One of the best things to come out of quarantine has by far been Netflix Party, a free Chrome extension that lets you watch anything from Netflix live with your friends. Over quarantine, my friends and I have scoured Netflix’s backlog to find some of the best and weirdest movies and TV shows to watch together, which I’ve compiled into this list. Hopefully, you can find something to watch!
TV show: Once Upon A Time
ABC’s Once Upon A Time is a “Disney fairytales with a twist” type of show. It follows Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who is tasked with saving all of our favorite fairytale characters from a curse that has planted them in a suburban town in Maine where time is frozen and they cannot remember who they are. This was one of my favorite TV shows in middle school and I’m not sure how I missed how truly horrible it is. While Season 1 has definite potential, the writers weren’t sure how to proceed after the main conflict was solved, which makes the rest of the seasons hilariously bad. This was one of the first things I watched on Netflix Party, with one of my friends who had never seen it before, and we had a great time making fun of the writing, pointing out plot holes, and talking about how Emma Swan was my gay awakening.
Movie: Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice has always gotten a lot of hype, and that hype is WELL deserved. If you’ve somehow missed this adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel by the same name, Netflix Party-ing it with friends is the best way to experience it for the first time. This classic love story follows the Bennet family and their five daughters, focusing on the second eldest Elizabeth, and her tumultuous relationship with the proud and handsome Mr. Darcy. This story is so gorgeous and heartwarming, and it will have you and your friends swooning in the Netflix Party chat.
Anything with Noah Centineo
Everyone knows about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by this point, which is of course another amazing Netflix party option. However, the rest of Noah Centineo’s filmography is not to be ignored. Swiped and The Perfect Date are two Noah Centineo films that are much worse than To All the Boys, full of cringey writing and bizarre plot lines that make them incredibly fun to watch and make fun of. And if they get to be a bit much, you can always return to To All the Boys and remember why you loved Noah so much in the first place. Even if you don’t find Noah Centineo as attractive as the rest of the world seems to (I’m sorry, I just don’t see it!), you can at least have fun in the Netflix Party chat thinking of the new ways to misspell his last name.
Movie: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I am not being hyperbolic when I say Perks is the best movie of all time. This classic coming-of-age movie follows Charlie as he starts high school, makes new friends, falls in love, and copes with depression. This movie is incredibly emotional and beautiful, and if you and your friends are in the mood for a good cry, it’s the perfect choice. This movie is full of iconic moments, amazing friendships, and great lines of dialogue. It’s the perfect movie to watch with your friends that will bring you all closer together, no matter how physically far away you all are.
Movie: After
I think the funniest part about After has nothing to do with the movie itself but its origin story instead. For those who don’t know, After is based on a Wattpad Harry Styles fanfiction (which I have regrettably read) by the same name, which casts Harry Styles as a brooding, tattooed bad boy. Writer Anna Todd repurposed the fanfiction to an original novel by changing the names, which later got a movie adaptation. If the context alone is not enough to convince you to watch, Harry’s — I mean, Hardin’s — bizarre behavior and dialogue is very funny, and trying to figure out which side character corresponds to the 1D band members is another fun game to play in the chat.
TV show: Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin is a telenovela-style show that follows Jane, a devout Catholic and pledged virgin until marriage who is accidentally artificially inseminated by her gynecologist. The show follows Jane as she deals with her incredibly unexpected pregnancy, her telenovela star father who is suddenly a part of her life again, and the love triangle developing between her, her boyfriend, and her new baby daddy. Jane’s chaotic telenovela energy lends itself extremely well to a Netflix party. Its twists and turns will have you and your friends gasping, and the dialogue is so quick and funny that there’s always something to talk about.
TV show: H2O, Just Add Water
And finally, if you and your friends are in need of some good old-fashioned nostalgia, look no further than H2O. In case you didn’t watch this brilliant show as a kid, H2O follows three teenage girls who turn into mermaids whenever they touch water. Sure, H2O is made for young people, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t incredibly fun to watch with your friends even when you’re all grown up. The characters are iconic and the Australian accents are very fun to replicate, and I think all of us are in need of something light to watch that reminds us of a better and easier time.
Hopefully, you were able to find something you and your friends are interested in watching on this list! Have fun Netflix partying!