SCREENSHOTS #3: The idea of you, a docu-series about a cult, Outlive and more
Movies, series, books and more: everything I've watched, listened to, read, and tried in June.
Before we dive into June's recs, can I just celebrate this? The Tiny Apple was featured on Substack's Instagram! I couldn't believe it when I saw the notification - and the feature on their stories as well.
MOVIES
The idea of you
I remember seeing some negative comments about this movie - but since I love Anne Hathaway, I decided to give it a chance. And I don't regret it. You know, sometimes all we need is a nice and entertaining story, nothing complicated. Not all the movies need to be life-changing. This movie is based on the acclaimed book of the same name, and it centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Música
Another great movie for those days that you just want to relax. I was particularly curious about this one because it showcases a little bit of the Brazilian culture in the US, highlighting the Brazilian community in Newark, New Jersey. Rudy Mancuso is the writer, director, and star - and the movie is based on his story, an aspiring creator with synesthesia who must come to terms with an uncertain future while navigating the pressures of love, family, and his Brazilian culture. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Flaming’ Hot
I LOVED THIS MOVIE SO MUCH! Directed by Eva Longoria, Flaming' Hot tells the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), allegedly behind the famous snack Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Montañez is a son of Mexican immigrants and worked at Frito Lay as a janitor. The snack disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon. Available on Hulu and Disney Plus.
Documentaries
Dancing for the Devil
Ok, this was wild and I was shocked. This docu-series talks about a group of prominent TikTok dancers that are trapped in a cult masquerading as a management company called 7M. The focus is on Miranda Wilking, whose family is desperately trying to get their daughter out. My husband and I were very intrigued by the story and everything that the former members told the producers. It's sad. Available on Netflix.
Ashley Madison
Did you know there's a dating site/app for married people who want to have an affair? It's called Ashley Madison, and in July 2015, it was hacked, and millions of users' intimate data was exposed, wrecking marriages and destroying lives. This docu-series not only explores the creation of the website but also showcases interviews with people who used the site to explore a part of their love lives they felt was missing, the hack and its consequences - and some other intriguing and shady facts… Available on Netflix.
Books
Outlive - The Science and Art of Longevity
This book got a lot of attention over the past year - my husband read it and started to talk about it almost every day. “Petter Attia said this”; “Petter Attia said that".
After listening to him - and so many other people mentioning this book, I decided to check it as well. And it's definitely worth the hype. It's basically a operating manual for longevity and the author explores the benefits of exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health plus nutrition.
It's a dense book - and I guess you could argue we all know that you need to eat well, working out and sleep well to have a great quality of life. But do we really know? I don't think we truly understand what happens in our body and how our good - or bad - habits can impact our life. I guess books like this one should be used in schools.
This book has changed my perspective about a lot of areas in my life. I gifted my mom a copy and, because of the things she read on the book, she enrolled in the gym to start strength training.
The video below is an excellent summary of the book.
Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists
So far this year, I can say that 3 books have changed my perspectives about life. The first one was Digital Minimalism, that I recommended on my previous SCREENSHOTS. The second one was Outlive, that I mentioned above. And the third one was Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists.
I remember watching their documentary on Netflix some years ago, but, to be honest, I don't think their message had a huge impact on me at that time.
Through his memories, Joshua Fields Millburn talks about the changes in his life after the loss of his mother and his marriage in the same month. He started questioning every aspect of the life he had built for himself. The "American Dream" that was not his dream, the way we reach for "material things", status and success are some of the topics he covers.
I've already mentioned in other posts that I've been dealing with some struggles regarding my career and my work and I don't know if I'm happier or even more confused and lost now that I read this book and started to think about a lot of the things he talks about it.
What is happiness? What are we pursuing? Why enough is never enough? Well, I guess I will have to figure it out…
Podcast
The fascinating differences between Male and Female friendships
Friendships have been a central part of my life since my childhood. I have a lot of stories with friends, at different periods of my life - including some traumas, lol - and the issues with these friends always took a lot of my time and energy. And female friendship is a topic I've been reflecting lately. So it was pretty interesting to listen to this podcast…
A solas con… Eva Longoria
I have loved Eva Longoria since Desperate Housewives, and this interview with Vicky Martín Berrocal (in Spanish) was really inspiring. Not only because Eva talked more about her childhood and how she started as an actress but also because it was in Spanish. Eva said she is not 100% comfortable speaking the language, but she just did it. Yes, she made some mistakes; she included some expressions in English, but she did it! That's inspiring to anyone who speaks a second - or third - language and has insecurities about it.
Other random suggestions:
I love The Carolina Lifestyle Youtube Channel. She shares a lot of tips for a healthy life - especially related to food - and I appreciate her approach to health other than just “being fit". Her recipes are not complicated and she really inspires me.
I laughed a lot watching Nathaniel Drew video's about the things he hates in Paris. It ALWAYS fascinates me seeing expat's perspectives about the places they live.
I decided to incorporate small habits in my routine to put me in contact with French - and they say music is a great resource when you are learning a new language. So I put together a playlist and I'm obsessed with some of the songs.
Let me know if you have good recs on series! And let me know if you have followed any of these tips that I share here :)
Can you share the French playlist link again? For some reason it’s not working for me