I know there's already a favorite TV show and movies thread somewhere, but I wanted to start a rec thread specifically for bored quarantined people. Tell us what you recommend, why, and where to stream it in your country, if you know (if we don't live in your country, of course we can figure it out ourselves if we have access to it). Post trigger warnings if applicable. If you as a viewer want to be sure a piece of media doesn't have your triggers, you can go to doesthedogdie.com which lists a bunch of potential triggers in media (far to many for one person to list off the top of their hand about something).You also don't have to put as much effort in your descriptions as I did, I'm just here wasting time lmao.
My recs (I'm in the US) -
Bojack Horseman (Netflix) - This is probably my favorite show of all time. If you haven't seen it, get on it! Bojack Horseman is this deeply meditative look at broken people (who are sometimes animals) and why they are who they are. The fourth season, which is about how cycle of abuse functions across generations, is a masterpiece. Don't get me wrong, the show is heavy, but it's also FUN. The animation is great and there's a copious amount of animal puns. It oscillates between a serious and madcap tone. It shouldn't work but it does. The show also has my favorite television character of all time, DIane Nguyen, this raging, imperfect feminist who makes everyone, including herself, bristle. The women on Bojack Horseman are exceptionally written and it's rare to see so many and such well-written women on male-centered shows. Even though Bojack Horseman is centered around a male character, the show is also very much about women and how the patriarchy affects them. And the show understands how deeply complex the effect of patriarchy on women is, like Diane, the feminist I mentioned earlier, will base her identity around a man and one of the other female characters, Princess Carolyn, a Hollywoo(d) agent, will do whatever it takes to go ahead, including signing abusive men onto her movies. I'm worried I may be making BH sound like a drag, but the Feminist aspects of the show are what really stuck with me. But it's great, I dressed as Sexy Princess Carolyn for halloween, watch it. Just letting you know though, the first season takes a while to get good. Critic response of the show went from tepid to overwhelming praise. So don't be put off by the first few episodes! Trigger warnings: A lot and I'm sure to miss some. Sexual assault, child abuse, strangulation, substance abuse, suicide.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Netflix) - Another absolute favorite. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical comedy about a successful young lawyer who gives it all up to chase the guy who she had a summer fling with at camp when she was sixteen. The show is a critical look at the way society's obsession with romance warps our brain. The show is sharply written, the characters are great, the cast is excellent, and the songs WILL get stuck in your head. Rachel Bloom deserves an EGOT. Trigger warnings: Stalking, suicide (there are a handful of suicide references throughout the show and a suicide attempt. Message me if you need to know what that is). The second episode has a song that's very racist (cultural appropriation, fetishization of WoC) but it's a low point for the show and the show is not typically like that, though I do feel the WoC of the show were sidelined and shouldn't have been. If this is a dealbreaker for you, I get it, but I also don't want to leave my CXG review on such a negative note because this show was literally life-changing to me. It's #problematic (as all media is) but also very good. Josh Chan is himbo representation.
Derry Girls (Netflix) - The first two shows I mentioned ARE fun at times, but they can also be pretty serious. Derry Girls is just fun (though there are a few serious scenes). Derry Girls is about a group of teen girls (+ one guy) growing up in Northern Ireland and constantly fucking shit up and getting themselves into bad situations through their chaotic teen girl energy. A fun, short binge.
Chewing Gum (Netflix) - Do not watch this if you find cringe comedy impossible to watch. Chewing Gum is GROSS and I've watched it like, three times. Chewing Gum is a British comedy, written by and starring the fantastic Michaela Coel (who I have a huge crush on), about a young woman raised in a devout household exploring romance and sexuality for the first time. Another short binge.
The Handmaiden (Amazon) - No, not The Handmaid's Tale. I'm not entirely sure how to describe The Handmaiden without spoiling it. It's a South Korean thriller. It's about women getting one over on their abusers. The cinematography is GORGEOUS. It's lesbian. Only thing I don't like about this movie is the sex scenes, which are pretty uncomfortable to watch and a bit gratuitous. I wish they had been shot differently. But the movie is perfect other than that. Trigger warnings - Graphic violence, childhood sexual abuse, attempted rape and assault. Don't watch if you're squeamish.
Sorry To Bother You (Hulu) - Best movie of 2018! Definitely watch this if you're a shopworker because Tessa Thompson's looks in this movie are iconic and will inspire you. Like The Handmaiden, this one's hard to describe without spoiling. Come for race commentary, stay for class commentary. I'm just going to copy the Wikipedia synopsis: "The film follows a young black telemarketer who adopts a white accent to succeed at his job. Swept into a corporate conspiracy, he must choose between profit and joining his activist friends to organize labor." This synopsis may sound boring to you, but I promise you this movie is fucking wild.
D.E.B.S. (stream for free with ads without a subscription on Crackle) - What if I was the top student at my spy school and you were the notorious supervillian I've been researching for my thesis and we kissed.................and we're both girls? Charlie's Angels but make it gay. All sugar and no substance. I've seen it five times.
Chris Fleming Youtube Channel - I always watch Chris Fleming when I'm sad because he always makes me laugh. He makes low-budget, absurd, often musical videos, largely about shitty straight men, the absurdity of heterosexuality, the puritanism of the culture of New England, and the menace of people who are really into theater. Start with "Polyamorous," "W.U.G.," "My Dad and My Soccer Coach" or "Am I A Man?" Or just watch his stand-up special, "Showpig," also available on Youtube.
My recs (I'm in the US) -
Bojack Horseman (Netflix) - This is probably my favorite show of all time. If you haven't seen it, get on it! Bojack Horseman is this deeply meditative look at broken people (who are sometimes animals) and why they are who they are. The fourth season, which is about how cycle of abuse functions across generations, is a masterpiece. Don't get me wrong, the show is heavy, but it's also FUN. The animation is great and there's a copious amount of animal puns. It oscillates between a serious and madcap tone. It shouldn't work but it does. The show also has my favorite television character of all time, DIane Nguyen, this raging, imperfect feminist who makes everyone, including herself, bristle. The women on Bojack Horseman are exceptionally written and it's rare to see so many and such well-written women on male-centered shows. Even though Bojack Horseman is centered around a male character, the show is also very much about women and how the patriarchy affects them. And the show understands how deeply complex the effect of patriarchy on women is, like Diane, the feminist I mentioned earlier, will base her identity around a man and one of the other female characters, Princess Carolyn, a Hollywoo(d) agent, will do whatever it takes to go ahead, including signing abusive men onto her movies. I'm worried I may be making BH sound like a drag, but the Feminist aspects of the show are what really stuck with me. But it's great, I dressed as Sexy Princess Carolyn for halloween, watch it. Just letting you know though, the first season takes a while to get good. Critic response of the show went from tepid to overwhelming praise. So don't be put off by the first few episodes! Trigger warnings: A lot and I'm sure to miss some. Sexual assault, child abuse, strangulation, substance abuse, suicide.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Netflix) - Another absolute favorite. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical comedy about a successful young lawyer who gives it all up to chase the guy who she had a summer fling with at camp when she was sixteen. The show is a critical look at the way society's obsession with romance warps our brain. The show is sharply written, the characters are great, the cast is excellent, and the songs WILL get stuck in your head. Rachel Bloom deserves an EGOT. Trigger warnings: Stalking, suicide (there are a handful of suicide references throughout the show and a suicide attempt. Message me if you need to know what that is). The second episode has a song that's very racist (cultural appropriation, fetishization of WoC) but it's a low point for the show and the show is not typically like that, though I do feel the WoC of the show were sidelined and shouldn't have been. If this is a dealbreaker for you, I get it, but I also don't want to leave my CXG review on such a negative note because this show was literally life-changing to me. It's #problematic (as all media is) but also very good. Josh Chan is himbo representation.
Derry Girls (Netflix) - The first two shows I mentioned ARE fun at times, but they can also be pretty serious. Derry Girls is just fun (though there are a few serious scenes). Derry Girls is about a group of teen girls (+ one guy) growing up in Northern Ireland and constantly fucking shit up and getting themselves into bad situations through their chaotic teen girl energy. A fun, short binge.
Chewing Gum (Netflix) - Do not watch this if you find cringe comedy impossible to watch. Chewing Gum is GROSS and I've watched it like, three times. Chewing Gum is a British comedy, written by and starring the fantastic Michaela Coel (who I have a huge crush on), about a young woman raised in a devout household exploring romance and sexuality for the first time. Another short binge.
The Handmaiden (Amazon) - No, not The Handmaid's Tale. I'm not entirely sure how to describe The Handmaiden without spoiling it. It's a South Korean thriller. It's about women getting one over on their abusers. The cinematography is GORGEOUS. It's lesbian. Only thing I don't like about this movie is the sex scenes, which are pretty uncomfortable to watch and a bit gratuitous. I wish they had been shot differently. But the movie is perfect other than that. Trigger warnings - Graphic violence, childhood sexual abuse, attempted rape and assault. Don't watch if you're squeamish.
Sorry To Bother You (Hulu) - Best movie of 2018! Definitely watch this if you're a shopworker because Tessa Thompson's looks in this movie are iconic and will inspire you. Like The Handmaiden, this one's hard to describe without spoiling. Come for race commentary, stay for class commentary. I'm just going to copy the Wikipedia synopsis: "The film follows a young black telemarketer who adopts a white accent to succeed at his job. Swept into a corporate conspiracy, he must choose between profit and joining his activist friends to organize labor." This synopsis may sound boring to you, but I promise you this movie is fucking wild.
D.E.B.S. (stream for free with ads without a subscription on Crackle) - What if I was the top student at my spy school and you were the notorious supervillian I've been researching for my thesis and we kissed.................and we're both girls? Charlie's Angels but make it gay. All sugar and no substance. I've seen it five times.
Chris Fleming Youtube Channel - I always watch Chris Fleming when I'm sad because he always makes me laugh. He makes low-budget, absurd, often musical videos, largely about shitty straight men, the absurdity of heterosexuality, the puritanism of the culture of New England, and the menace of people who are really into theater. Start with "Polyamorous," "W.U.G.," "My Dad and My Soccer Coach" or "Am I A Man?" Or just watch his stand-up special, "Showpig," also available on Youtube.
