Leaning into the New Year
A short list of new shows, movies and books about rapid change and resilience to explore during this holiday break—to help contextualize and navigate the year ahead
Happy holidays! We’re on an abbreviated schedule this week and next, and will resume regular publishing the week of January 5th.
Streaming
For the past two decades, cinema’s loss has been television’s gain. Streaming television services have emerged as a creative force rivaling old Hollywood studios and those abroad, and offer rich, cultural narratives and compelling characters exploring themes once dominated exclusively by (and on) the big screen. If you haven’t caught up yet, here are some standout TV series and movies now streaming, which provide profound and engaging insights into leadership, collaboration, the future of work, navigating turbulence and building resilience.
The Bear - (HULU) The Bear, a series now being recommended by a number of graduate school programs and workshops teaching the future of work culture and leadership, captures the chaos and pressure of dramatic and accelerated change within a struggling family restaurant, where nearly every decision made in support of its new business model feels like a high-stakes gamble. The show’s characters embody resilience as they confront personal demons and forge unlikely connections in their trust and frustrated support for a brilliant, emotionally-conflicted new leader in his relentless pursuit of excellence and reinvention.
Industry - (HBO) An HBO drama series that dives into the relentless world of London high finance, where change is constant, and the stakes are life-defining, particularly as a new generation challenges the old guard. The show’s characters embody resilience as they navigate cutthroat competition, shifting alliances and generational tensions in their quest to thrive in a high-pressure corporate environment.
Hacks - (MAX) A compelling tale of change in the comedy world, as explored through a cross-generational partnership between a seasoned stand-up legend and a young, ambitious writer. The show highlights resilience as both characters navigate their differences, finding strength and creative renewal in their evolving relationship and support for each other.
Silo - (Apple TV+) - Silo delves into a future dystopian society where humans are forced to live underground. Class divisions, strict hierarchies and a shadowy police state define existence. The show’s characters embody resilience as they unite across social barriers, questioning long-held truths and fighting for justice, freedom and the truth in the face of systemic oppression.
Slow Horses - (Apple TV+) Slow Horses brilliantly examines the challenges of change within the world of espionage, focusing on a group of misfit intelligence officers in London who’ve been relegated to obscurity. The series showcases resilience as its characters defy expectations, often outmaneuvering their well-heeled peers, proving their worth in a system that has cast them aside.
Landman - (Paramount+) Landman delves into the volatile world of the West Texas oil industry, portraying the relentless change inherent in the boom-and-bust cycles that define the region. Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of lead character Tommy Norris exemplifies resilience as he navigates complex ethical dilemmas while striving to maintain stability amid the industry's upheavals.
Conclave - (Peacock) Conclave explores the dynamics of change within one of the world's oldest institutions, the Catholic Church, revealing the tensions between tradition and modernity; institutional rules and spiritual freedom. The film’s characters embody resilience as they confront personal and political struggles while navigating the weight of history and the demands of an uncertain future.
The Agency - (Paramount+) The Agency delves into the relentless pace of change in the shadowy world of intelligence, where trust and loyalty are constantly tested. Michael Fassbender’s intense performance embodies resilience as his character navigates treacherous alliances and personal sacrifices in a bid to uncover the truth.
Severance - (Apple TV+) Severance explores the psychological and societal impact of change, delving into the fragility and strength of identity when personal and professional lives are forcibly separated. Its characters’ journeys highlight the resilience required to reclaim autonomy and purpose in a world that dehumanizes the boundaries of self.
Books
This year’s surge of nonfiction books set new milestones in coverage of our changing society and global climate; evolving art and social cultures, migrating populations and the rise of new forms of political power globally. Here are a few of the books which brought unexpected and poignant clarity to some of the subjects which most confounded our understanding:
The Burning Earth by Sunil Amrith is a paradigm-shifting global history of how humanity has reshaped the planet, and how the planet has shaped human history, over the last 500 years.
Every Valley by Charles King, about art’s profound influence as a form of social activism and resilience. King profiles the history of the making of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, a work of participatory art and a masterpiece of hope, composed to evoke triumphant joy during a time in Britain mired in war, enslavement, and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth.
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer, a writer for the New Yorker, is a sweeping history of the humanitarian crises on the US-Mexico border and of the politics of immigration in Washington.
Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny, the late, fearless Russian opposition leader’s powerful, moving, humorous and inspiring story, written in a deeply engaging conversational style just before his death in a remote penal colony about his rise to international recognition as one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foes and unrelenting organizers of Russia’s underground movement to achieve a true and functioning democracy in his homeland.
The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, follows 72 African refugees who have arrived in a Sicilian village to ease a local labor shortage resulting from the nation’s falling population of young Italians, focusing on the Africans’ experiences facing cultural changes and conflict in their quest for acceptance and survival.
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates—the writer’s latest book on storytelling in an age of rapid social change, and a deeply insightful text for all storytellers and change-makers.
Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley shares an insightful and funny story of her experience mourning the death of her best friend, told in a way which leaves readers feeling deeply grateful for having been part of the lives of those who have passed, and inspired.
The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, a history of the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a slow-burning crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two.
Got a new book, movie or streaming show to recommend that focuses on change and resilience? Please add it in the comments section! And have a very happy, restful week!