2023 What to Watch List Guide

We all know the frustrating feeling of scrolling through streaming options and not knowing what to watch. From binge-worthy dramas to feel-good comedies, you won’t be able to watch everything. It can be daunting to find something to watch when there are so many options. Hamptons.com has you covered with suggestions for can’t-miss live TV, new and classic movies, and on-demand streaming!

TV SHOWS

Below Deck, Below Deck Adventure, 
Bravo Network | Reality, Maritime

I don’t love reality TV, but I LOVE Below Deck. The show hooks you on multiple levels, delivering all the drama, stress, and indigent “did-they-really-just…” moments I can handle. Unlike some shows that have to engineer “drama,” Below Deck is never stale with combinations of work-based squabbles, dramatic personalities, entitled guests, absurd luxury, and beautiful environments. I love getting to know the personality of each crew member and watching as they grow over the season. New this season, Below Deck Adventure, brings the total series to five: Below Deck, Mediterranean, Down Under, and Sailing. Be sure to check out our interview with Captain Sandy here!

Hacks (3 Seasons, 2021–)
HBO | Comedy, Odd-Couple, Female-led

Looking for the emotionally honest, should-I-cry-or-laugh, raunchy sensibilities of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s masterful, Fleabag. After a controversial Tweet derails Ava Daniels’ (Hannah Einbinder) career, an up-and-coming comedy writer finds herself as a ghostwriter for Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), an aging comedian living and working in Las Vegas. Characters are over-the-top but made believable by superb performance and exceptional writing. The show crafts something genuine and novel from the relatively straightforward odd couple, fish out of water dynamic. 

Yellowstone (5 Seasons, 2018–)
Paramount Network, MTV | Western, 

Coming back for its 5th season, Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner, has been the most-watched show on the air. This season begins with rancher John Dutton (Costner) reluctantly winning the  Montana governor’s race. The staggering success of MTV’s Yellowstone is a resounding reminder of how much America lives between the coasts. Featuring beautiful set pieces and stunning cinematography, the show is captivating in its size and scope on its own. Thematically, instead of highlighting change as progress, the show espouses a much more conservative message where the heroes are by conviction and commitment to keeping life the same. As John Dutton says, “I am the opposite of change. I am the wall that change bashes its head against.”

White Lotus (2 Seasons, 2021–)
HBO | Mystery, Travel

After winning many of this year’s Emmy Awards, White Lotus returns for its surprising second season. With an end to the first season that more-or-less closed the door on a follow-up, the show’s return drops most of the original cast; instead, the new season builds on themes and ideas previously established. Returning this season are The White Lotus Resort and murder. While the locale has moved from Hawaii to Sicily, the show echoes important refrains about the nature of luxury tourism, its impact on locals, and the myriad complications that vacation can bring. With such a wide range of cast and characters, you will surely resonate with someone in the show. Beautiful locations and a compelling whodunnit mystery make for great television. 

LIMITED SERIES

Friend of the Family (2022)
Peacock | Drama, True Story, Thriller

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Few stories on TV are as far-fetched and head-scratching as the events in this Fall’s Peacock Original, Friend of the Family. Based on actual events, the show chronicles the systematic abuse of a family by a charismatic neighbor, menacingly known as “Brother B.” Set in the ’70s, the series seems impossible to believe. Still, Jake Lacy’s amazingly sinister performances bring the show to life. Masterful set pieces and costumes combined with fantastic acting make this show hard to put down after an episode.

The Watcher (2022)
Netflix | Mystery, Crime

Genuinely unnerving and captivating, this limited series from Netflix was among the most talked-about shows of the Fall. Based on a popular nonfiction article in the New York Magazine, the show follows the lives of a family who moves from New York City into a beautiful dream home in the New Jersey suburbs. While many can relate to having bad neighbors, the harrowing tale of the Brannocks is truly on another level. Expertly edited and paced to keep you guessing and strong lead performances by Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale make The Watcher one of the most enjoyable shows of 2022.

DOCUMENTARIES

Our Great National Parks (2022)
Netflix | Nature, Documentary

Barrack Obama’s silky voice and expert narrative skills rival Morgan Freemans, breathing a soothing calm into the series’ breathtaking visuals. Excellent for background visuals to keep the kids engaged and also great for adults to escape the holiday stress with relaxing wildlife scenes. The series’ common refrain is simple and powerful—preserving wild spaces is possible and vital to life on Earth. This message resonated with me more than a shocking reminder of climate change, the positive examples of how much work is already being done at National Parks are positive and affirming. This is the perfect show for a fancy new TV or mornings after a few too many egg nogs.

Ghislain Maxwell: Filthy Rich (2022)
Netflix | Documentary, Expose 

New from Netflix, this captivating expose of the titular Ghislain Maxwell reveals the life and times of the socialite turned-felon. The filmmakers are compassionate in portraying Ghislain’s many victims, and the interviews with those who knew Mawell are honest and reflective. The documentary benefits from well-paced storytelling and editing to establish—not invent— the film’s narrative thesis.

Conversation Starters

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
HBO Max | Indie, Adventure, Crime

At times overlooked by the filmmaker Wes Anderson’s more-whimsical titles, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a beautifully intricate pastiche of allegory, despair, and appreciation of beauty. Wes Anderson’s penchant for charming set pieces and ensemble casts shine, despite the decidedly bleak “somewhere-in-the-20th-century” context. The film presents multiple layers of allegory gracefully, with spectacular performances from Ralph Fiennes, Billy Murray, and Tilda Swinton, among others. As Richard Brody of the New Yorker wrote of the film in 2014, “[It’s] about the spiritual heritage and the political force of those long-vanished styles—about the substance of style, not just the style of his Old World characters but also, crucially, Anderson’s own.”

Date Night

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Amazon Prime | Romance, Martial Arts

Every time I watch this movie, I get emotional. I will try and speak objectively about what makes it so great, but words do little justice to a film as beautiful, sentimental, and subdued as this. Ang Lee rightfully won Best Director honors at the Oscars for the film. The intricately woven story follows a stolen sword—Green Destiny—across imperial China. The real story is of love and longing, a tale of how easily dreams can go unheard. Stunning action is choreographed with actors on wires that feel equal parts fantastical and realistic. The intimate mix of action and romance is perfect for a date night and invites everyone to break the laws of gravity in this unparalleled epic.

Punch Drunk Love (2002)
Hulu | Quirky, Dark Comedy, Romance

An odd pairing of Adam Sandler, known chiefly for comedic roles, and Paul Thomas Anderson, director of Magnolia and Boogie Nights, create this achingly off-beat, funny, and perplexing film. Precious moments between Sandler and a broken string of supporting characters are jarring and never expected. I love this movie. I can’t speak highly enough of it. I’m not sure writing about the actual story would help promote the film, but it involves extortion, an abandoned mini-piano, and promotional pudding wrappers.