As we hurdle into the winter months, Cheddar's Digital Team recommends a brutal tale of revenge in the Old West, the comic stylings of Nora Lum, the first-person backstory of Colin Kaepernick, and a Stallone, action-suspense vehicle about rock climbing.
Colin in Black & White - Netflix
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
By now everyone has heard of the former NFL star Colin Kaepernick and his kneeling protest against police brutality during the national anthem before games. Colin in Black & White, from Kaepernick and co-creator Ava Duvernay, looks back on his own contextualized history with narration from the activist himself and dramatizations starring Jaden Michael as young Colin and Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker as his white adoptive parents. The series starts off delving into issues he dealt with as a biracial youth growing up in a predominantly white region of California, beginning with the racial ramifications of hairstyle in the early 2000s. People may have already formed their own opinions of the man, but here he gets to depict himself in his own words.
The Harder They Fall - Netflix
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
A modern western film centered around revenge. That's what director Jeymes Samuel was going for when he began filming his feature film debut The Harder They Fall. The story follows Nat Love, played by Jonathan Majors, who finds out that his arch-nemesis Rufus Buck, played by Idris Elba, is set to be released from prison, and so his need for vengeance sets in. To set the tone to show Samuel is serious about his portrayal of the Old West, the film opens with an intense shootout that makes the viewer understand exactly why Love's sole purpose is to get his revenge Back in Blood-style. The film has an additional star-studded cast that includes Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and Delroy Lindo to name a few.
Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens; Season 2 - Hulu
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
Season 2 of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens wrapped up a few weeks ago and now I get to binge the whole season. I just finished up Season 1 and all of its off-color, biting, yet sweet, humor. Actress and rapper Awkwafina (born Nora Lum) has built a career on her big personality and incredible comedic timing. Her filmography now includes some little flicks you may have heard of like Crazy, Rich Asians, Ocean's 8, Marvel's Shang-Chi, and even a Golden Globe for her starring role in The Farewell. But she also has this sitcom, which has been giving me belly laughs since early 2020. I can't wait to see what happens to Nora, her NSFW Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn), manic Cousin Edmund (Bowen Yang), and her straight-man dad (BD Wong).
Cliffhanger - Netflix
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
Excuse both the hyperbole and the pun, dear reader, but Cliffhanger from 1993 is the pinnacle of a certain kind of Hollywood action film. Yes, it's ridiculous, hyper-violent, and rife with terrible quips, but it's also chock-full of late-analog filmmaking that today, in an ocean of CGI, looks more and more like some kind of cinematic cathedral — a crazy, improbable edifice that we can't imagine why or how it was constructed but that we nonetheless treasure for its audacity. The stunts, the explosions, the painted backdrops, the model planes — all of it comes together to create a deeply tactile bit of movie magic. Somehow a cargo plane crashing into the side of a mountain looks as real as Stallone's bicep.
Looking for more to watch? Check out our recommendations from last week and the week before.
