This March 10th, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be giving out the 96thAcademy Awards. All in all, 2023 shaped out to be a pretty terrific year for movies, so all ten nominees for Best Picture — arguably the biggest award in the film industry — are special movies with something unique to offer. FromBarbietoOppenheimer, the nominees make up one of the most stacked Best Picture lineups cinephiles have been treated to in some time.
Just like film, the world of television is populated with special shows for all tastes. For every one of this year’s Best Picture nominees,there’s at least one TV show that matches their vibe, story, or general themes in one way or another. Those that enjoyed a certain film nominated for Hollywood’s most coveted golden statue are bound to also enjoy a show that suits the same kind of niche.
10’Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse' (2012 - 2015)
Like ‘Barbie’
Greta GerwigandMargot Robbietook the world by storm withBarbie, which is oh so much more than just a simple big screen adaptation of the popular doll. The film is a richly complex yet irresistibly funny existentialist tale where Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) are given a chance to go out into the real world, where they discover that the joys of Barbieland aren’t all there is to life. With striking visualsand multiple fun cameos, it’s undoubtedly one of 2023’s most beloved movies.
Over the years, Barbie has grown as such a popular character that there have understandably been various television adaptations of her. The best is perhapsBarbie: Life in the Dreamhouse, a web series with surprisingly charming animation, genuinely funny jokes,and a perfect understanding of what makes Barbie such a fun and relatable character.
Watch on Netflix
9’The Curse' (2023 - )
Like ‘Poor Things’
Over the course of his relatively short but surprisingly acclaimed career, GreekfilmmakerYorgos Lanthimoshas cemented himself as the director of some of the wackiest,most head-scratchingly surrealistic moviesin the contemporary film industry.Poor Things, which many would call his best outing, is the story of a young woman (Emma Stone) brought back to life by a brilliant scientist (Willem Dafoe), as she moves around the world with a concerning eagerness to learn.
2023 was Emma Stone’s year. It just so happens that she also starred in one of the best yet most bizarre shows of the year,Nathan Fielder’sThe Curse. Full of the same absurdist, intentionally off-putting humor and meta brilliance that Fielder fans have come to know and love, this show about a newlywed couple struggling to make their vision for eco-living a reality pulls apart all that entertainment and reality TV represent.It also further proves that Emma Stone is one of the greatest actors of her generation. What more is there to ask for?
Watch on Fubo
8’Jury Duty' (2023)
Like ‘Anatomy of a Fall’
Anatomy of a Fallis far and away one of the best French dramas of recent years, as well as one of the best legal dramas of the whole 21st century. It’s a psychological thriller about a woman (Sandra Hüller) suspected of murder after her husband’s suspicious death, and their partially-sighted son (Milo Machado-Graner), who faces a moral dilemma as the case’s main witness.
Jury Duty, one ofthe most innovative comedy series in years, is a hidden camera mockumentary that follows the workings of an American jury trial through the eyes ofRonald Gladden, who is unaware that the whole thing is fake and everyone around him is an actor. While the show’s tone couldn’t be further away fromAnatomy of a Fall’s,the way they both critique the inner workings of the legal system and comment on the nature of truth is such a strong connectionthat they would make for a rather interesting movie-show double feature.
Watch on Freevee
7’The Wonder Years' (1988 - 1993)
Like ‘The Holdovers’
The Holdoversis the kind of dramedy that sneaks up on viewers with its refreshingly sincere emotional power and characters constructed with the most bittersweet kind of realism. It’s about a cranky teacher (Paul Giamatti) at a remote prep school, who’s forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student (Dominic Sessa) and a grieving cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
LikeThe Holdovers,The Wonder Yearsis a very refreshing kind of comedy, with characters that feel real and vibrant, and stories that steer clear of contrived situations just for the sake of comedy. It’s about the social and family life of a boy (Fred Savage) growing up in a typical American suburban middle-class family from 1968 to 1973.Its nostalgic and sentimental, yet always funny and charming depiction of growing up in the U.S. during a time of turmoil, is what makes it one ofthe best sitcoms of all time, and a perfect match forThe Holdovers.
The Wonder Years
Watch on Hulu
6’Genius' (2017 - )
Like ‘Maestro’
Perhaps the most often maligned of 2024’s Best Picture nominees,Bradley Cooper’sMaestrois a love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between legendary conductor-composerLeonard Bernsteinand actressFelicia Montealegre. But whileMaestrowon’t likely join the elite club ofbiopics that won Best Picture, it sure has a chance of being more fondly remembered in the future.
For those who enjoy riveting depictions of history’s greatest minds (like Bernstein himself), National Geographic’sGeniusis perfect. Each season depicts the story of a different real-life figure who stood out thanks to their admirable work, fromAlbert EinsteintoMartin Luther King, Jr.andMalcolm X.With outstanding performances and prestige writing, it’s a great show for fans of biopics likeMaestro.
Watch on Disney+
5’Normal People' (2020)
Like ‘Past Lives’
Under the surface ofPast Livesunfolds a romantic fairy tale, an idealized tale of lovers reconnected by destiny and overcoming the evil villain standing in their way. But that’s not how real life works, and directorCeline Songbeautifully but painfully depicts that with this hopeful yet heartbreaking story about two childhood friends (Greta LeeandTeo Yoo) who wrested apart after her family emigrated. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one week as they confront notions of love and fate.
Traditional romantic stories are often beautiful, but moreraw and realistic depictions of longing and the messiness of love, heartbreak and all, have a magic of their own.Normal Peopleis a show like that, showing two friends (Paul MescalandDaisy Edgar Jones) from different backgrounds, as they weave in and out of each other’s romantic lives. Though it’s full of love, hope, and beauty, it’s also one ofthe most gut-wrenching teen dramasever made for television.
Normal People
4’Atlanta' (2016 - 2022)
Like ‘American Fiction’
There are two cleverly balanced stories coexisting withinAmerican Fiction. One is a biting social satire about the way the media twists and manipulates the African American experience, while the other is a profoundly touching family drama about a man (Jeffrey Wright) returning to a home that barely even feels like home anymore. Both are equally powerful stories that work perfectly in conjunction.
While there are many otherfilms that fans ofAmerican Fictionwould surely enjoy, there’s also one show in particular that they’d definitely find a lot of value in:Atlanta, a dramedy satire where two young rappers (Donald GloverandBrian Tyree Henry) try to make their way in the world through Atlanta’s rap scene. Along the way,they come along social and economic issues touching on subjects like race and status that aren’t too dissimilar from the ones depicted inAmerican Fiction.
3’Deadwood' (2004 - 2006)
Like ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
As if there were any further proof needed,Martin Scorsesehas further proved withKillers of the Flower Moonthat he’s the greatest living filmmaker, and one ofthe best of all time. The film is his first incursion into the Western genre, telling the real story of the mysterious Osage Nation killings in Oklahoma of the twentieth century, which started occurring in the late 1910s. It’s a harrowing story, and Scorsese handles it with humility and patience.
While not based on a true story, HBO’sDeadwoodand its depiction of a 19th century South Dakota town populated by deep corruption and crime make upa show that fittingly complementsKillers' themes of greed and corruption in old America. While their stories feel concerningly timely, their depictions of their respective periods are both exquisite technical production, making them both elite Westerns through and through.
Watch on Max
2’The World at War' (1973 - 1974)
Like ‘The Zone of Interest’
The Zone of Interestis nothing short of a revolutionary work of art that shatters the foundations of the war movie genre. It places the audiences as a fly on the wall of Auschwitz Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his family’s home in a house and garden beside the camp, while the horrors of the Holocaust (always heard, never visible) take place right next door.
Just likeThe Zone of Interestrevolutionizes the war movie genre, so too didThe World at Warbreak new ground in the TV history documentary genre. Narrated by iconic thespianLaurence Olivier, it’s a 26-part documentary about World War II. Just as powerful and hard-hitting asJonathan Glazer’s film,The World at Waris a devastating depiction of the deadliest conflict in human history.
Rent On Prime Video
1’Chernobyl' (2019)
Like ‘Oppenheimer’
There’s a very good reason whyOppenheimerbecame one ofthe highest-grossing R-rated filmsof all time, and that reason isn’t just theChristopher Nolanbrand that gave it a seal of guaranteed quality. It’s a genuinely amazingcharacter study about a controversial figure:J. Robert Oppenheimer(played brilliantly byCillian Murphy), the man who created the atomic bomb during WWII.
For those that felt impacted by the way Nolan showed how technological advancement can be the thing that proves to be humanity’s downfall, HBO’sChernobylis a must-see.Telling the story of the worst man-made accident in history, following its cataclysmic aftermath, this gripping miniseries is one of the best ever made. Its themes connect perfectly withOppenheimer’s, making for a powerful double future that makes it abundantly clear that action is needed to prevent bureaucracy and uncontrolled progress in the name of science from doing more harm than good.
