Exploring Binge-Worthy Content HIFF’s Film Guru Anderson Le

So you’ve re-watched all of Game of Thrones, all of Project Runway, and The Office more times than you care to admit.

But now, you’re ready for something new. Something unexpected. Well, look no further, as we’ve tapped the shoulder of Hawaii International Film Festival’s Artistic Director Anderson Le to take some notes on what he’s been watching. Grab your popcorn (or better yet order it, along with your other Silver Screen-approved treats online from Consolidated) and get comfy, because if you ever needed an excuse to unwind and relax, it’s now. 

The Vast of Night on Amazon Prime

“This little sci-fi gem is one of the best films that I saw on the festival circuit last year, where it world premiered at Slamdance. Amazon Prime bought it and it was released on Prime very recently. If you love The X-Files and Twilight Zone, you might love this. It’s set in New Mexico in the 1950s where a late-night radio deejay is getting calls about strange lights in the sky. It’s super fun, very inventive, and the sound design is amazing.”

Unorthodox on Netflix

“This is a limited series—only four episodes—of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman, a tour-de-force performance by Shira Haas, who flees her arranged marriage and religious community in Williamsburg to start a new life abroad in Berlin. It is an immigrant story, and also a thriller, and a look into a closed community.”

Ramy on Hulu 

“Ramy is a comedy about a Muslim American slacker in Jersey and his plight to be religiously pious while navigating the single life.”

The Half of It on Netflix 

“John Hughes meets Cyrano de Bergerac in a high school-set story about an Asian American teenager named Ellie Chu who lives in a rural town. A loveable lunkhead reaches out to her to write letters to his crush, when Ellie soon realizes she has a crush on her, too.”

Devs on Hulu 

“From Alex Garland (Ex Machina), this near-future story set in Silicon Valley kicks off with the mysterious death of Sergei from an apparent suicide. His girlfriend, Lily, suspects foul play and begins to investigate, delving into a mind-expansive journey and a top-secret project that may destroy what we deem as the real world.”