is a must-see for anyone interested in documentaries. It tells the harrowing story behind the eruption that changed the lives of many, and it will really give you a new perspective on the important things in life, and what to be truly grateful for.

— Doireann Murray, Chief Revenue Officer, IMAGE Media

Abbot Elementary

I just finished watching season one of Abbot Elementary (Disney+) and it’s just a hug of a show. It’s a mockumentary-style sitcom following a group of teachers in an under-funded US public school. It’s as funny as The US Office with the same warmth and heart as Parks & Recreation, so perfect for fans of either.

— Nathalie Marquez Courtney, Editor, IMAGE Magazine