TV Shows
Hollywood seems addicted to formatting everything to TV. Shows like Paradise, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Interior Chinatown could've been great two-hour movies but were stretched into filler-heavy seasons. Quentin Tarantino calls this type of storytelling "soap operas", because it's all about characters and their relationships instead of a single, focused plot that builds to a climax.
Here are some shows, where I'm glad the story had room to unfold across multiple episodes.
Pluribus
on Apple TV
Movies
With Hollywood profitability increasingly focused on TV series and familiar franchises, I'm just happy when a movie tells a solid, self-contained story that isn't based on some pre-existing IP. Here are some that succeeded.
The Last Stop in Yuma County
on Paramount+
While stranded at a rural Arizona rest stop, a traveling salesman is thrust into a dire hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty-or cold, hard steel-to protect their bloodstained fortune.
Honey Don't
on Netflix
A small-town private investigator delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.
Play Dirty
on Amazon Prime
A ruthless thief and his expert crew stumble onto the heist of a lifetime. From Shane Black of Lethal Weapon and The Nice Guys.
The Phoenician Scheme
on Netflix
Classic Wes Anderson. Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins
Ballad of a Small Player
on Netflix
When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.
Books
The Innovator's Dilemma
Why do successful companies often fail when new technologies emerge? According to this book, established firms focus on improving products for their best customers and protecting existing revenue, which makes them overlook simpler, cheaper "disruptive" innovations that initially serve smaller or less profitable markets. Over time, those disruptive technologies improve and move upmarket, eventually overtaking incumbents who were structurally incentivized to ignore them.
From Strength to Strength
Arthur C. Brooks argues that success in the first half of life is often driven by fluid intelligence—the ability to solve problems quickly, innovate, and think on the fly. As we get older, however, crystallized intelligence—wisdom, teaching, and recognizing deeper patterns—becomes our real advantage. The book explores how to transition from relying on the first to embracing the second.
Changing World Order
World powers rise and fall in predictable cycles driven by factors like debt, innovation, education, and internal stability. By studying past empires, Ray Dalio shows how the U.S. might be entering a later stage of its cycle as China rises.
Podcasts
Stratechery
Ben Thompson analyzes the tech industry through his own strategic frameworks. He focuses on how platforms, aggregation, and business models shape competition, explaining why certain companies win, how technology shifts markets, and what those changes mean for the broader industry.
All-In
A weekly show where a group of technologists discuss startups, markets, and politics from an insider's perspective. The conversations mix analysis, predictions, and debate as they break down major news stories and trends shaping Silicon Valley and the broader economy.
Deep Questions
Cal Newport discusses productivity, focus, and how to build a meaningful work life in a distracted world. Each episode blends practical advice with deeper ideas about technology, attention, and career design.