New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

78 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020

year in culture / the critics

1.

When They See Us (NETFLIX)

As the title suggests, Ava DuVernay’s

four-part miniseries about the

so-called Central Park Five reframes

history, insisting that a bunch of

scapegoated teenagers railroaded

on rape and assault charges were

innocent human beings with lives, not

just a faceless problem to be “solved”

by police and the courts. But the

production is more than an earnest,

muckraking social drama. DuVernay’s

direction draws on every lesson she

has learned in a filmography that

often zeroes in on institutionalized

racism, wrongful incarceration,

and the use of the prison system to

perpetuate a version of slavery into

the 21st century. The storytelling

structure, cinematography, editing,

and use of music are peerless and

contribute to the sense that we

are seeing an epic American story

about real people in a mode rarely

seen since the 1970s and ’80s.

2.

Better Things (FX)

The third season of writer-director-

star Pamela Adlon’s show about

a 50-year-old actress and single

mother is the series’ best, finding

increasingly inventive yet controlled

ways to tell stories of parenting, work,

relationships, and intergenerational

tension. Every half-hour is a

perfectly shaped short story packed

with moments that are alternately

droll, moving, sexy, disturbing,

and profoundly sad, and Adlon’s

filmmaking always manages to find a

way to convey its points with images

and sound, even when drawing on the

actors’ performances for inspiration.

3.

Succession^ (HBO)

Jesse Armstrong’s series about a New

York media family headed by a Rupert

Murdoch type quickly moved beyond

its basic premise—essentially King

Lear meets Arrested Development—

and became a corrosive study in

the consolidation of financial and

emotional capital. The second season

delves more deeply into the lingering

trauma inflicted by the father on

his children, humanizing the family

without ever losing the electrifying

contempt for the billionaire class that

marks the show as a stealthy populist

satire of the world’s true rulers.

4.

Russian Doll (NETFLIX)

Masterminded by star Natasha Lyonne

and her co–executive producers, Leslye

Headland and Amy Poehler, this trippy

series about a New York computer

programmer coming unstuck in

time is a tribute to the classic films

that shaped their sensibilities—in

particular, All That Jazz, The Shining,

and Defending Your Life—but it

immediately establishes its own

sensibility and manages to neutralize

even the most obsessive plot guessers

in the audience by springing surprises

that come from characterization,

philosophy, theology, and physics.

THE TEN

BEST

T V SHOWS

OF THE

YEAR

By matt zoller seitz

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF NETWORKSPHOTOGRAPHS: COURETSY OF NETWORKS

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78 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020

year in culture / the critics

1.

WhenTheySeeUs(NETFLIX)

As thetitlesuggests,AvaDuVernay’s

four-partminiseriesaboutthe

so-calledCentralParkFivereframes

history, insistingthat a bunchof

scapegoatedteenagersrailroaded

onrapeandassaultchargeswere

innocenthumanbeingswithlives,not

justa facelessproblemtobe“solved”

bypoliceandthecourts.Butthe

productionis more thananearnest,

muckrakingsocialdrama.DuVernay’s

directiondrawsoneverylessonshe

has learned in a filmography that

often zeroes in on institutionalized

racism, wrongful incarceration,

and the use of the prison system to

perpetuate a version of slavery into

the 21st century. The storytelling

structure, cinematography, editing,

and use of music are peerless and

contribute to the sense that we

are seeing an epic American story

aboutrealpeopleina moderarely

seensincethe1970sand’80s.

2.

BetterThings(FX)

Thethird seasonofwriter-director-

starPamelaAdlon’s showabout

a 50-year-oldactressandsingle

motheris theseries’best,finding

increasinglyinventiveyet controlled

waystotellstoriesofparenting,work,

relationships,andintergenerational

tension.Every half-houris a

perfectlyshapedshort storypacked

withmomentsthatare alternately

droll,moving,sexy, disturbing,

andprofoundlysad,andAdlon’s

filmmaking alwaysmanagestofinda

waytoconveyitspointswithimages

andsound,evenwhendrawingonthe

actors’performancesforinspiration.

3.

Succession(HBO)

JesseArmstrong’sseriesabouta New

Yorkmediafamilyheadedbya Rupert

Murdochtypequicklymovedbeyond

itsbasicpremise—essentiallyKing

LearmeetsArrestedDevelopment—

andbecamea corrosive study in

theconsolidation of financial and

emotional capital. The second season

delves more deeply into the lingering

trauma inflicted by the father on

his children, humanizing thefamily

without ever losing the electrifying

contempt for the billionaire class that

marks the show as a stealthypopulist

satire of the world’s true rulers.

4.

Russian Doll (NETFLIX)

MastermindedbystarNatashaLyonne

andherco–executiveproducers,Leslye

HeadlandandAmy Poehler,thistrippy

seriesabouta New Yorkcomputer

programmercomingunstuckin

timeis a tributetotheclassicfilms

thatshapedtheirsensibilities—in

particular,AllThatJazz,TheShining,

andDefendingYourLife—butit

immediatelyestablishesitsown

sensibilityandmanagestoneutralize

eventhemost obsessiveplotguessers

intheaudiencebyspringingsurprises

thatcomefromcharacterization,

philosophy, theology, andphysics.

THE TEN

BEST

T V SHOWS

OF THE

YEAR

Bymattzollerseitz

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF NETWORKS