Best of 2021 (so far): Movies, TV shows & music

Introducing Oak Park’s Best of 2021 (so far)! We just couldn’t wait until the end of the year to share the titles our library staff loved so far in 2021, so you’ll find our favorite movies, TV shows, and music on this page. Or browse more using the links below.

Adult fiction & nonfiction | Teen books | Kids books & picture books
Movies, TV shows & music

Movies, TV shows & music

Nancy Drew

Why you should try it: "I love this modern supernatural horror spin on Nancy as much as I loved the books growing up. Let go of expectations and get ready for some delicious scares."—Shelley, Children's Services Librarian

Description: Nancy Drew is a brilliant teenage detective whose sense of self had come from solving mysteries in her hometown of Horseshoe Bay, Maine—until her mother's untimely death derails Nancy's college plans. Devastated by her mother's passing, Nancy swears off crime-solving while crossing off the days until she can re-apply to college. But when a socialite is murdered, Nancy finds herself a prime suspect in the crime, along with a group of other teens present at the scene.

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Wisting

Why you should try it: "Scandinavian crime drama, personality clashes, and FBI intrigue? I'm in!"—Eric, Collection Management Librarian

Description: The acclaimed series follows a homicide detective tracking an American serial killer hiding in his community, with the help of an FBI agent. When an old case comes back to haunt Wisting, how will he save others when he finds himself suspended and fighting for his reputation, career, and life?

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The Father

Why you should try it: "This multiple award-winning film helps one to understand the suffering of an older adult who has memory loss. Anyone who has aging parents would especially benefit from watching it. The actors’ performances were outstanding. Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar award in the category of Best Actor."—Rashmi, Adult Services Librarian

Description: A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality.

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Promising Young Woman

Why you should try it: "A film full of heavy emotions with a twist of revenge. Actress Carey Mulligan does a superb job tricking men into thinking she's the damsel in distress when in reality, she's their worst nightmare."—Beronica, Middle School Services Librarian

Description: Everyone said Cassie was a promising young woman, until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be. She's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living with a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past.

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Lapsis

Why you should try it: "A unique, quirky, and humorous tale conceptualizing modern day capitalism."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian

Description: In a parallel present, delivery man Ray Tincelli takes a job in the gig economy: pulling cable to link together the new quantum trading market.

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The United States vs. Billie Holiday: Music From the Motion Picture by Andra Day

Why you should try it: "I’m a big fan of Billie Holiday and so, I listened to The United States vs. Billie Holiday motion picture soundtrack. In addition to Strange Fruit, which is a very powerful song, I immensely enjoyed All of Me, Tigress & Tweed, and Lady Sings the Blues."—Rashmi, Adult Services Librarian

Description: Features the songs of Billie Holiday as performed by Andra Day in the movie of the same name.

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Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

Why you should try it: "When the apocalypse occurs, we can thank Nick and Warren for the poetic warning."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian

Description: Written, recorded, and completed during lockdown, Carnage is the first studio album from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis working together outside of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

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