I've had a lot of time to myself this summer. Like a looot of time. And to fill that void of boredom, I've taken in a lot of media. Some of these are projects I've checked out before and decided I love even more now, some of these are hot off the press first reactions. Without further ado, here are 7 awesome items I think you should definitely check out.

1. "Clouds of Sils Maria" (2017)

This movie received its fair share of acclaim when it was released in 2014 but it may have flown under your radar. I assure you, it's worth checking out - if for nothing else, as a testament to Kristen Stewart's legitimate acting skill.

Clouds of Sils Maria is a layered narrative, with the main character (portrayed expertly by Juliette Binoche) preparing for a role in a play that mirrors her own real growth and development.

In addition to this character study, Olivier Assaya's script attacks the changing cinematic climate, the shifting roles of women in the entertainment industry, and the disparities raised by the generation gap. Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart have a very tangible chemistry on screen, and both leading ladies are nothing short of fantastic.

It's a cerebral film, which kind of cuts both ways, so don't expect to love it like I did. But it's absolutely beautiful from start to finish. It moves suddenly at moments and then lingers on others, and oftentimes it's tough to hold on to the pace when it switches gears so suddenly that everything meshes together beautifully.

It's hard to question Assayas's instincts, but that's my opinion. Check out the movie for yourself. There are too many instincts that require personal interpretation for me to say more.

2. "Baby Driver" (2017), dir. Edgar Wright

Edgar Wright is a filmmaker who everyone should be aware of. His film work to date has honestly been nothing short of immaculate. You may recognize his direction from his classic “Cornetto trilogy”: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013). You may be familiar with his work in the 2010 visual tour-de-force Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. He’s made his mark in the film world with his unique flashy style of physical comedy and his signature visual aesthetic. With 2017’s Baby Driver, Wright not only cements himself deep into uncharted territory in action-comedy but also develops and builds on his already sumptuous style.

All of Wright’s work to this point has been extremely impressive, precise, and pitch-perfect in terms of comedic timing and framing. Baby Driver still manages to blow all of his previous work out of the water. The car chases are enthralling and absolutely gripping. I legitimately found myself leaning in the theater when turning sharp corners. It’s not my favorite Wright film but it’s probably his most technically impressive. Wright absolutely nails some of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen, probably the best since Mad Max: Fury Road. Pin on a stellar cast and an incredible soundtrack, and you have the best movie of the summer. Easily.

3. "...Like Clockwork" (2013) by Queens of the Stone Age

I’m a huge fan of Queens of the Stone Age, or QOTSA. Their offbeat, experimental rock has always been fun and propelled music forward. In 2013, after lead singer Josh Homme rose out of a coma from surgery complications, the band ended a six year break with a complete shocker. QOTSA, up until that point, gained a reputation for their self-aware, self-deprecating, meaningless, and careless attitude when it came to music. Yes, every member is extremely talented and precise in performance, but never had they so acutely faced their emotions. So when Josh Homme sings, “It’s only falling in love because you hit the ground” on the penultimate track “I Appear Missing," it just means that much more.

It’s an unprecedented journey. From the opening moments of the album, we are faced with the same hard rock with a twist, but this is darker, deeper, spookier. On one of the album’s standouts (and to be honest, every single track stands out in its own way here), “Kalopsia," Homme harmonizes with Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor over an uncertain, haunting soundscape that glides from smooth, ambient instrumental portions to grungy, gritty outbursts of passion during the choruses. This album is filled with a plethora of unforgettable moments, a surprising amount of them given that it’s comprised of only ten tracks. From the slide guitar symphony on “I Sat By The Ocean” to Elton John’s soulful singing over fancy drum work on “Fairweather Friends” to a dissonant and lurching guitar solo on “Smooth Sailing," there’s too much to take in on just one listen. But it doesn’t lose anything over repeat listenings. This is an album I would consider to be perfect through and through.

4. "Ctrl" (2017) by SZA

So far, in a year populated by high-profile releases from some of my favorite artists, like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples, Joey Bada$$, Gorillaz, etc, I’ve been on my toes trying to keep tabs on what projects are my favorites, and that’s based on a few factors: production value, lyrics and songwriting. Moreover, do I find myself returning to this project? Does it run stale?

And here’s the problem. SZA’s Ctrl easily ticks off those first three points. This is the prettiest album you will hear this year—hell, along with D’Angelo’s Black Messiah and Solange’s A Seat At The Table, this is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve ever heard. Despite this great first experience, I can’t say I initially found myself actively seeking this project out to relisten as much as I’d like to. But it found its way back to me. In a sleeper-hit kind of way. I hear “Drew Barrymore” on shuffle in one of my playlists, and her passion in the hook bites me in a newfound way. “Pretty Little Birds” comes on when I’m driving in the car, and a little trumpet riff literally surrounds me. Even when I’m not listening to anything, and I suddenly remember the album’s closing moments in the song “20 Something," I can’t help but get goosebumps. And every time circumstance throws one of these songs back at me, I find myself washed in dreamy synths, or I feel goosebumps with a reedy guitar progression. It’s an album that shifts from opulence to sparsity at the flick of a switch, and there seriously may not be a vocalist who can handle those shifts as assuredly as SZA.

What can I say? The production is absolutely gorgeous. The album grooves with a sense of organic beauty, even with digital elements, it’s a starkly human album. Because even with the producers filling up our ears with these stunning backdrops, it’s SZA who takes center stage, tender yet powerful, dosing us with life at its ugliest and hitting us with a delicate strength. And once the album totally clicked for me, her subtle intensity has never waned.

SZA’s Ctrl is many things. It is sweet; it is unexpected; it is angry; it is bottled up; it is seething; it is breathing; it is emotional; passionate; all out, it is open, yet closed off; it is a display of confidence imbued with a fear of losing it all–it is empowerment marked with fragility. And it’s nothing short of the best album of this year thus far.

5. "Flower Boy" (2017) by Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator is a household name. Somehow. In an era saturated by generic chord progressions and an amorphous money-making blob of a genre called pop music, Tyler Okonma managed to break through to the mainstream with his dissonant, abrasive beats and gravelly delivery. Tyler also was the spearhead of the now-defunct music collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, or Odd Future for short, which spawned the likes of R&B artist Syd (the smooth and lovely vocalist of The Internet), Frank Ocean (no comment necessary), and Earl Sweatshirt (the best pure lyricist since MF DOOM and, by the way, the only person who can say “diction buttery” and get away with it). But I feel that Tyler’s only gotten so far because of his antics and offbeat public persona, and that he had yet to drop a legitimately great album.

Well, as it turns out, this is that album. As a matter of fact, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. Tyler’s musical chops come to the forefront in a grandiose, rich, full album. Every track is laced with an intimate touch that I haven’t really seen in Tyler’s previous work. It’s not hasty, every moment is intentional and purposeful. Just like certain songs on the project encourage, not a second is wasted. Even the skit “Sometimes” becomes thought-provoking in the context of the whole album.

And the album provides a lot of food for thought. A lot of media attention certainly focused on Tyler’s sexuality, and while this is a facet of Tyler’s work here, it’s definitely unfair to hinge upon that when the overall album is so much more—Tyler drops the facade for a little bit, and we get real, raw, honest conversation. It’s humbling. And when it’s over jaw-droppingly beautiful chord patterns in “Garden Shed”, sweeping drum-breaks and so so perfect choruses in “Boredom”, or beautiful harmonies in “Foreward”, Tyler’s work on Flower Boy just expands into other dimensions. It’s something new, and I’m unbelievably excited to relisten to it on the daily. Oh, and Weezy on "Droppin' Seeds"? You can't get any better.

6. "Atlanta" (on FX)

I’ve been paying attention to news about Atlanta, Donald Glover’s pet project, since probably 2011. I was a huge fan of Community in middle school, and Donald Glover’s standup comedy was my absolute favorite thing at the time. News about Donald Glover was like heavenly manna for me. So I kept feeling for news about Atlanta, completely unaware of what I was in for. And so, it’s kind of funny. My tastes have entirely changed since middle school. I retained certain sensibilities, but my sense of humor is different, and I’ve developed a lot as a person since then (at least I hope so).

So yeah, it’s funny that Atlanta is exactly the kind of show that demonstrates exactly what I love now about TV, about filmmaking, about visual storytelling in general.

Every single actor on the show is a genius worker in their own right (even Migos). The writing absolutely stuns me. Even the ever-recognizable visage of Donald Glover is lost in the character of Earn Marks. Nobody feels like a character, everyone feels like a real, living, human being. It’s masterful. I don’t even understand how someone can write these lines in a script and know they will be funny. But when Darius asks about if he can measure a tree, I lose it. It’s a show that swelters in absurdity while also utilizing that outlandishness for unique one-offs that make me spit out my water.

The show feels very cinematic, largely because it’s directed incredibly well. It’s physical comedy like I haven’t seen in a long time. The way Hiro Murai and Donald Glover use framing as a comedic tool is very refreshing for TV comedies, which has recently been a wasteland for recycling tropes and unoriginal formulaic banality. This is a show that checks all of the boxes—it shows a world that’s not really the subject of any major TV program, it’s innovative, and it’s really, really funny. If you haven’t checked out Atlanta, please please please check it out. “Streets On Lock” as a standalone is perhaps the best single episode of television I’ve ever seen. I’m going to go insane waiting for the next season.

7. "The Wire" (HBO)

Yeah, yeah, the secret’s out. The Wire is actually good. Who'd have thunk it.

Okay, what’s there to say about The Wire that hasn’t been said before? It’s a show that many consider to be required viewing. And that sounds weird to those that haven’t checked it out yet. How could a story about Baltimore drug busts relate to the world at large?

Well, not inherently it doesn’t. But The Wire tackles much larger ambitions, and pulls it off with ease. It’s an unbelievable character drama like no other. Just a note, I’m trying really hard to be vague so as not to spoil plot points, so bear with me. Idris Elba’s character, Stringer Bell, is one of the most fascinating characters ever put to screen, a drug kingpin who just wants to be taken seriously. Michael K. Williams’ portrayal of Omar extends a hold-up man to a chaotic agent of vigilante justice, and one that’s remarkably easy to side with. Even our protagonist Jimmy McNulty is a deeply, deeply flawed detective, and in some cases it’s hard to even side with him.

This is a show with three-dimensional characters and no punches pulled. Nothing is sacred and everything is possible. I found myself saying “no, no, no” out loud with some certain plot points. And yeah, it’s not a comfortable show either. But as hard as it is to get through some certain points of the show, it’s even harder to give it a rest. Hell, I’ve watched the entire series, and I’m still tempted to block out a week to rewatch the whole show.

This show is consistently ranked as one of the best TV shows of all time for good reason. For example, the show began 15 years ago, but it still feels modern and cutting-edge. Sure, 15 years isn’t that long, but The Wire still feels as if it would be innovative today. And that’s because it brought humanity to the screen like no other program has done yet. So do yourself a favor, and give into the hype. Just this once. You won’t regret it.

This movie received its fair share of acclaim when it was released in 2014 but it may have flown under your radar. I assure you, it's worth checking out - if for nothing else, as a testament to Kristen Stewart's legitimate acting skill.

Clouds of Sils Maria is a layered narrative, with the main character (portrayed expertly by Juliette Binoche) preparing for a role in a play that mirrors her own real growth and development.

In addition to this character study, Olivier Assaya's script attacks the changing cinematic climate, the shifting roles of women in the entertainment industry, and the disparities raised by the generation gap. Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart have a very tangible chemistry on screen, and both leading ladies are nothing short of fantastic.

It's a cerebral film, which kind of cuts both ways, so don't expect to love it like I did. But it's absolutely beautiful from start to finish. It moves suddenly at moments and then lingers on others, and oftentimes it's tough to hold on to the pace when it switches gears so suddenly that everything meshes together beautifully.

It's hard to question Assayas's instincts, but that's my opinion. Check out the movie for yourself. There are too many instincts that require personal interpretation for me to say more.