Everyone and their mother has been giving quarantine watch-lists, so here’s mine! These are just a few of the movies and television shows that I’ve been currently binging and loving.
- The Half of it
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This gem of a film came to Netflix last week during the height of all of my final projects. Alice Wu’s coming-of-age rom-com was the best little distraction I could’ve had. The film follows Ellie Chu, who is the smartest, but also the most ignored, student at her high school in the small fictional town of Squahamish, Washington. As a side gig she writes term papers for money, but when lovable high school jock Paul Munsky acquires her services to write a love letter to Aster Flores, the most popular girl in school, an unlikely friendship forms.
Not only did this movie place a gay Chinese-American at the forefront, but it is also a beautiful testament to all of the other kinds of love you can have in your life. It’s a reminder that not all of your heartbreaks have to be romantic, and sometimes, the biggest ones aren’t.
- Outer Banks
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When I first saw this show premiere on Netflix, I steered clear. I thought it’d be another stupid teen show with bad acting and boring storylines, but boy was I wrong. Reminiscent of the rivaling gangs in The Outsiders, the show introduces us to the Pogues, who work two jobs, and the Kooks, who own two houses. Outer Banks follows John B, the ringleader of the Pogues, and his friends as they search for a legendary treasure following clues that his missing father left for him. Yes, there are some major plot holes. Like why don’t they have cellphones? Or why do they call him John B when he’s the only John in the show? Regardless, it is jam-packed with adventure, teenage romance, and emotions—the perfect escape from reality.
- The Hunger Games Series
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I don’t know about you, but being back home in my childhood bedroom has made me feel super nostalgic. How I long to return to 2012 when my biggest worries were if I’d get a seat at the Friday afternoon showing of The Hunger Games premiere. My obsession for this series (the books included) has not faded one bit. Honestly, it’s even better watching it as an adult because there is so much more to appreciate. So, let’s go back in time, put our hair in a braid, and binge-watch the best dystopian series of our generation.
- All American
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This was another show that I was hesitant to watch since it originally aired on the CW. But after constant recommendations, I gave in and I was not disappointed. The show follows Spencer James (loosely based off of NFL linebacker Spencer Paysinger) who is from Crenshaw, a less affluent area in South Los Angeles. He is recruited to play football at Beverly Hills High, where his two worlds are constantly colliding. It uncovers so many family secrets and drama that take you on an emotional rollercoaster.
- I Think We’re Alone Now
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As Reed Morano’s second feature, it is the perfect film to watch during quarantine. Starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning, it follows two survivors who learn to coexist after a worldwide pandemic wipes out the entire population—except for them. It feels a little meta to be watching it during the current global pandemic, but it is also extremely therapeutic. Also, the cinematographer, Morano, captures this post-apocalyptic world so beautifully. It isn’t loud or action-packed like most films about the apocalypse, but rather it’s quiet and peaceful, which is something we could use a bit more of in the world right now.
This is the perfect time to watch that movie that’s been eating away at your “Watch Later.” There is so much good art to appreciate and so much time to do it!
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