If you are on the same boat as I am, the one where we have binged watched literally anything on all streaming platforms, then you may have run out of things to watch. But, do not feel bad about this at all – we are living through a weird moment in life! Think of your binge watching as saving the world because that means you have been following the rules and been social distancing. On a side note, please do not feel like you have to be productive during these times; I know most of us still have online school or work, but there is no need to do more than you can. If you want and feel better watching a show or movie while chilling in your pajamas on your bed, then by all means do it! Do not let society make you feel bad about how you are coping with this whole quarantine situation, please! But, if you feel better by working out or working on a project, then please do it – do whatever makes you feel good and safe. Whichever it is that you choose to do, consider doing so while playing these Netflix recommendations I have to share with you.
My first recommendation is something that I loved because of the inclusivity and awareness that it raised in terms of being a modern Latinx family. One Day At A Time, is a show that focuses on the life of a Cuban family, living in the United States. The show includes episodes where mental health, LGBTQ, PTSD, and many more issues affect the lives of Penelope and her family, which includes her mom, her daughter, and her son. It is the perfect combination of comedy and heartfelt moments. I know that it was a show I liked to watch to ease my anxiety or boost my mood. I think that this show does a great job of depicting how the older generation and a newer generation of Latinx members teach, judge and support each other. Another thing that I love about this show are the characters, I think the writers did a great job of giving each character their uniqueness and showing in them little bits and pieces of a Latinx family. Most importantly, I enjoyed each of the character’s stories. I felt that a lot of my life experiences as a Latina were depicted in the show. This show gave me a whole range of emotions, but mostly I was good to myself represented in at least a couple of ways.
The overall message that I got from the show was that family sticks together, whether it be your blood family or people who have become part of your family.
Next up, we have a tear jerker! If you have not watched Miracle in Cell 7 please go ahead and do so. The movie is Turkish, but subtitles will come through for you in this movie. I had heard that this movie was really good, I had many friends recommend it but warned me that I would cry so I put it off. Then, I gave in though because I had a Netflix watch party with my friend and neither of us had seen it yet so we went for it. All I can say is that you will not be disappointed, this movie restored my faith in humanity. It made me appreciate my family a little more and gave me a better understanding about what life is like for someone who is disabled. I went through different emotions with this movie, I felt mad because of the injustices that I saw unfold before my eyes and felt desperate because no one was giving the main protagonist the voice he needed. But, the ending made my rollercoaster of emotions all worth it because it was a beautiful ending and message. Spoiler alert, I did cry! I cried because I felt joy upon seeing that there are still good and pure people on this earth even if it was just a movie, but it was truly inspiring to see how kindness can go a long way. Anyways, enough of my gibberish, I definitely recommend this movie to all of you. It is better to watch with someone if you can, though because it feels good to share that joyful ending – even if it is through a watch party.,
Last but not least, I have another Latinx family show for you guys. The show, Gentefied, will make you laugh, cry, and smile because it is that good. I was unsure about giving this show a chance because I honestly did not think it would portray Latinx people in a fair way. I thought it would give you a stereotypical and prejudiced portrayal of Latinx people from Los Angeles and although it does do that a bit, it does so in a way that is accurate for the story. By this I mean that the show does include cholos and cholas but it does not necessarily show them in a stereotypical way, such as dealing drugs or in shootings. Anyways, I finished this show in two days because it was very entertaining. Again, like with One Day At A Time, I felt joy at seeing my identities (Mexican, female,first-generation,etc.) being included in a show. I will say that I could relate to this show more than One Day At A Time because this show revolves around Mexican culture. The show does a great job at showing what it is like to be a Latinx family in Los Angeles. More specifically, it shows what a Latinx family goes through when dealing with immigration issues, economic instability, acceptance, and so much more. It shows what low-income and ethnic communities go through, and how they fight as well as support each other from wealthy people who want to leave them homeless. This is a great show that I recommend you give a try, it gives a better insight into how real and current issues affect the lives of everyday people.
I guess this whole social distancing thing has given us the chance to watch shows/movies that we might not typically watch or given a chance to. Again, do not feel like you have to be doing something productive while at home, you already are doing the most important thing you could do, which is to stay safe at home for as much as you can! I hope you enjoy the rollercoaster of emotions that these recommendations will bring, please stay safe!