Illustrations by Kristina Balciunaite/Editor-in-Chief
Juwayriah Wright
CityLifestyle Reporter
[email protected]
Netflix has scheduled many new releases and additions for 2019, some of which evoke a lot of excitement and impatience from several fandoms. New seasons of many popular shows will also be making their debut on the video platform, which has the potential to give students some relief from both the anticipation of long-awaited releases and the stress of school work. Though the list of expected releases is extensive, here are a couple of highlights for the next couple of months.
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Documentary
January 18
In early 2017, Fyre Festival was scheduled on a Bahamian Island and was promoted falsely by models and celebrities to be the biggest party of the year. This documentary sets out to explain what exactly went wrong, as it had ended with high-paying attendants being stranded in hurricane tents and fighting for mattresses.
GIRL
Film: drama
January 18
This Belgian film released in 2018 made about four times its budget in the box office, amassing $4.1 million dollars. The film reflects the relevancy of a struggle many teenagers are dealing with: that of gender transitioning. Lara, a 15-year-old transgender girl and ballet student, portrays the impatience experienced by young adults to grow into what they would want themselves to be, which becomes especially arduous in terms of hormonal treatments and therapy. GIRL also brings the reality of confusion and uncertainty of Lara’s family, mentors and peers to the plot, expanding on more diverse issues.
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Documentary
January 24
What is it like in the mind of a man who has killed over 30 women and suspected for the murder of over 100 people? Viewers obsessed with the dramatics of crime and serial killer psychology will have the opportunity to see present-day, never-before-seen interviews with Ted Bundy, one of the most prolific killers of all time. Bundy’s portrait is refined and delved into in this Netflix Original.
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All
Comedy special
January 29
The guy interchanged the word the word fat for Fluffy. Amidst his One Show Fits All tour, this new release from ‘Fluffy” Iglesias discusses encounters with celebrities, his teenage son, and crazy fans. The anticipated release will also be followed by his new TV Show, Mr. Iglesias, in which the comedian plays a high-school history teacher who attempts to mentor misbehaving kids. Fans can now anticipate what new sound he will bring into the comedy scene.
Russian Doll
TV Show: comedy
February 1
The idea of a main protagonist reliving the same day over and over again and sometimes dying at the end of it has been done, well, over and over again. Starring Natasha Lyonne of Orange is the New Black and co-created with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, Lyonne’s character Nadia frantically attempts to understand why she dies painful deaths at the end of a party she attends as the guest of honor. The show seems to introduce a broader and more fascinating concept but is also complimented by Nadia’s comedic and uproariously distraught attitude in the dark, grungy New York City setting.
The Umbrella Academy
TV Show: comic book series
February 15
Based off the comic book series created and written by Gerard Way, frontman of the alt-rock band Green Day, this ten-episode series follows seven children who were born amongst forty-three infants who were gifted with superpowers. The seven are adopted by a billionaire and, years later in their thirties, must team together to solve their adoptive father’s death. Oh, and they’re also tasked with saving the world. The series appears to be bleak and full of cynicism, as well as intriguing and unique characters.
