From 'rural' Star Wars to a cocaine bear, a mystically rural book series and more, rural entertainment has it all

Prey, Andor, and Cocaine Bear (Image, 20th Century Studios, Disney Media, and Universal Pictures)

A year ago, The Daily Yonder started a project featuring "movies, television series, books, and more, all through a rural lens." Below is a little explanation and recommendations to keep rural minds busy.

"When we first began this project, there was a small bit of doubt to overcome," writes Adam B. Giorgi. "The first question was, would there be enough 'rural' entertainment on offer to keep us going strong on a regular schedule? As it turns out, our shelves were plenty stocked, and there were even more things to write about than what we had time and space to cover."

Among all items rural, is "Star Wars." Giorgi writes: "I’ve already made the case that "Star Wars" is an inherently rural story and that its many iterations are at their best when they remember that. The franchise’s newest series, 'Andor,' might be the best "Star Wars" has ever been. There are some memorable rural settings . . But across the board, 'Andor' is an expertly plotted and richly layered political drama, focused on the rigors of cultivating a revolutionary movement and the realities of living under an emerging totalitarian state."

The blockbuster “Prey” is rural and original: "'Prey' stood out as one of the best," Giorgi writes. "It took the action back to the Great Plains of 1719 and replaced the original story’s modern military commandos with a tribe of Comanche warriors. . . The sweeping plains, the compelling Indigenous cast, and the tightly choreographed action scenes all would have thrived on a movie theater screen."

Anya Slepyan, also from The Daily Yonder, recommends a richly rural book series: "This recommendation is not so much for one book as it is for a series of seven books — first the four-book  Raven Cycle, followed by The Dreamer Trilogy — but the last book, Greywaren, came out this year. Both series are centered in the fictional rural town of Henrietta, Virginia . . . The series contains psychics, farmers, hit men, industrial sabotage."

The film "Cocaine Bear" will be released in February 2023, and is said to be a don't miss, "true(ish) story," Giorgi yarns. And “Asteroid City," which is set to be released in June 2023, "is said to take place in a small desert town and follow a series of unexpected events at a Junior Stargazer convention . . . dark skies and rural stargazing is a great match for filmmaker Wes Anderson’s quirky, endearing sensibilities. Plus, the film boasts a ridiculously stacked ensemble cast."