Catching up on the best of Netflix
If you’re stuck in quarantine or you’re practicing social distancing, the inevitable boredom has probably started creeping in. But look on the bright side – now is the perfect time to explore the vast reaches of Netflix that you’ve never had the time for before!
When you’re done cycling through the same old comfort shows you love to bingewatch (because we all know those definitely take priority), here are a few that you may have missed out on.
Hotel Del Luna
Like Academy Award winning director Bong Joon Ho said: Once you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films. The world of South Korean Dramas in particular is full of captivating stories, and Hotel Del Luna is one of the best.
Jang Man-Wol (played by IU) is cursed to manage a resting place called Hotel Del Luna, which happens to be in-between the living world and the afterlife for ghosts. Ku Chang Sung (played Yeo Jin-Goo) is a human who is coerced into being the manager of this hotel. Watch their adventures with restless souls, vengeful ghosts, moving on from the past and finding love in Hotel Del Luna.
Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)
It’s the Spanish heist drama that’s taken the world by storm. A team of thieves and misfits, all led and recruited by the elusive ‘Professor’, concoct a plan to rob the Royal Mint in Spain.
Money Heist has it all: Identities given in the form of cities, detectives who are determined to catch these criminals and cliffhangers that will immediately get you playing the next episode. If you think heists are easy to pull off, watching this TV series is going to show you how much planning, timing and loyalty plays into executing grand robbery. Season 4 is due to be released this April 3 – just in time to binge and catch up!
Stand-up Comedy Specials
With all the rough news we’re getting every minute, we could all use a laugh these days. Netflix boasts a pretty hefty collection of Netflix-exclusive comedy specials, that you’ve no doubt seen clips and memes of all over the internet. Find all your favourite comedians and more on their dedicated Stand-up and Sketch Comedy section.
Our recommended picks include Hasan Minhaj’s ‘Homecoming King’ for a humourous yet touching look at the quintessential brown experience, the master of impressions Trevor Noah with his two stand-up specials ‘Afraid of the Dark’ and ‘Son of Patricia’ and the ever-funny John Mulaney’s many shows, including stand-up specials ‘Kid Gorgeous at Radio City’ and ‘The Comeback Kid’
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Based on the best selling book series by Lemony Snicket, the series follows the tragic tale of three orphans — Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire — who are investigating their parents’ mysterious death. The siblings go from guardian to guardian, pursued by the evil Count Olaf (played by Neil Patrick Harris), who uses every trick in the book and a multitude of disguises to get his hands on the Baudelaires’ inheritance. It’s a hilarious game of cat and mouse as Violet, Klaus, and Sunny work together to foil his plans. Like they tell you at the start, it isn’t a happy story. But it’s a good one.
The Untamed
While Western media chases their tails with adaptations and the same old blockbuster franchises, Asia is making leaps and bounds with complex original storytelling. This Chinese drama gained legions of fans throughout its 50 episode run, and is a definite must-watch.
Based on the fantasy web novel Mo Dao Zu Shi (translated as Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, The Untamed follows Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) and Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo) as “cultivators”, with supernatural powers from different worlds who are forced to work together to protect the peace in their worlds. The two fight villains, solve a series of murders, and uncover a dark mystery. The complex yet compelling storylines and epic bond between the two main characters alone is worth your time.
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
If the social isolation has already gotten to you, chances are you’ve gotten to the spring cleaning stage. Or maybe you haven’t yet. Either way, tidying expert Marie Kondo is here to help you maximise your space even further with the tried-and-true KonMari Method. In this series, Marie helps different people declutter their homes and their lives while only keeping what “sparks joy”
From helping a stressed-out couple with young children become more organized to showing a retired couple how to reclaim their space, Marie’s inspiring home makeovers are sure to at least get you thinking about transforming your own space.
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Thinking of taking up cooking at home? Then you need to get your basics right, and this show is sure to help with that. Based on her James Beard Award-winning book of the same name, this 4-part Netflix special follows chef and food writer Samin Nosrat’s travels around the world as she works to demystify the foundational principles of what makes food delicious. With her unbridled passion and humour, Samin explores the four central elements of salt, fat, acid and heat and how people can easily incorporate the elements into every dish they make.
Aggretsuko
If working from home is not working for you, maybe a reminder of what office life is like will motivate you to stick it out! This cartoon for adults follows the corporate life of Retsuko, a socially awkward accountant (who happens to be a red panda) as she deals with her annoying co-workers by chugging beer and singing death metal at a karaoke bar. Don’t let the cute animal character design fool you, this hilariously cynical show is pretty relatable.
Dirty Money
From the shady empire of notorious druglords to the shady empire of Donald Trump, this investigative documentary series details the stories of corporate corruption, securities fraud and creative accounting, including interviews with key figures. Learn the truth about major stories like the Volkswagen emissions scandal or the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heists, and uncover the backgrounds of notorious figures like Jared Kushner and past Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak.
Formula 1: Drive To Survive
This one is a must-watch for all F1 and racing fans. This docuseries gives viewers unprecedented access into the high-octane world of Formula 1 racing, including exclusive, intimate interviews with the drivers, managers and team owners. Exploring everything from what happens when a team undergoes an ownership change to the pressure felt to outperform other drivers, Drive To Survive is all about the heart, soul and direction of the multibillion-dollar racing competition that is internationally beloved.