We watch a lot of movies and TV. That's why we can say for certain which media rises to the top. We've made it easy for you with our top recommendations of all time.
Jacob’s Recommendation
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
Television, Psychological Thriller, Surrealism
David Lynch’s 18-part series Twin Peaks: The Return is unlike anything else that aired on television. The Return picks up the story of the 1990s series, set twenty-five years after a devastating cliffhanger that ended the original run of episodes. The show follows Special Agent Dale Cooper (for my money, one of fiction’s greatest characters) as he attempts to return to the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks, Washington. I could attempt to discuss the plot further, but to do so would only be a maddening, spoiler-filled exercise in futility. Like most of Lynch’s work, the most important takeaway from the series is how you feel after viewing. Scenes ping-pong back and forth between feelings of warm nostalgia, depression, beauty, repulsion, frustration, and (often) overwhelming dread.
Watching the series again nearly a decade after its original release, I was struck by its core themes of rural poverty, decay, desperation, abuse, and isolation—themes that were present in the original 90s seasons, but were overlooked by the otherwise cheery veneer of coffee references, cherry pie, and sunny side characters.
A paragraph on a company blog can’t even begin to cover the depth and challenge of the series – so I recommend you take a look yourself (and the challenging prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me).
I grew up in a small town with a somewhat similar feeling to the fictional town of Twin Peaks—everybody knew everyone else, it was “in the middle of nowhere,” and family tragedies would echo out into the whole community. The broad strokes of the plot of Twin Peaks could have happened in my small town; and part of the genius of the show is that the themes are broadly applicable to most small American towns. While I can’t (and won’t) attempt to copy Lynch’s work, Twin Peaks is inspiration for the kinds of stories I’m interested in telling.
Twin Peaks Season 3 Trailer.
Devin’s Recommendation
The Baltimorons (2025)
Movie, Comedy
It’s a modern feel-good romcom filmed entirely on the Sony FX6 with the kit power zoom lens, all on a micro budget, and it’s good. It’s not over the top with traditional tropes, and doesn’t shy away from darker subject matter that grounds the film in reality. In the current atmosphere and pace of multimillion dollar action blockbusters, this movie is a refreshing change. The documentary style brought authenticity to the whole story, which was partially based on the life of actor, Michael Strassner, playing the main character.
The Baltimorons official trailer
I love romcoms. This movie reminded me of that. The meet cute is a hilarious start to many funny exchanges that happen throughout the movie as the two fall for each other. I grew up on 90s romcoms and this feels a lot like that. The long lens transition shots from building rooftops following the character’s cars as they drive to the next scene all felt very nostalgic. The camera and lens they used are my favorite combo to work with. We use it at ATCP and I own the same kit personally for my own projects. With it being a micro budget film, they shot during the holidays on a street that was already decorated with string lights so they wouldn’t have to pay to decorate it. These practical lights also brought up the ambient light level for those evening exterior scenes for a very cost effective solution when compared with renting a bunch of lighting equipment.
Michael Strassner and Jay Duplass took one of Michael’s darkest moments and told a beautiful story, despite having no budget. Movies like this don’t get made without a healthy perspective on constraints. They’re a great catalyst for creativity. The sooner they are defined, the sooner we can start and finish a project. Sometimes those constraints are financial. Sometimes they’re time restrictive. Sometimes it’s simply a preference in taste. Whatever it is, it can serve the project by removing unnecessary decisions and focusing the efforts of all involved on what’s most important to the project.
Prushia's Recommendation
The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
Movie, Folklore, Avante-Garde
The Color of Pomegranates (1969) is as much a story of a poet as it is a story of his country, and the environment bleeds through every scene- both literally, and figuratively. Written and directed by Sergei Parajanov, the film attempts to illustrate the life of Sayat-Nova, an Amenian poet known for hundreds of works of song and poetry throughout the 1700’s. Through the poet’s life, Parajanov explores his own, as well as the enduring culture of the Armenian people, despite the oppression they have faced. The film also showcases the interwovenness of the Armenian, Georgian, Ukrainian, and Russian cultures. This resulted in the film undergoing several rounds of censorship by the Soviet Union, and a tug-of-war between the surrounding countries regarding credit for the piece.
The Color of Pomegranates official trailer.
The Color of Pomegranates is important to me because Parajanov makes film the way I want to make film. He uses one person’s story to tell the stories of others, his own, a country, and a culture. He chose to create the story despite political backlash, legal implications, and social tension, and through the fantastic he cuts to the truth. I believe that is what great filmmakers can do.
In my career I try to approach each story in the same way Parajanov does. I am constantly searching to find comparisons I can draw or metaphors I can build between the lives of others and their environment, their profession, and myself. I think that the ability to draw those specific metaphors is the one true power of filmmaking.
Eric’s Recommendation
The West Wing (1999)
Television, Political Drama
I love politics and television dramas, and The West Wing is one of my favorite series of all time. The show aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006, running seven seasons and 154 episodes. One of my favorite things about it was how it used the “walk-and-talk” with long, unbroken Steadicam tracking shots following the lead characters as they moved quickly through hallway after hallway.
The camera would glide backward or sideways while the characters rattled off dialogue at a mile a minute. Some of these takes ran over a minute straight with no cuts to a different angle, which meant the cast had to nail their blocking and timing like they were performing live theater. But it wasn’t just a cool trick, it made the viewer feel like you were right there in the middle of the chaos, like the White House never actually stopped moving for a second.
The camera would glide backward or sideways while the characters rattled off dialogue at a mile a minute. Some of these takes ran over a minute straight with no cuts to a different angle, which meant the cast had to nail their blocking and timing like they were performing live theater. But it wasn’t just a cool trick, it made the viewer feel like you were right there in the middle of the chaos, like the White House never actually stopped moving for a second. I ALSO love the famous coffee run tracking shot in Baby Driver (2017) where Baby walks through downtown Atlanta listening to “Harlem Shuffle.” This entertaining sequence lasts nearly three minutes.
Baby Driver coffee run scene.
I encourage our clients to try and incorporate unique blocking and tracking shots in the productions we create at ATCP!
The West Wing tracking shot.
Jack’s Recommendation
Arcane (2021)
Television, Action, Animation
Along with an amazing story, soundtrack, and being based on one of my favorite video games, Arcane has a dynamic and unique animation style that brings its universe to life. The French animation studio Fortiche takes a distinct approach to their craft, combining 2D and 3D animation techniques. While the characters and much of the world are built using 3D models, many of the visual effects and textures are hand-drawn. This creates a visually striking contrast, pairing the realism of 3D modeling and lighting with a comic-book flair that gives added depth to every action and character.
When I watch Arcane, I can tell the animators truly love and take pride in their work. Their hybrid style gives the show incredible flexibility in how it communicates emotion and impact, carrying the viewer through the story in a deeply meaningful way.
Seeing Fortiche fully embrace such a unique animation style motivates me to explore different avenues in my own artistic career. It’s a great reminder that I don’t need to copy others. Being true to myself and leaning into what I’m good at, even if it isn’t “the standard way” of doing things, is what really matters as an artist.
Arcane official trailer.