All the pop culture favorites we’re thankful for this year

Aurora, Daisy Jones & The Six: I didn’t expect to love Aurora as much as I did. But here we are, at the end of the year, and I fully expect some songs to show up in my Spotify Wrapped. Daisy Jones & The Six’s original studio album slowly became one I kept playing on repeat after I watched the series, and I continue to do so today. It’s a good enough tribute to the ‘70s Fleetwood Mac music it’s inspired by—obviously, they weren’t going to be able to repeat that greatness. Still, it succeeds because it captures the vibe of the show, bringing us a tracklist that includes plenty of soft-rock earworms about the characters involved. As an aside, I ended up revisiting and also listening to some ’70s music for the first time. So I’m thankful for Aurora, and especially “You Were Gone,” if I had to pick a favorite.

Chucky: Why yes, I am thankful for Chucky, the crass, red-haired killer doll who’s been committing crimes since the ’80s. So why do I care about it deeply in 2023? It’s because Don Mancini keeps his Child’s Play franchise fresh with SYFY’s Chucky. The slasher series is consistently fun, funny, and perfectly spooky. Brad Dourif returns to voice Chucky, who terrorizes The White House in season three’s first half this year. You wouldn’t expect Chucky, a show containing voodoo, body switching, and other weird shit, to make relevant political commentary. I’m just glad the show proves it’s possible to keep an IP project inventive decades later.

Shah Rukh Khan: Nothing in pop culture has excited me more than Shah Rukh Khan’s mighty, highly anticipated return to the big screen in 2023. The globally acclaimed Indian actor hasn’t led a Bollywood movie in five years. During that time, due to frustrating national political reasons, Khan and his family were thrust into the spotlight even further. So a lot was riding on his return, and boy does the man deliver.

Let me use this opportunity to educate you on two of his films that have been released this year so far. In January, we got Pathaan (streaming on Prime Video), a spy thriller with twists, sexy actors, and plenty of unhinged stunts akin to the Fast And The Furious franchise. The film earned $130 million globally, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing Indian movie of all time. In September, Khan broke his own record with the high-octane Jawan, which has made over $140 million so far. For those who loved RRR, Jawan might feel spiritually similar in terms of the heightened direction, action, cinematography, and choreography. But Jawan is far better because the theatrics have a heart and soul. Khan is magnificent as he plays multiple parts in this action drama. It’s also the absolute fucking hottest he’s ever looked on the screen—trust me, I’ve seen almost all of the 100 or so movies he’s done. Jawan isn’t subtle with its message, emotional outbursts, or performances. That makes it over-the-top, sure, but I’m glad it gives the actor a chance to remind everyone why he’s affectionately called King Khan. Anyway, Jawan is now streaming on Netflix, if you want three hours of unfiltered fun. His third film, Dunki, releases in December.