Instead of rewatching Gossip Girl for the seventh time during quarantine, use your free time to watch all of those movies you always plan on viewing but never get a chance. Whether you’re a Netflix loyalist or still somehow have access to your ex’s Hulu account, there are plenty of must-see films available on every streaming platform.
Netflix
The Social Network
With three Oscar wins among eight nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture, this highly acclaimed David Fincher (Gone Girl, Fight Club, Se7en) movie stars Jesse Eisenberg as a young Mark Zuckerberg during his journey to revolutionizing
Technology and becoming one of the world’s youngest billionaires. If the fascinating story of Facebook’s origin isn’t enough to reel you in, Armie Hammer and Andrew Garfield will.
Silver Linings Playbook
This film also swept the Oscars, winning Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, as well as Robert DeNiro for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The film also swept away the award for Best Picture. Silver Linings Playbook features Cooper as Pat, fresh out of a court-ordered mental institution stay and still reeling from his divorce, and Lawrence as Tiffany, an eccentric, young widow. If you’re getting sick of predictable rom-coms, this whirlwind of a drama is a cut above the rest with its stunning portrayal of mental health struggles.
Hulu
Parasite
This ink-black comedy/thriller from Korean director Bong Joon Ho made waves at this year’s Oscar Awards as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. Without giving away too much, this psychological thriller of a movie delivers a scathing critique of social class inequality aided by masterful cinematography, a piercing score, and breathtaking performances from Cho Yeo-jeong and Choi Woo-shik. As stylish as it is upsetting, Parasite is captivating enough to take you away from your quarantine boredom for a couple of hours.
Heathers
Young Winona Ryder and Christian Slater? Say nothing more. If you were a fan of Mean Girls and Clueless, this 80s cult classic has all the elements of teen drama films you know and love — bitchy blonde antagonists, shaggy-haired bad boys, and envy-inducing outfits — with a twist of serial murder.
Amazon Prime
Hustlers
Based on a true story, this heist film follows a group of New York City-based strippers who come up with a method to scam their wealthy, sleazeball clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Aside from the killer soundtrack (who doesn’t love Usher?) and captivating dance scenes, the film’s highlight is undeniably Jennifer Lopez. Her portrayal of the warm, enigmatic Ramona is perhaps the best performance of her acting career — she was robbed at the Oscars this year.
Midsommar
Have you been through a bad breakup recently? Ari Aster’s (Hereditary) sophomore horror masterpiece is the perfect “my ex sucks” movie. After losing her family in a tragic incident, Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) is begrudgingly invited by her boyfriend, Christian, and his friends to Sweden for a midsummer festival at a commune. The trip, as well as Dani’s already-fragile relationship, takes a turn amidst pagan cult rituals and dizzying psychotropic drugs — a pseudo-horror movie set in broad daylight. Strangely enough, this film might be the antidote for those late-night quarantine ex texts.