Two Movies And Two Series To Watch For The Weekend

A Special Day (1977) by Ettore Scola

The story focuses on the chance meeting of two neighbors on a historically significant day: Hitler's visit to Fascist Italy. This is an intimate drama reflecting the political darkness of Italy in 1938, arguably the most accurate depiction of daily life under a fascist regime.

Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni deliver tour de force performances. Not only do they share incredible chemistry, but they also give acting masterclasses throughout the film. I won’t spoil anything about the plot because its gradual unfolding is one of Scola’s most beautiful touches.

Occupied City (2023) by Steven McQueen

I don’t usually follow McQueen’s work closely, but this documentary caught my attention because of its subject: the German occupation of Amsterdam during WWII. Structurally, it’s not your typical historical documentary. It cleverly utilizes the city itself—monuments, buildings, squares, and even apartments—to weave its narrative.

This approach draws fascinating parallels between Amsterdam’s past and present. However, I found the pandemic-era imagery of the city used in some scenes a bit puzzling in terms of its connection to the core theme.

At over 4 hours, it’s a long watch, but if the topic interests you, I’d highly recommend it.

The Green Veil

An excellent series set in the 1950s, following an agent who will stop at nothing to protect a covert mission—one that, if exposed, threatens to unravel even deeper government secrets. Gordon Rogers, an immigrant who came to the U.S. as a child and dedicated his life to achieving the American Dream, becomes consumed by both his obsession with this ideal and the restrictions imposed on certain social groups (particularly Native Americans).

The series delves into the exploitation of Indigenous communities, focusing on the seizure of their lands for oil extraction. Among the many methods used to oppress them are the abductions of their children, who are either held as leverage or illegally adopted into wealthy American families.

Secret Level

Secret Level is yet another incredible anime series from the creators of Love, Death & Robots, visually following the same philosophy. The first season consists of 15 episodes (8 are already out, with the rest dropping next week), each 12 minutes long, featuring original stories set within the worlds of beloved video games.

The series is pure joy, and if it’s not already on your radar or your watchlist, fix that immediately.