When I initially sat down to write this article, my intention was to give my readers a solid list of activities to do besides sitting and watching Netflix all day. I quickly realized that’s all I am going to be doing, so it's not fair to expect more from you all. So here’s my invitation to become the couch potato you know you want to be this winter break. Ignore the people who say watching Netflix all day isn’t productive; just tell your mom you are educating yourself on pop-culture.
Disclaimer: I based these suggestions off of the content currently available on Netflix. That’s not to say that there aren’t dozens of other streaming platforms with their own collection of watch-worthy content.
Disclaimer #2: These are all personal recommendations. Netflix has a vast collection of content that can be overwhelming to navigate, so I hope to provide some relief from that stress. Don't like what I have but still can’t decide what to watch? Try the secret codes (The Telegraph).
Christmas Classics
- "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
- Warning: This is the live action version with Jim Carrey, which definitely gave me nightmares as a child. Now, the older I get, the more I relate to the Grinch.
- "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
- A Tim Burton staple -- but is it a Halloween or Christmas movie?
- "White Christmas"
- This movie is the basis to one of my favorite family holiday traditions: as we watch, we pick out the plot-holes and other inconsistencies. This tradition spans all the generations -- I grew up watching the adults yell about it, and now I do. It's a fun movie, but it's even better when you play our game.
TV Shows
All of these shows have relatively few seasons, meaning you don’t have to dedicate your entire break to finishing them. It's easier to tell your mom “one more episode” when there’s only twelve, to begin with, not twelve seasons.
- "The Good Place"
- This is one of my favorite shows. I think I like it so much because I connect with all of the characters in some way. This show makes you question the binary of good and bad, managing to be both “feel good” and self-deprecating.
- "The Great British Baking Show"
- Another one of my favorite shows. Whether you like American cooking shows or not, give this show a try. It has a mellow vibe for a competition show, which makes it so appealing to me. The contestants are ridiculously relatable and I find myself quoting them on a regular basis.
- Another one of my favorite shows. Whether you like American cooking shows or not, give this show a try. It has a mellow vibe for a competition show, which makes it so appealing to me. The contestants are ridiculously relatable and I find myself quoting them on a regular basis.
- "Riverdale"
- This show has a sense of nostalgia, from the high school drama, mixed with a feeling of uncanny. Cole Sprouse, who stars in the show, said the show is “dreamlike” and exists in a “twilight zone between the modern and the nostalgic ‘golden age’ [A]merica.” (Reddit)
- "Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries"
- This show stars an actually strong female lead. I feel like so many shows promise this, and never deliver. Its conservative without being boring and the romance is present without driving the plot. If you like period-piece murder mysteries, this is definitely the show for you. Yet don’t let the genre turn you away -- it has a little something for everyone.
Movies
- "Dead Poets Society"
- This is that movie that every time I watch it, I get that airy feeling in my gut. The closest emotion I can relate to that feeling of inspiration. The movie has that melancholy vibe to it that is only exacerbated by Robin Williams's death. It relates to the many struggles of high school and college students without being campy.
- "The Iron Giant"
- This movie was probably my favorite movie growing up. This favoritism might have had to do with the fact that I couldn’t watch this movie whenever I wanted -- we didn’t own it on VCR for some reason. It is comical to watch now when you pay attention to all of the stuff the movie was able to get away with, considering its PG rating; but hey, it was the 90s.
- "Zodiac"
- This movie is great on multiple levels. It's a mystery-thriller, which is one of my favorite genres. It's a slow-burn at 2 hours and 37 minutes, so be prepared to dedicate a good chunk of time to it. This is definitely not a movie to watch light-heartedly; for maximum enjoyment, it needs to have your full attention. Its Rotten Tomato critics consensus sums this movie up pretty well: “A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety” (Rotten Tomatoes).
Finally, here is a (short) list of some great “kids" movies. Take this break to be a kid again.
Classics
- "Atlantis: The Lost Empire"
- "The Prince of Egypt"
- "The Little Rascals"
- "The Road to El Dorado"
New Hits
- "Kubo and the Two Strings"
- "Boss Baby"
- "Trolls"
- "Moana"
- "Finding Dory"
- "The Secret Life of Pets"
- "Beauty and the Beast" (live-action version)
- "Meet the Robinsons"
- "Bee Movie"