My Top 5 Hulu Shows
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary based on its movie predecessor with the same name. A camera crew follows four vampire roommates and their familiar, Guillermo, around Staten Island while capturing some of the funniest scenarios I’ve ever seen on TV. I’m a huge fan of the movie, so I was skeptical — but it exceeded all of my expectations. It’s got all of the humor of the movie but with its own personality and a whole new cast of characters. There are currently two seasons on Hulu, but it was renewed for a third 🙏 .
Favorite Episode: On the Run, Season 2, Episode 6 2. Ramy
Ramy is an A24 production about titular character Ramy Hassan, played by 2020 Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef. Ramy wants to connect with his Muslim faith on a deeper level, but he wants to party with his friends even more. His mother wants him to settle down and marry a good Muslim girl. His father wants him to get a real job. His Uncle Naseem wants him to man up. His sister just wants freedom from the constant watchful eye of her parents, who tend to overlook her brother’s many discrepancies. His friends want him to get his life under control.
Ramy tries his best to please everyone and become a better Muslim, but his best often ends in hilarious, chaotic — and sometimes disastrous — results. In my opinion, the strongest episodes are actually the ones that focus on Ramy’s family. I hope to see more of that in the future.
Favorite Episode: Uncle Naseem, Season 2, Episode 93. Pen15
Anna (Anna Konkle) and Maya (Maya Erskine) are best friends entering the seventh grade together in the early 2000s. Their hopes of becoming popular winning over their crushes come crashing down when Maya immediately gets branded UGIS, ugliest girl in school, for her bowl cut. It only gets more painful, hilarious, and cringeworthy from there.
The two main actresses, who are best friends in real life, are actually in their 30s. Every other cast member is actually a tween, which may sound strange, but it works. The way Konkle and Erskine they hold their bodies and their mannerisms are so convincing that you hardly notice the age difference. Seventh grade isn’t exactly a time period that I wanted to relive, but they do it with such humor and accuracy that it feels healing in a way.
Favorite Episode: Opening Night, Season 2, Episode 74. Normal People
No one knows Connell and Marianne as well as they know each other, even if their wires get seriously crossed at times. Based on the book by Irish writer Sally Rooney, Normal People is the classic story of an outcast and a jock falling in love, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about the desire to be fully seen and loved by another person, and the mortifying ordeal of being known. Connell’s Paul Mescal and Marianne’s Daisy Edgar Jones are both newcomers, and they blew me away in their ability to express emotion with so much nuance. You’ll want to watch the captivating 12-episode series all at once.
Favorite Episode: Episode 10 5. Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of Jane Austen’s stories. Luckily for me, there are some incredible adaptations. My personal favorites are the six-hour 1995 BBC miniseries and the 2005 film (if you have the Showtime add-on you can watch the film, too).
Elizabeth Bennet and her five eligible sisters live in Regency-era England. Their mother is hellbent on getting them married off as quickly as possible to wealthy suitors, but Elizabeth has a more independent lifestyle in mind. That is, until she meets the proud Mr. Darcy. Despite their differences in class and temperament, Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth and manages to thoroughly insult her. If you’re a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, this is the show for you.
The best reason to watch both the 1995 and 2005 adaptations is for double the Darcy. Matthew McFayden is wonderful in his own right (who could forget this incredible moment?), but Colin Firth will always be the Darcy of my heart. The BBC even posted a Youtube video entitled: The Lake Scene (Colin Firth Strips Off), if that sways your opinion at all.
Favorite Episode: Episode 5
