As ordinances for people to stay home are locked in place, the scarcity of entertainment becomes seemingly wider. Despite the sense of an endless quarantine, there is a lot of great entertainment out there that can help one pass the time. Here is a genre-diverse guide on what to watch during self-isolation on each of the major streaming services.
On Amazon Prime Video, Emmy-winning “Fleabag” (2016 – present) stars Phoebe Allen-Bridge. Fleabag is trying to balance her love life while coping with tragedy all with a comedic edge.
“Hunters” (2020) is a new crime drama, based in 1977 New York City where the Nazis’ genocidal plans are attempted to be foiled by the (nazi) hunters in the show.
From director, Ari Aster, “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019) are nontraditional twisted psychological thrillers in the horror genre that are available for streaming with a Prime subscription.
On Apple TV+, “The Morning Show” (2019), starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell, is the story of a national morning show and the intricacies that occur behind the scenes. The drama deals with sexual misconduct, the #MeToo movement, lies, betrayal, relationships, and other themes of the like.
On Disney+, Disney Pixar’s newest installment, “Onward” (2020), is the story of teenage elf brothers that go on a series of quests in order to spend one last day with their deceased father. The animated film had an early release on the platform on March 6.
On HBO, “Big Little Lies” (2017 – present) is a drama based on a book of the same name that follows the Monterey five, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Jane (Shailene Woodley), Renata (Laura Dern), and Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz), in a mystery that involves relationship hardships, familial struggles, finances, female forces, friendships, sexuality, abuse, infidelity, crime and so on; the Emmy winning series was brought in Meryl Streep for season 2.
Also, “Sharp Objects” (2018) is also a drama based on a book of the same name by the same director of “Big Little Lies,” Jean-Marc Vallée. Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) returns to her hometown to cover a mysterious set of crimes that end up being closer to her childhood and family home than she ever would have expected.
“Euphoria” (2019 – present) follows the life of a 17-year-old drug addict, Rue (played by Zendaya) and her circle of friends. The show deals with mature subjects of adolescence like sexuality, drugs, alcohol, mental illnesses, relationships, and so on. The show showcases each character having their own set of turmoils and their crossovers primarily unfold in a high school setting.
On Hulu, “High Fidelity” (2020) is a comedic story of Rob (Zoë Kravitz), her two best friends, and her five greatest heartbreak stories. The series explores heartbreak, relationships, and friendship in a lighthearted but emotionally relatable way.
“Little Fires Everywhere” (2020) is the story of Mia (Kerry Washington) and Elena (Reese Witherspoon), their families, and their own stories. The show takes one on a journey to figure out how Elena’s house burned down in the introductory sequence. As the story unfolds, a series of smaller “fires” occur and every character is given a motive.
“PEN15” (2019 – present) ) is an R-rated, satirical comedy based on the idea of “middle school as it really happened” during the early 2000s. The show is nostalgic through its portrayal of 2000s trends, fashions, AOL screennames, and all things Y2K. Season 2 is slated to come out later this year.
“Killing Eve” (2018 – present) is a crime drama written by Waller-Bridge of “Fleabag.” The show involves top spy Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer), in a classic game of cat and mouse that then spins to become physically romantic. Seasons 1 and 2 are available for streaming on Hulu; the season’s third season premiered April 12 on AMC and BBC America.
The Best Picture winner from this year’s Oscars, “Parasite” (2019), has been exclusively released on Hulu as well.
On Netflix, “Dead to Me” (2019 – present) is a dark comedy-drama, starring Christina Applegate as Jen and Linda Cardellini as Judy who meet and become friends at a support group. They later learn that their lives are more intertwined than they each initially disclosed. Season 2 is scheduled for release on May 8.
The viral “Tiger King” (2020) is a fascinating drama and crime-filled documentary series that showcases eccentric characters in a world of exotic cat breeding at private zoos. The seven-part documentary series makes several turns that take you deeper down the “cat” hole of a legal battle between animal rights activists and cat breeders.
On Showtime, “On Becoming A God In Central Florida,” (2019) is a dark comedy that takes place in a small town in Florida during the early 90s. Krystal Stubbs (Kirsten Dunst) is a minimum wage employee at a waterpark who is looking for a better life. She gets involved in a pyramid scheme that ruins her family and all that is around, near and dear to her.
Many of the streaming services are offering free content to binge during these times of trouble. Apple is offering for a limited time, a collection of acclaimed Apple Originals for the whole family for free on Apple TV+; EPIX is under free access on Apple TV+ until May 2. HBO is also offering a select portion of its library for free for a limited time. Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial to new customers who sign up before May 3. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix still have 30-day free trials, also Disney+ and HBO NOW both have 7-day free trials.
