6 of the Best Shows and Movies to Binge while Quarantined!
Here is a list of six of my personal favorite shows and movies to watch, and rewatch, when I’m stuck inside. If enjoying these stories makes you even just a little bit less anxious in these stressful times, it is so worth it!
- BoJack Horseman (Netflix — six seasons)
This is one of my favorite shows of all time. Don’t let the animation throw you! This show isn’t for kids and isn’t for the faint of heart. The story follows BoJack Horseman, and his colorful cast of friends and coworkers, as they struggle through the ups and downs of the Hollywoo(d) lifestyle. The show does the best job I’ve ever seen of dealing with very serious real life issues in such a hilariously fake world; alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, breaking the stigma of rehab. It has powerful discussions about asexuality, strong female leads in positions of power, and even racial diversity among the few human characters in a world full of anthropomorphic animals! I truly can’t praise BoJack Horseman enough, I believe everyone should watch this show through at least once; and that’s no problem now that the final episode has been released so no more pesky waiting for the next season! Be forewarned, however, this show does deal with some very heavy topics and is not for kids!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1eJMig5Ik4
2. Hilda (Netflix — one season)
Are you looking for a warm and fuzzy, feel-good show to watch while cuddled up at home? As a drastic departure from BoJack Horseman, Hilda is one of my favorite shows I’ve watched in the last year. Though it was technically made for children, this show is so much fun if you just want to be able to turn your brain off and enjoy something simple. The world is adorable and mysterious, the characters are all so lovable, and the soundtrack is fantastic. The show is about spunky 11-year-old Hilda, and her exciting life of solving mysteries and discovering the secrets of the magical world around her. (If for no other reason this series is worth it for the dry humor of the Woodman). Definitely the series to watch if you’re feeling a little (or a lot) overwhelmed about the state of the world right now. Just know that everything is going to be okay and slip into another world for a little while, this will all be over soon enough :)
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCojP2Ubuto
3. Barry (HBO — two seasons)
This show is pure genius! Bill Hader is truly in his prime. It is Hader’s passion project in a funny way, he writes, directs, and stars in it. It is about a former Marine, turned hitman, turned … aspiring actor?? It is expertly written; with a very creative story unlike any before and hysterical comedy. However, none of that distracts from the heart wrenching look the series gives into the psyche of a veteran who is now paid to murder. The fairly infant show has already won numerous awards; Hader is phenomenal in every way in this show and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for season three! Each season only has eight episodes, and at 20 minutes a piece, you could bang the whole thing out in an afternoon or two!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b09aJdWqVp4
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Netflix — 1hr 56mins)
Is the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe a little too much to take on during your “Coronavacation”? That’s okay! You can get your Spider-man fix from Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse! This is easily my favorite Spider-man film ever made — and being a MCU buff I feel like I am cheating on Tom Holland’s Peter Parker a bit — but how can Miles Morales not steal your heart from the second you see him singing, albeit poorly, along to a song he doesn’t really know before going to school. Featuring a star studded cast, this film paved the way for a new kind of animation and the first movie to feature not one, not two, but six different versions of Spider-man from across the Spider-verse.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Hbz2jLxvQ
5. Eighth Grade (Amazon Prime — 1hr 34mins)
When it was announced that comedian Bo Burnham was writing a film script, his fans were awaiting a fantastical dark comedy, as per his usual stand-up themes. However, when the trailer for Eighth Grade was released, it left so many — surprisingly! — in tears. This film pulls on every heart string and hits so close to home, especially if you attended middle school in the last ten or so years. Burnham captures the awkward social anxiety and confusing emotions of being a teenager in the eighth grade better than I’ve ever seen in another film. The acting and writing is so organic you can’t help but physically cringe at the flashbacks to your middle school experiences you have during the pool scene. It is so well done, and I believe this is another one that everyone — parents of children in middle school especially — should watch in order to see, at least a little bit, into the minds of these struggling teens.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8lFgF_IjPw
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney+ — 1hr 16mins)
Is it a Christmas movie? Is it a Halloween movie? WHO CARES! Watch it in March! That age-old debate is quickly forgotten when you remember just how excellent this film is! This Tim Burton classic throws me back to my childhood every time I watch it, and I think it will give you a comforting sense of nostalgia as well! And if you have never seen this film, it needs to be the first thing from this list that you watch. It has great writing, charming characters, a creepy yet somehow cheery vibe, and the music will have you listening to the soundtrack for weeks! This movie will leave you with a smile on your face and keep you sleeping with one eye open ;) (p.s. It’s a Halloween movie)
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6N_hZyBCk
7. !!BONUS!! John Mulaney (Netflix)
A bonus item!! If you’re not feeling like watching any of the great storytelling from the six items above, try some comedy specials! John Mulaney is a former SNL writer who now has three stand-up acts on Netflix. All of them are absolutely hilarious and I suggest you watch all three, but my favorite is Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. If you want to try to avoid cabin-fever and lighten the mood through laughter, John Mulaney is a good place to start!
In these scary times it is important to remember that we are going to get through this and it is going to be over and done with soon enough. Try to sit back and watch a few movies to try and de-stress! Stay home if you are able and stay safe and healthy! Enjoy some “me time” and let the bingeing begin!
Written by: Amanda Vitello
Amanda Vitello is a communications student at Salem State University.
