Alyssa Shotwell

Jan 30, 2024 | themarysue.com | Alyssa Shotwell

Based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, American Fiction takes a critical look at the way art by Black writers is shaped by the expectations and whims of white audiences. In addition to framing and dialogue, the film also continues these conversations in subtle ways—including some brilliant unaddressed props. There’s no person in American Fiction cast as the antagonist. There’s internal conflict, communal conflict, and societal conflict.

Jan 26, 2024 | themarysue.com | Alyssa Shotwell

One of the most under-discussed historical figures present in Ridley Scott’s epic reimagining of Napoleon’s life is General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie. If that name sounds kind of familiar, it’s because his son and grandson would become world-famous French writers. Small spoilers for Napoleon. In many scenes featuring Napoleon with his generals and troops stands Abubakar Salim playing Thomas-Alexandre Dumas.

Jan 25, 2024 | themarysue.com | Alyssa Shotwell

While many are excited to watch Christopher Nolan’s three-hour Oscar-nominated film Oppenheimer at home with a remote to pause for breaks, there are many other great films and shows coming to Peacock in February. In reality TV, Peacock is releasing several new episodes (and aftershows) of Vanderpump Rules, Real Housewives, and—a fave of many Mary Suevians—The Traitors. This includes both the main murder mystery show and the spinoff The Traitors, Postmortem.

Jan 25, 2024 | themarysue.com | Alyssa Shotwell

Despite the source material for American Fiction having been published 20 years ago, the entertainment and publishing industries have only made marginal changes in the treatment of Black art and artists. It’s fortunate, at least, that cultural fascinations with slave narratives have waned. American Fiction has something to say about both. Minor spoilers ahead for American Fiction Tired of the pigeonholing of Black stories, Monk (Jeffrey Wright) writes Pafalogy under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh.

Jan 24, 2024 | themarysue.com | Alyssa Shotwell

There’s lots of great content coming to Hulu in February. This includes some beloved anime, a few iconic film franchises, and a slew of addictive-but-maybe-questionable reality TV. (I’m looking at you, Dr. Pimple Popper.) Hulu already has a solid array of films and TV—so much that I don’t think the execs there understand its value. (Stares at cancellation of Y: The Last Man.) New Hulu originals to watch out for this February include The Space Race, Genius: MLK/X, and FX’s Shōgun.