Here’s a new quarantine activity: Every time Netflix asks if you’re still watching, click yes and don’t feel bad about yourself. Go ahead, try it!
By this point in the “stay at home” era, you’ve probably hit what runners refer to as “the brick wall.” That’s when everything starts slowing down and you don’t feel like you can continue the marathon anymore. Well, I always pretended I was sick in gym class when I had to do the mile, but I have watched a lot of television. Before this metaphor runs away from me, let me guide you through the world of unseen content.
You might be feeling like there’s nothing left to binge, but let me tell you — you’re wrong. Grab your Gatorade (or beer) and start the marathon over. Check out the greatest series and movies uncovered from the depths of the internet below.
Gravity Falls | Disney+
I’ve waited my entire time working with the Pop Insider to be able to include this in a list — thanks COVID-19! It’s like a kid-friendly version of Rick and Morty with less violence and more pet pigs.
In the animated series, twins Dipper and Mabel (Kristen Schall) move to Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend the summer at their great uncle’s tourist trap: the Mystery Shack. In the first episode, Dipper discovers a journal in the woods that outlines strange secrets of the town. Meanwhile, a group of gnomes falls in love with Mabel.
It keeps getting stranger throughout the 40 episodes, each of which lasts 30 minutes. Though originally intended for kids, the series is hilarious and captures what it means to be a great animation.
Finders Keepers | Amazon Prime
For those of you who already watched every episode of Tiger King, may I present: a guy in North Carolina who accidentally buys a guy’s foot and keeps it — a lesson on the American south.
This documentary follows the story of a man who finds the bottom portion of a leg inside of a grill he bought at an auction. When he turns it into a tourist attraction (because of course), the man who the leg originally belonged to wants it back. A small-town feud turns into a national media storm as the two start a custody battle over the limb.
It’s got all the twists and turns of Tiger King, with slightly less polygamy.
Rugrats | Hulu
When you need to clear your mind and forget everything that goes on in the South, eight seasons of Rugrats are here for you. The series is just one of many classic cartoons on Hulu right now. When you’re done reliving your childhood with Tommy and the gang, check out Animaniacs to find all the jokes you missed as a kid.
Good Girls | Netflix
Beth Boland (Christina Hendricks) is the perfect suburban mom. She bakes cupcakes for her kids’ bake sales, makes lunches every morning, and also sometimes robs grocery stores.
In this series, Beth, her sister Anne (Mae Whitman), and their friend Ruby (Retta) are fed-up with being broke, so they decide to rob a store. This brings them into a world of counterfeit money and the shady (dreamy) gangster who owns it. The first two seasons on Netflix offer a whirlwind of binge-worthy antics. Every episode leaves you wanting to immediately start the next one with its never-ending cliffhangers and clever characters.
Broadchurch | Netflix
Post-Doctor Who David Tennant and pre-Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker star in this crime drama that will make you spend an entire day binge-watching. Tennant plays a detective named Alec Hardy who arrives in a small town on the coast of the UK to help solve the murder of a young boy. Throughout the series, he works with detective Ellie Miller (Olivia Coleman), and the two often clash but create one of the best cop teams in the history of TV.
In the first of the three seasons, the small town begins cracking at its seams. Whittaker plays the mother of the murdered boy and delivers a heartbreaking performance. Each episode is full of all the twists and turns you expect from a murder mystery, but the deeply developed characters make it feel more real than any other crime show. The second and third seasons continue the masterful drama as they revolve around new crimes and the same small town trying to go back to normal.
Love Island | Hulu
For those who prefer their mysteries akin to Love is Blind, fans can check out multiple seasons of the Love Island UK or Australian series. It’s similar to Love is Blind in the fact that everyone is unfairly gorgeous, but different because the couples compete for money after they meet.
Contestants on the show join a couple (for friendship, love, or money) and the audience chooses the couples they find the most compatible, which keeps them on the island. Couples partake in games and challenges to prove their compatibility. At certain points of the show, the pairs can choose to separate or one member can leave. As you can imagine, this leads to so. much. drama.
The Gift | Netflix
I originally wanted to include Money Heist on this list, but after it became No. 4 on Netflix after its latest season, I decided it’s not necessarily “hidden” anymore. The Spanish series has been as successful as Stranger Things in Europe, and the U.S. has finally caught up. *Now* it’s time to uncover The Gift.
Taking place in Istanbul, the Turkish series follows an artist named Atiye as she tries to dig up the truth about her past. She has always drawn the same symbol and begins to question everything she’s ever known after it was found in an ancient cave, thought to be thousands of years old.
From there, Atiye enlists the help of the archeologist Erhan and the two travel Turkey’s historical sites and dive into the mysteries of a hidden world. The series has everything a great sci-fi show needs: alternate dimensions, runaway brides, mind-bending mysteries, and creepy ghost women.
The Dark | Amazon Prime
We’ve all heard the legend: A teenage girl was murdered in the woods and now her undead body haunts the area forever, killing as she roams. What we haven’t heard is that the zombie teen is growing a conscience and wants to help a boy who was kidnapped.
In The Dark, Mina finds Alex in the trunk of a car after murdering the car’s driver. Alex is blind and cannot see that Mina is undead so the two form an unlikely bond. The story follows Mina as she tries her hardest not to kill Alex, and Alex helps her discover her humanity.
It’s a traditional horror movie for when you’ve watched all the other traditional horror movies. The film doesn’t shy away from mayhem and gore but it also develops a deeper storyline without the traditional jumpscares and tropes.
Chuck | Amazon Prime
Zachary Levi stars as Chuck, a guy who works at the non-branded version of Best Buy and lives a normal, nerdy life — until he downloads all of the government’s secrets into his brain. ? Two agents from the NSA and CIA are sent to protect him (one of which is played by Adam Baldwin from Firefly) and they become a crime-fighting trio.
Chuck turns into the nerdy spy we all want to be over the course of five seasons. It’s a genuinely funny show that combines a mission of the week format with season-long story arcs.
Come for the spies, stay for the pop-culture references and relatable characters.
The Imagineering Story | Disney+
You’ve seen every Disney movie known to man by now, but there’s a chance you skipped this behind-the-scenes look at Disneyland and Disney World.
In six episodes, fans get an in-depth look at how experiences like the new Rise of the Resistance ride are brought to life by Imagineers, the people who develop rides and experiences at the parks. While there is certainly less singing than some Disney films, the documentary offers a unique escape with a rare look into the hidden workings of Disney.
