Nothing beats a night in with popcorn, a glass of wine and a new TV show.
As much of the public continues to stay home as much as possible, the demand for more entertainment content continues to rise. Netflix and Hulu have both announced some of their recent releases are setting some of the highest streaming records in the platforms’ respective histories.
But the other networks -— the platforms that are gaining notoriety and bringing home awards of their own — are what this final edition of our two-week series will analyze. Whether you’re looking for a new favorite show, want to revisit an old classic you were unaware was hiding in a site’s massive catalogue or are searching for an indie film you struggle to find anywhere else, we’ve done the work to point you in the right direction.
Oh, and if you’re looking specifically for a child-friendly show or film, skip to Disney+. If you’re 18 years or older then pick your poison and let the streaming begin.
Amazon
Amazon is hands-down the best streaming platform for classics and cult favorites. You can find everything from shows your grandparents grew up with to indie hits that are just rolling off of the latest film festival lineup. Amazon has recently carved out a place in the competitive streaming bracket with its original creations and has nabbed many Golden Globes and Emmys. If you have the time, I recommend spending an afternoon combing through all of your niche interests and building a watchlist. It’ll save you hours later on and you’ll be shocked at how diverse your options are.
Movies:
The Farewell: This film quickly became one of the highlights of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Based on a story featured on the 2016 This American Life episode “In Defense of Ignorance,” it is dramatic, heartfelt and overall a lovely watch. It has a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a massive cult following.
The Birdcage: What more can you say other than this film features a Miami drag club and stars Nathan Lane, Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Christine Baranski and a young Calista Flockhart?
TV Shows:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: This show sweeps every single year at award shows due to its witty charm and deceptively heartfelt plot lines. A housewife in the 1950s with a knack for comedy chooses to step outside the stereotypical life laid out before her to become a stand-up comic.
The Boys: This show is not for children. I need to stress that out the gate. Amazon decided to take the overdone concept of superheroes and turn it on its head. What if superheroes were real, but they were run like a corporation? What would that society look like? And what happens when a random citizen begins to take that corporation down?
Modern Love: Each tiny episode examines a different love story. The very first episode had me in tears within minutes and I never looked back. Some stories are stronger than others, but every single one is memorable.
Good Omens: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman wrote a book in 1990 that developed such a strong following that it is still a bestseller to this day. Amazon took some of the greatest actors of our time and threw them into this chaotic and hilarious fantasy. An angel and a demon team up to prevent the apocalypse coming from the hands of the 11-year-old Antichrist. Believe it or not, it’s a comedy and a very good one at that.
Fleabag: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is probably one of the most brilliant writers of this generation. Her one-woman show was picked up by Amazon and turned into a two-season comedy-drama. You laugh and laugh and laugh and then, out of nowhere, you’re sobbing. I’ve watched it five or six times and it only continues to get better.
The Addams Family: The only non-Amazon original on the list, the 1964 and 1965 production “The Addams Family” sparked generations of fans. Though many remakes have come and gone, none cast the same captivating spell John Astin and Carolyn Jones did. There are only two seasons, but it is hands down some of the best television ever made.
HBO Now
Movies:
Tolkien: If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you need to see this biopic that sheds some insight on the brilliance and heart of J.R.R. Tolkien. FYI, you will definitely cry.
Alien (+): “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream” is so iconic that’s really the only description you need. The quadrilogy package is on HBO and ready for your weekend of fun.
Moulin Rouge!: If you like musicals but wish they had more absurdism, look no further than Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 production starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Bohemian Rhapsody: Freddie Mercury and Queen changed music forever. This biographical drama was one of the best things to come out of the 2018 film lineup.
Contagion: The first time I saw this movie was in a blacked out basement of a church in Alaska in 2012 — it’s a long story — and I never quite wiped those images from my mind. In a shock to literally no one, the world has brought it back to the limelight as we all quarantine at home. It’s probably not the best thing to watch for your mental health right now, but it is a pretty good movie. If you’re a masochist, go for it.
TV Shows:
The Righteous Gemstones: This show is sacrilegious and crude, but unexpectedly hilarious. It follows the story of a wild night gone wrong for one of three adult siblings. The trio are the second generation of a mega-televangelist empire, so they do everything in their power to cover up the mistake. Needless to say, it spirals out of control very quickly.
The Sopranos: The Sopranos are HBO. This show aired in 1999 and is still considered one of the greatest series of all time. It’s dark and heavy, but features writing and dialogue you rarely ever get to see brought to life.
Gentleman Jack: History nerds probably know all about the interesting and eyebrow-raising legacy of West Yorkshire’s Anne Lister. Set in 1832, the show picks up right in the thick of her legendary life.
Westworld: If you made a list of the most intricate, creative and well-executed plot lines in the history of television, this would be in the top 10 without question. Each season pushes it further up that ranking. Essentially Westworld asks, “At what point does artificial intelligence become human? And at what point does a human lose its humanity?” In Westworld, humans created AI hosts and placed them in a theme park where there were no rules. Then the hosts started to gain consciousness and everything changed. Season three just wrapped, so it’s the perfect time to dive in.
Veep: Veep is a political satire show that is so exceptionally written you can’t 100 percent tell which party they’re making fun of throughout the seven seasons. In fact, they poke holes in both and Julia Louis-Dreyfus earned every single award she was showered with during its reign.
Disney+
If you’ve ever loved Disney films or wanted to rewatch some of your childhood favorites, Disney+ is hands down the best way to return to Neverland. Because Disney is buying every media company it can get its hands on, the platform also has access to items you now can’t find anywhere else. It opened its vault and classics are now available in a way they never were before. Star Wars? They’ve got it. Marvel? Every film is there. Pixar? Cry your heart out with the click of a button. That obscure film your mom watched once as a kid that she still talks about to this day? It’s probably there. The platform even has National Geographic and some of the most interesting documentaries around.
Movies:
If there’s a Disney movie you love, it’s more than likely there. If it isn’t, it probably will be soon as the company is dumping new films and shows onto the platform every time you turn around. Disney has also bought out an obscene amount of other entertainment companies so you will be shocked when scrolling to find old favorites like Splash and The Princess Bride on the lineup.
TV Shows:
The Mandalorian: I’m not going to say the Mandalorian and the Clone Wars series are carrying the entire Star Wars Universe on their backs, but I’m not not saying that. The Mandalorian is everything you loved about Star Wars morphed into a television show. Only the first season is out right now, but season two is set to release in October.
The Disney Family Singalong: Quarantine led Disney to round up a bunch of celebrities and Disney legends to create a singalong event that is as fun as it is sappy.
Encore!: Kristen Bell leads casts of high school productions through a reunion years later where they have to perform the same show from their youth again. Now they have experts at their side to tutor them to greatness. It’s adorable and you’ll smile along with every single episode.
The Imagineering Story: This documentary gives an in-depth look at the history, the drama and the genius behind the creation of the Walt Disney theme parks around the world. I’m fully aware that I am a Disney addict, so I realize in this instance I am biased. But as I sat on my couch knowing the world was in lockdown, this show helped heal a wound I didn’t even know I had. If you love Disney, this is a must-watch and should be streamed immediately.