If you've been self isolating from home this month. Whoever thought they'd be saying something like that?! You've probably been watching a lot more TV and movies than usual. And so have I. If you are wondering what to watch during lockdown, be sure to keep reading. Or even check out some of my previous What I've Been Watching blog posts.
I thought that I would split this month's post into three separate categories, to hopefully give you some easy to digest recommendations. So here's what to watch during lockdown;
Comedy
Booksmart
First up we've got what is easily the best movie that I have seen in years; Booksmart. I'd heard good things about it. So when I saw that it had been added to Amazon Prime Video here in the UK, I quickly pressed play.
Even though I finished high school ten years ago, it was so so relatable. And it's a movie that I wish had been around when I was sixteen or seventeen! As someone who actually enjoyed high school and cared about schoolwork, I could see myself in the two main characters.
Admittedly, it does share a lot of similarities with other coming of age comedies, primarily Superbad. But it has a fresh take on it. Booksmart has heart, made me laugh and the two main characters are brilliant. I seriously urge you to watch this ASAP!
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Parks & Recreation
If you were to ask me what my favourite TV show of all time was it would have to be a three way tie. There's Sex and the City and Friends, both of which I seem to watch on almost constant loop. But if I had to pick just one to watch, it would have to be Parks & Rec! Seriously, there is not a single episode that doesn't make me smile, laugh or just generally feel good. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw that the new Sky Comedy channel was airing a few episodes every afternoon. You can also watch any episode you like from the seven seasons via Sky boxsets.
If you've never seen Parks & Recreation, it focuses on the parks and recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana. Which, admittedly, does not sound like it's going to be the funniest of setups but trust me, it is. It stars Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt (before he got really famous), Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari and more. Some of the guest stars are truly unbelievable. I'm talking Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg, Kristin Bell, Justin Theroux and even Michelle Obama. And if you're already a fan of Brooklyn 99 or the American Office, you will no doubt love Parks & Recreation as well. If you don't have Sky, Parks & Rec is also available on Amazon Prime Video here in the UK.
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True Crime
Murder 24/7
I just so happened to be flicking through the channels one night when I saw this was about to start on BBC One. It follows the entire team of individuals involved in a murder investigation. From detectives to blood spatter experts, dog handlers, phone analysts and many more, we see the Essex police work together from beginning to end to solve a crime.
Over the five episodes three murders are examined. These range from a stabbing in a flat to the murder of an elderly woman in a care home to the murder and attempted murder of two homeless men. We're so used to seeing murders solved on shows like CSI and other crime procedural shows, that to see what really happens, behind the scenes, was incredibly interesting. You should be able to get this on BBC iPlayer if you missed it. And it is well worth a watch.
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The Confession Killer
Like most of Netflix's true crime docs, this is truly unbelievable. So much so that if they made it into a movie you would scoff at how crazy it is. If you've not seen the trailers on Netflix already, this documentary centres around Henry Lee Lucas, a man who admits to hundreds of murders. But it's not quite as simple as you'd think.
It highlights the many faults in the justice system, specifically in the USA and how little whether someone is really innocent or guilty matters in the grand scheme of things. There are so many twists and turns, as I alluded to above. And I'd love to know how many times your mind is blown throughout the five episodes, as I often had to pause just to digest what had happened. That being said, it's not my favourite Netflix true crime doc, that I've seen so far. But it's still worth watching at some point.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Movies
All The Bright Places
Having not read the book of the same name, I wasn't exactly sure what I would be getting with All The Bright Things. But it looked to be along the same lines of many recent young adult books turned into Netflix movies, so I gave it a go. However, for me, it was just okay.
I'm not sure what the characters are like in the book (I read through a few reviews after watching the movie). But neither were developed enough for me. And for that reason, I wasn't really invested in their stories, like I could have been. At times I found Elle Fanning's acting to be quite wooden. And when it ended, I didn't feel like it had been resolved properly. It also treads a bizarre line in regards to suicide, feeling like it almost glamourised it to an extent. This again meant that neither character's brushes with suicide had the effect that they should have had on me. It just felt like such a forgettable movie.
I'm also officially old, now that some of my previous rom com crushes such as Luke Wilson (who played Emmett in Legally Blonde) and John Corbett (who played Aidan in Sex and the City) are playing the dads in these Netflix teen movies!
⭐⭐⭐
The Curse Of La Llorona
Having seen all of the other movies in The Conjuring universe, it was only going to be a matter of time until I saw the latest installment; The Curse Of La Llorona. And despite hearing rather negative reviews, I decided to give it a try when it premiered on Sky Cinema.
You don't need to have seen any of the previous movies in the franchise to understand or even enjoy this movie. But there are a few nods to the Annabelle films for example, in this one. Based on the folklore of a weeping woman who kills children, I was surprisingly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Yes, there are a fair few jump scares but the acting is decent and they are some pretty creepy and well thought out scenes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
So those are just a few of my picks for what to watch during lockdown.
What have you been watching this month? Have you seen any of the TV shows or movies that I featured in today’s post? And do you have any recommendations?
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