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Movies and Shows to Watch This Summer
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
T he flow of movie and TV-watching has
changed over the past decade or so. No lon-
ger do we know exactly when and where to
find something new and potentially interesting.

We used to follow the title release schedule, then
hit the theater or flip to the appropriate channel at a
specific time. Now, when the watching mood hits us,
we ask if there’s anything interesting on one of the
perhaps four or five streaming services to which we
subscribe. Occasionally, with that being the key word,
there is something worth seeing in the theater as well.

But as a viewer, you shouldn’t have to spend so
much time just trying to figure what’s out and where.

That is why, for the summer of 2022, the Jewish
Exponent is here to make this easier for you.

These are the movies and shows that you should
find this summer. Many of them have at least a tenu-
ous Jewish connection.

of former General Manager Sam Hinkie’s drafting
record, though it sounds like one.

Cha Cha Real Smooth (June 17, Apple TV+)
The main character in this movie, played by
Cooper Raiff, works as “a bar mitzvah party host.”
The film, which also stars Dakota Johnson, is get-
ting rave early reviews as well.

Elvis (June 24, theaters)
Director Baz Luhrmann brings his flashy, hit-or-miss
directorial style to a story about the “King of Rock
and Roll.” The Luhrmann treatment works well
with a glitzy subject matter, like the 2013 smash hit
movie version of “The Great Gatsby.” The story of
Elvis Presley could be another example.

Nope (July 22, Theaters)
This summer is being hyped from Hollywood to
Wall Street as the possible return of the movie
theater. If the “Top Gun” sequel on Memorial Day
weekend started that narrative, the latest Jordan
Peele production may culminate it. Anticipation
for “Nope” started all the way back in February
with a chilling Super Bowl commercial.

Peele is in a class with Quentin Tarantino as
one of the only directors left who can still create a
theater event with each release.

The Musical (August 12, Netflix)
This adaptation of an actual musical — about a
boy struggling with his parents’ divorce and a
move to a new town — appears to build up to a
MOVIES Firestarter (May 13, theaters)
You can’t make a list of movies with tenuous
Jewish connections without including one that
features noted Jewish everyman Zac Efron. In
“Firestarter,” Efron maintains his attainable status
for us Jewish boys by playing a dad.

The movie has not gotten good reviews, but
it is a Stephen King adaptation, so the story is
probably good.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie (May 27, theaters)
The guy who voices Bob in this critically-ac-
claimed animated comedy series-turned movie,
H. Jon Benjamin, is Jewish. You probably also
need a good laugh these days.

Hustle (June 8, Netflix)
Adam Sandler plays a basketball scout for the
Philadelphia 76ers. I don’t believe this is a satire
20 JUNE 16, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Cooper Raiff in “Cha Cha Real Smooth” on Apple TV+ 
COURTESY OF APPLE TV+



climactic bar mitzvah. Now what’s a
better metaphor for the Jewish com-
ing-of-age than that?
TV SHOWS
The Staircase (May 5, HBO Max)
I am not normally a true crime per-
son. My wife actually just threw this
limited series on while I happened
to be sitting on the couch. But then a
funny thing happened: I got hooked.

Colin Firth offers up an Emmy-
worthy portrayal of Michael
Peterson, the North Carolina novel-
ist convicted of killing his wife in the
early 2000s. Jewish actor Michael
Stuhlbarg, best known for always
playing Jewish roles, including gang-
ster Arnold Rothstein in “Boardwalk
Empire,” turns in another stellar, and
very Jewish, performance of his
own as Peterson’s defense attorney
David Rudolf.

Did Peterson throw his wife,
Kathleen Peterson, played by Toni
Collette, down “The Staircase”?
That turns out to be a very loaded
question. with Peace of Mind!
Compassionate Care
The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem
(May 20, Netflix)
This Israeli series explores some
very deep themes in Jewish life,
from our relationship with God to our
responsibility to honor our elders to
the presence of fate in our lives. It
also stars Michael Aloni of “Shtisel”
fame. God’s Favorite Idiot (June 15,
Netflix) A regular, insignificant man, played
by Ben Falcone, falls in love, finds
God and then realizes that it’s his
duty to fight Satan and save the
world. I am not sure if this comedy
series is a metaphor for surviving
your 20s. But I am now interested
enough to watch and find out.

A League of Their Own (Amazon
Prime) It is hard to see how a show based
on the classic 1992 movie starring
Tom Hanks and Geena Davis could
possibly measure up. But while the
movie only focused on one season
in the All-American Girls Professional
Baseball League, a show could draw
out the story of the league’s very
real existence from 1943-1954. Either
way, there should still be no crying in
baseball. JE
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