Banned Together is an explosive new documentary that pulls back the curtain on two of the most controversial issues in America today – book bans and curriculum censorship in public schools. Follow three teenage activists as their local fight against book bans in their schools takes them to the national stage. As we follow their activist journey, Banned Together shines a light on the radical political forces who are vying for control of public education and the nationwide resistance to their efforts. Stream the documentary, free from your library on the Kanopy app, to watch the controversy unfold.
There are so many great adaptations streaming right now that narrowing them down to a list is really hard. Which is why I decided that since I always have a genre focus in the adaptation roundups I write (like in 7 Nonfiction Book-to-Screen Adaptations to Stream Right Now, and 5 New Mystery, Thrillers, & True Crime Adaptations To Stream), this time, I’d aim for a bunch of genres for all the reading and viewing tastes!
These are recent favorite series and films that are currently streaming that I’ve really enjoyed and are inspired by/adapted from books. I aimed for a lot of viewing and reading moods: there’s a fun mystery with a lot of behind-the-scenes details on how The White House runs, a dark humored and fast moving spy thriller series, a magical realism family drama, a sports drama film based on a nonfiction title following a Navajo basketball team, and more.
There’s something for every taste, so make some popcorn and park yourself in sofa city for some great adaptations.
Mystery
The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower
This is a fantastic mystery series with super fun characters, that is cleverly filmed as a Congressional hearing about a murder mystery in the White House. It’s “inspired by” the book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower because the series is filled with fascinating tidbits about living and working inside the White House (the book is not a murder mystery).
Trailer: The Residence | Official Trailer | Netflix
Cast: Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Ken Marino, Bronson Pinchot, Kylie Minogue and so many more!
Stream it on: Netflix
Thriller
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
So many things labeled as thrillers do not understand pacing, and that is absolutely not a problem with Slow Horses. Plus, it has great plots, characters, acting, and a unique and fun setup based on Mick Herron’s Slough House series: there’s a group of former MI5 members who have each done something so disastrous that they are all on timeout together under one grumpy and unhygienic “team leader.”
Trailer: Slow Horses — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, and many more!
Stream it on: Apple TV+
Comedy
Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau
Michelle Buteau is an absolute delight in everything she does! This Netflix series is based on her hilarious, bursting with heart, same-titled memoir in essays. The series follows Mavis Beaumont, a stylist in NY trying to figure out her personal and work life. She has two equally hilarious best friends with their own life issues, a roommate who really needs the boot, and the men she’s dating—including one living in Italy. The second season just dropped, and it is one of the best seasons of television. It’s exploding with friendship, LOL moments, one-liners, relationships, and a can-do spirit! May this show keep getting renewed until they’re Golden Girls.
Trailer: Survival Of The Thickest | Teaser | Netflix
Cast: Michelle Buteau, Tasha Smith, Tone Bell, Peppermint and more!
Stream it on: Netflix
Magical Realism, Romantic Family Drama, Historical
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
One of my all0time favorite adaptations is the 1992 film adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s Like Water For Chocolate, which she wrote the screenplay for while her at-the-time husband, Alfonso Arau, directed. And I’m so glad that the new HBO series adaptation used the added time of a series (vs a film) to dive even deeper into the characters, time period, and drama. Kudos to the acting, writing, delicious food, and the filming of emotion to make audiences really feel how the magical realism is used in the book. I am sat for the second season.
Trailer: Like Water For Chocolate | Official Trailer | Max
Cast: Azul Guaita, Irene Azuela, Ana Valeria Becerril, Andrea Chaparro, Andrés Baida, Ángeles Cruz and more!
Stream it on: HBO Max
Sports Drama
Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation by Michael Powell
All the drama of sports! “Based on Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation by Michael Powell and the New York Times articles that laid its foundation,” the film Rez Ball lets audiences root for an underdog basketball team with the dream of a state championship over the course of one season!
Trailer: Rez Ball | Official Trailer | Netflix
Cast: Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, Amber Midthunder, Kiowa Gordon, Dallas Goldtooth, and more!
Stream it on: Netflix
M/M Romance
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Webtoon K-Drama
A Business Proposal, Vol. 1 by Haehwa, NARAK (Artist), Perilla (Adapted by)
The setup for this K-drama series, based on a webtoon, is hilarious and fun: Ha-ri agrees to pretend to be her best friend and go on a blind date with the end goal of scaring the man off. All things go as planned until Ha-ri later discovers the man she scared off — while pretending to be someone else!— is actually her CEO. Whoopsie! It’s a rom-com, though, so maybe her faux pas is about to turn into a love story — after many hijinks and missteps, of course!
Trailer: Business Proposal | Official Trailer | Netflix
Cast: Kim Sejeong, Ahn Hyo-seop, Seol In-ah, Kim Min-kyu, Lee Deok-hwa and more!
Stream it on: Netflix