Great Films and Shows to Watch During Quarantine

By Rayyan Ahmad

With social distance keeping many of us at home, many find it difficult to occupy these long periods of time with interesting and fun activities to do. Fortunately, with data published in March 2019 by the consulting firm Deloitte, it was found that 69% of consumers pay for some type of internet video streaming service, while only 65% of consumers pay for cable or satellite subscriptions. With these streaming services, watching movies and shows has never been easier. ​
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However, there are some issues with watching movies and shows online. “I have Netflix and do like watching movies on it, but sometimes I just can’t find the right movie to watch,” says Chris Heller, Junior at Glenelg High School. While many people do face this predicament of finding interesting shows and movies to watch, this quarantine could be seen as a great time to watch iconic movies and shows that will guarantee a good time.

​A very well known TV show and one that has been on television since the late 1900s is The Simpsons. With all 31 seasons of this show available on Disney Plus, The Simpsons is an animated comedy that follows the adventures of Homer, a nuclear-plant employee, and his wacky family including his troublemaker son, Bart, and his overachieving daughter, Lisa in their town of Springfield. The creator Matt Groening and his animators conceived The Simpsons and the town of Springfield as a source of intriguing characters and references about American families, institutions, and values. “The Simpsons is my go-to show when I just want to relax and have a good laugh as it pokes fun at some traditions that we have in the American culture,” says GHS Junior, Pierce Pusheck. This show is also available with a Hulu subscription and for free on Fox Now (with ads) and was nominated for Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series in 2020.

Another amazing movie comes in the form of Avatar (2009). This movie takes place in the lush alien world of Pandora that is filled with bountiful resources for human beings to exploit. But there also lives the Na'vi, alien beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars are created, to link human minds into Na’vi bodies to allow for free movement on Pandora without causing death. On Pandora, a paralyzed Marine is able to walk again with his Avatar and gets stuck in the middle of a battle between man and alien. “I remember first watching this movie in theater in early 2010” says Dominic Patsy, “It was just such a cool concept of having humans finding life on other planets and using their vast technology to take resources from that planet, sparking a feud with its native peoples.”  This movie is also available on Disney Plus, but can be rented on Vudu and Amazon Prime Video.

Parks and Recreation also falls into the well-known category as Greg Daniels and Michael Schur’s follow-up to the U.S. version of “The Office”, as a mockumentary-style TV show that shows the day to day in a local government. It soon established itself as “charming and funny in its own right and in its own way”  from the Cones of Dunshire to the Mulligan Steakhouse, this small-town ensemble comedy was powered by the quirks till its very end in 2015. By the end of the show's seven seasons, Pawnee, Indiana was placed on several maps as an homage to the hometown of Leslie Knope. “Parks and Rec will stay as one of my favorite TV shows for a very long time, with the sheer ridiculousness and overall crazy humor that is present in every single episode in all seven seasons of the show, finally ending with an amazing and heartfelt finale,” says Chris Borkowski, a Junior at Glenelg. This show is available on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu. Also as a result of the CO-VID 19 pandemic that had been dangerously affecting the world, the cast of Parks and Rec. came together in an online setting to create their first special episode to raise money for Feeding America, a nonprofit organization focused on helping those who face hunger in the country.
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From animated series to space travel, and mockumentaries there are many great things to watch online and on TV. These shows vary from comedy to action and adventure and ensure a great time at home with family or alone. These shows can also be a great way to spend time at home while facing self-quarantine while following the rules of social distancing to avoid the spread of any dangerous infection.