Best of streaming services: Netflix
For everyone stuck at home right now, bored out of their minds: Not to worry, the cavalry has arrived. I will be breaking down the best of the best on each streaming service, week by week, and give you my top three movies and top three television shows. To start off, we are diving into the most common of the bunch, Netflix. I understand some people love to use those seven-day free trials, so I am not going to pick the shows with 10 seasons of hour-long episodes.
Top three movies
- “Marriage Story”
I have not gotten the chance to talk about this movie much, but I could talk about it all day long. If you want an absolute gut punch of a movie, I would recommend this one for you. That, along with the award-worthy performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, made for one of my favorite movies of 2019. The film goes deep into a crumbling relationship, and while a movie about divorce may seem quite dreadful and maybe even boring, every second is captivating. Scene by scene, the movie sucks you into the two ends of a divorce, while keeping everything fleshed out and human. They also have to find out how to balance raising their young son, which I could only imagine to be the hardest part of a divorce. It isn’t the happiest movie in the world, but Driver singing “Being Alive” can bring a smile to anyone’s face.
- “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Now, for a lighthearted change of pace, the best movie of 2018 is going to make an appearance on this list. Prior to seeing it in the theater, I had absolutely no expectations for the movie whatsoever. I vaguely remember seeing “Aquaman” on the same weekend, so my superhero fatigue was running a little high. Little did I know “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” would be a gigantic stepping stone in the superhero genre. The animators deserve a Nobel Prize for the absolutely mind-bending visuals in this movie. I know everyone loves their desktop and phone screensavers, and I feel like every shot from this movie could be a stellar lock screen.
- “The Lobster”
So, we have a romance movie that will emotionally drain you and a fun movie that will make you laugh. I think there should be some sort of middle ground and that is where the dark comedy “The Lobster” will come in. I am a huge Colin Farrell fan, and anything he is in I will watch like a proud parent watching their child play “Tree #3” in a school play. I don’t want to say too much about this one, because it is best to go in with an empty mind. The movie is very performance-heavy, with a huge splash of dark humor. I would recommend any of Yorgos Lanthimos’ movies and this one is no exception.
Top three shows
- “Arrested Development”
I will say this much, if you are going to watch this show, do not watch seasons four and five. Seasons one through three are perfect comedy television. It has some of the best writing along with a talented cast. I believe anyone can fly through three seasons of this show pretty quick, so if you want to watch a young Michael Cera hide his secret love for his cousin, “Arrested Development” is the show for you. I also apologize if you end up watching seasons four and five.
- “Stranger Things”
Come on now, you knew this was coming, right? While “Stranger Things” is one of those shows that has seemed to drop in quality, as the show has gone on, it is still one of the most charming shows I have ever seen. Season one is perfect, and many argue it should have just been a one-season show. I could not disagree more. Season two is my favorite, minus that one episode everyone hates because of all the unexpected character interactions that take place. Steve and Dustin are most notably the best duo of the show, and the show really shines the spotlight on that in season three. I think season three has some issues with its characters, and the suspense and mystery is gone completely, but that does not take away from things like Steve and Dustin and 80s nostalgia to the absolute max.
- “Parks and Recreation”
I used to think I was so cool for thinking “Parks and Recreation” was better than “The Office” but the more people I talk to, the more I find they have the same stance as me. I think this show might be one of the best and most consistent comedies to ever be on television, and the characters are so much more than generic two-dimensional ones. I will forever have Andy Dwyer as my spirit animal, and I think if there is any show to put anyone in a good mood, the good folk of Pawnee will do the trick.
Featured Illustration: Austin Banzon
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