(A brilliantly unhinged performance from Steve Little as the blindly supportive Uncle Jim almost elicits sympathy for Ballinger’s monstrous creation-his highly inappropriate backyard production of Annie has to be seen to be believed.) But whether she’s gate-crashing a church choir or using a stranger’s funeral as a career opportunity, it’s the wild-eyed, lipstick-smeared Miranda that commands attention from the moment she butchers “Defying Gravity” in the opening scene. Occupying that surreal space between the kooky small-town antics of Napoleon Dynamite and the cartoonish naivete of Pee-Wee Herman, Haters Back Off successfully expands Miranda’s distorted world, introducing a whole family unit almost as oddball into the fold. The term “YouTube star” may send a shudder down the spine of anyone born before the days of internet dial-up, but by skewering the very same culture that launched her to fame, deluded, tone-deaf wannabe Miranda Sings-a.k.a the actually very talented vocalist/comedian Colleen Ballinger-is one of the few with something to say. Dave Franco’s over-enthusiastic performance in “Brewery Brothers” may be the most obnoxious you’ll see all year, while Marc Maron doesn’t exactly stretch himself as a whiny self-obsessive in “Art and Life.” But “Vegan Cinderella” is a surprisingly sweet romance that proves Swanberg’s ability to craft a satisfying narrative, while the refreshingly light-hearted threesome story of “Utopia”-featuring Orlando Bloom’s second most notable naked appearance of 2016-and the intense, Spanish-language “Controlada” will leave you wanting more. For those somewhere in the middle, you’re likely to find the short stories of Easy a mixed bag. But if watching familiar character actors attempt to resolve thirtysomething white hipster problems is your bag, then step right forward. If the likes of Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas left you infuriated at their dawdling dialogue and general inconsequentialities, then Easy probably isn’t for you. Here are the ten most worthy of a spot in your queue.Īppreciation for this dramedy anthology may depend on your penchant for writer and director Joe Swanberg’s heavily improvised “mumblecore” style. (Let’s try to forget about Fuller House). A tough act to follow, perhaps, but the streaming giant delivered in 2016, debuting more than two dozen wide-ranging new shows, which have largely sustained the high quality that has left many traditional networks trailing in its wake.

Last year, Netflix’s original programming introduced a new female protagonist to Marvel’s small-screen universe ( Jessica Jones), turned a box-office flop into a wet hot must-watch ( Wet Hot American Summer) and joined the revival of the true crime genre ( Making a Murderer).

2016 best netflix series