What to stream and binge-watch right now to get through the COVID-19 blues
Historians are already calling 2020 the Great Lockdown, a time that will be remembered globally for social distancing and stay-at-home directives. It’s also a time when creators saw a big spike in content consumption. According to the New York Times, web traffic to Facebook is up 27%, Netflix is up 16% and YouTube is up 15.3%.
Netflix has promised it won’t run out of content this year. Austin-based SXSW, which canceled its film festival, has partnered with Amazon Prime Video to stream a collection of films from its 2020 lineup for 10 days (dates to be determined).
With no danger of content running out soon, CKPers below give their recommendations of what to watch to be inspired and entertained.
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is a Netflix documentary focusing on the life of big game breeder Joe Exotic | Photo courtesy: Netflix
Tiger King
“I binge-watched Netflix’s Tiger King in a single weekend. This bizarre, eyebrow-raising documentary deserves all attention it’s been getting lately. It’s a mesmerizing train wreck you can’t look away from. It’s documentary storytelling at its finest, with twists and turns the entire way.”
— Meilin Hyde, Videographer
American psychological crime thriller Mindhunter is based on the namesake novel by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker | Photo courtesy: Netflix
Mindhunter
“I’ve always been fascinated by true crime, crime dramas, and thrillers. Some of my favorites are Criminal Minds, True Detective, Narcos, and Ozark. I have to watch them in broad daylight, of course, so these weekends with nowhere to go have been perfect for binging. We just finished Mindhunter, a drama set in the late 1970s that follows the creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. It’s based on actual events, and characters, and looks into the psychology of serial killers, which had never been done before. With only two seasons, you can knock it out in a weekend. The latest season of Ozark was released last week, and tha’s next on our list!”
— Julia Davis, Account Manager
Dekalog is a television drama film based on the Ten Commandments | Photo courtesy: Dekalog
Dekalog
“With Dekalog, Director Krzysztof Kieslowski anticipated our quarantine habits: "Television means solitude while cinema means community." Following characters who live in a Warsaw high-rise complex, Kieslowski’s 1988 TV serial covers an epic amount of philosophical ground over its ten installments—one hour for each commandment—and it can be binged like an addicting novel.”
— BJ Strew, Graphic Designer
Love Island UK is a reality dating show | Courtesy photo: CBS
Love Island UK
“Now is not the moment for dark, prestige dramas with complex narratives that shake our faith in contemporary society and the institutions we once trusted—there’s plenty of that on the news. No, right now is the time to watch Love Island UK. You already know the premise: attractive, bikini-clad heterosexual singles hang out in a sunny villa, paired and re-paired into “couples” in the hopes of landing on real love—or is it just a thirst for more airtime?
“Compared to a global pandemic, the drama is so silly that it’s positively refreshing. Don’t blame me when you start rooting for certain Islanders, analyzing their relationships over dinner, and following them on Instagram. There are six seasons and over 200 episodes on Hulu (start with season 6 as the contestants get more likable over time) so even if this quarantine lasts for months, you’re covered.”
— Sarah Nielsen, Deputy Creative Director
Goliath follows a down-on-his-luck lawyer looking for redemption | Photo courtesy: Amazon Studios
Goliath
“Nothing makes me happier than seeing how crafty underdogs can get to beatdown malevolent, money- and control-hungry narcissist wing nuts. Billy Bob Thornton plays a brilliant down-on-his-luck attorney with a drinking problem that finds the strength to take down society’s scumbags no matter the cost. If you loved Erin Brockovich, this Amazon Studios series will speak to you. Now if we can only get Billy McBride, the main character, to take down COVID-19 . . . that would be epic.”
— Joel Luks, Director of Brand Marketing