Humpday recommendations 09/20/2022

Watch: “Once in a Lifetime.” US (men's) soccer may not be that great, but back in the 1970s the sport took America by storm with a new league that brought many of the world's biggest stars to US teams. The New York Cosmos led the way by signing not one but two GOAT contenders: Brazil's "O Rei" Pelé and Germany's Franz "Kaiser" Beckenbauer. This docu tells the story of the rise and fall of America's once-greatest soccer team. — Carlos

Read: “The Island of Missing Trees,” by Elif Shafak. Normally I’m not drawn to trees serving as narrators, but this one’s well worth an exception. Shafak’s lyrical approach to weaving the Cypriot Greek-Turkish divide into a tale of love, generational trauma, and well-researched facts about trees is as interesting as it sounds. — Tracy

Watch: “The Last Movie Stars.”Actor Ethan Hawke has made an extraordinary six-part documentary film, now streaming on HBO Max, on the tumultuous lives, decades-long partnership, and extraordinary accomplishments of Paul Newman, the movie star who wanted to be a great actor, and Joanne Woodward, the great actor who wanted to be a movie star. The film reveals much that even their most devoted fans didn’t know. – Willis

Watch: “Speak No Evil.” This Danish horror film is not for the fainthearted. When a Dutch and Danish family get together for what’s supposed to be a rustic weekend in the Dutch countryside, things soon turn weird, then creepy, then … terrifying. "Speak No Evil" is hair-raising. But it’s also an allegory for human complacency and inaction. – Gabrielle