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19 TV Shows, Movies, Books, Songs, and Podcasts the M.M. Team Enjoyed This Year
From songs at the top of our Spotify Wrapped playlists to the movies we saw in theaters twice.
The week between Christmas and New Years is one I look forward to every year. M.M. HQ takes the week off, so I get to ask myself the delicious, luxurious question, What should I do with all this free time?
This year, I decided to outsource my answers to some of the smartest people I know: my coworkers. What songs were at the top of their Spotify Wrapped playlists? Which movies did they see in theaters twice? Which podcasts do they recommend to all their group chats? Below, read about the 19 shows, movies, books, podcasts, and songs the M.M.LaFleur team loved this year.
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TV Shows
Bad Sisters
“An Irish show with an incredible female cast that’s centered around the murder of one of their husbands (not a spoiler; this is the whole premise!). It’s very quirky, humorous, and lighthearted in its approach, even though it’s about some dark themes. It also has an amazing soundtrack, and one of the main actors, Sharon Horgan, wrote the show!”
—Emma
Severance
“I’ve been a broken record about this show, but the finale is one of the best hours of television I’ve ever seen.”
—Cindy
Station Eleven
“A show that I thought would hit a bit too close to home since it’s about a pandemic in which a huge part of the population dies… But it is so worth watching. It’s very creative, philosophical, and beautiful in imagining how humans connect in this apocalyptic world.”
—Emma
Alaska Daily
“Hillary Swank plays a discredited journalist who moves to Alaska to cover the police negligence in pursuing crimes against indigenous women. Pretty cheesy writing and acting, but I love it.”
—Ashley
Image: Apple TV.
Image: HBO Max.
Image: A24.
Image: Mubi.
Image: Netflix.
Movies
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
“I’ve loved Marcel ever since I saw his introduction on YouTube in 2010. Something about his wobbly voice (brought to life by comedian Jenny Slate), eccentric hobbies, and playful spirit bring an immediate smile to my face. But while some people may have assumed his big-screen debut was more for kids than adults, I found the film scratched a very specific itch. The perfectly cast Isabella Rosselinni brought a new depth to the story as Marcel’s grandmother, and I alternately laughed, cried, and felt more human than I ever thought an animated shell could make me feel.”
—Callie
Everything Everywhere All At Once
“So good! It was so crazy and unique, but also so real and grounded in the relationships (and we love representation).”
—Cindy
Decision to Leave
“A really beautiful and stirring drama where the tension gradually builds and sneaks up on you! I left the theater emotionally wiped and exhausted (in a good way).”
—Cindy
Fire of Love
“A documentary about a married French couple who dedicate their lives to volcanology. It’s mostly footage they captured, and some of it is truly mind-blowing (e.g. up close shots of volcanic events). They would move around to different volcanoes for long periods of time, and seeing their dedication to such an extreme subject is fascinating.”
—Emma
Top Gun: Maverick
“‘…Planes are so cool?!’—me coming out of the theater. I thought it felt really refreshing compared to most action movies these days. I also loved that, unlike most sequels/reboots, this movie was great on its own for a newer generation of fans while also catering to fans who love the original (like my parents, who played the Top Gun soundtrack nonstop in my house when I was young).”
—Cindy
Stutz
“It was very moving not only due to its normalization of therapy, but also because Stutz (the therapist) has an interesting story himself. It was also visually interesting, since it featured a lot of illustrations.”
—Emma
The Menu
“I love Anya Taylor-Joy and think she is flawless, and the movie was such a perfectly paced mix of humor, thrills, tension, and gorgeous visuals (complete with a very tasty ending).”
—Cindy
Music
Nicole by NIKI (Album)
“For this album, NIKI re-imagined and re-recorded some of the first songs she wrote as a teenager and combined with some of her newer songs. It’s a really lovely album of her present and past selves meeting and just so nice to listen to.”
—Cindy
Special by Lizzo (Album)
“While pop is not usually my genre of choice, Lizzo’s album was pure fun at a time when we needed it most. The album happened to drop just as I was packing up an apartment I didn’t want to leave, and the many dance parties it added to this process were a lifesaver.”
—Callie
Out of My Head by First Aid Kit (Song)
“First Aid Kit is a favorite band of mine, but they hadn’t released a new original album since 2018. They brought their signature harmonies to a new release this fall, and this song in particular is sure to be great when performed live.”
—Callie
Image: NIKI.
Image: First Aid Kit.
Image: Penguin Random House.
Image: Abrams.
Books
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
“I was hesitant to pick up this book, which focuses on two gamers; decidedly not a gamer myself, I thought the backdrop might be boring for my taste. But I’m a sucker for a good coming-of-age story, and Zevin masterfully developed the main characters and their relationships as they move through adolescence and into adulthood.”
—Callie
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“This wasn’t even Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best work, but dang does she know how to write an addicting book.”
—Callie
Salad Freak by Jess Damuck
“A cookbook centered around salads, but not in a health-focused way at all. It’s about how creative you can get with salads—eating very seasonally, creating your own combinations, etc. There’s a cool section in the back with recipes for a bunch of mix-and-match components (e.g. frizzled shallots, crispy chickpeas), as well as a formula for creating your own dressings (pick an acid, a fat, etc.). Very clever!”
—Emma
Podcasts
Table Manners
“Celebrity interviews centered around food. It’s hosted by singer Jessie Ware and her mother, Lennie Ware, who both love to cook and have really charming banter—made even better by their British wit. Each episode, they host their famous guest for a meal and ask them food-related questions about what they ate during childhood, their favorite restaurants, what their last meal would be, and more.”
—Emma
Archetypes with Meghan Markle
“The Duchess chats with powerhouse celebs (Serena, Mariah) about the archetypes and tropes placed on women (e.g. ‘diva,’ ‘too ambitious,’ ‘crazy’). Love the honesty and humanity of this podcast!”
—Ashley
Image: Spotify.
Image: Table Manners Podcast.
