Welcome to the era of social distancing – where our weekly case of the Sunday Scaries are kicked off by the sight of our ever-increasing screen time report. We’re relying much heavier on our technology to get by. Our devices are keeping us connected – and most of, keeping us (as) sane (as possible). Gone are the days of “going to the gym”, “taking the kids to practice”, or “heading into the office”. Frankly speaking, our world’s been flipped on its head! It’s not hard to notice that yes – our screen time is going to be considerably higher than before the Great Pandemic of 2020. But that’s not to say we’re not enjoying a little extra downtime to catch up on some much-needed binge-watching!

Each of our team members contributed to this post; each sharing their respective binge-worthy shows while the country spends the rest of the month on quarantine. Of course – we’ve all watched a certain series following certain Tiger Royalty with lots of spoilers and cliff hangers, so we’ll let you know now this list DOES NOT contain Tiger King!

Mike McDonough – 1917

“Okay – so it’s not a TV show, but it’s so good you could watch it over and over again.” At least, that’s what Mike wants us to believe! Sam Mendes – the Director behind the “single-take” movie takes the audience on a journey that relies on his stellar storytelling. His viewers’ emotions are thrust into play while the camera tracks every movement of two British soldiers during World War I as they receive orders sending them on a mission that will directly affect the outcome of the war for thousands of men. “From a production and storytelling standpoint, this is a movie I highly recommend.” – Mike McDonough

Mike Neilan – Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm – an HBO series – aired on October 15th, 2000 and Larry David has been spinning gold out of it ever since! With 10 seasons of content, this is certainly bound to have you entertained for days! Wearing many hats, producer Larry David, plays – well, you guessed it – Larry David, a candid, slightly neurotic yet hilarious television producer.

“I think we can all relate to Larry David every once in a while. It’s the kind of humor that comes from organic life situations and is sure to get you laughing. I also like it because there’s several seasons so I know I can be entertained for a while and the episodes are short.” – Mike Neilan

Mike Braga – Dolemite is My Name

Dolemite is a fantastic movie that stands alone as it follows Rudy Moore – a struggling artist trying to get his music onto the radio waves. After finding little success, Rudy tries a series of ways to make his voice heard starting with his name. Rudy develops a stage name – Dolemite – and begins doing stand-up acts at a local comedy club. After finding success in recording his acts and selling the records, he gains promotion with a record company and goes on tour. This film follows the path of Dolemite (played by Eddie Murphy) as he works his way from struggling artist to revolutionary by adapting an overcoming the obstacles in his way.

“This movie is inspiring because when Moore wasn’t able to find success in music on the radio he found a way to eventually get into the radio and have a successful filmmaking, and acting career. It just proves that no matter what, you can reinvent yourself in little ways to get yourself in the position you sought after originally.” – Mike Braga

Max McVay – Money Heist ( La Casa de Papel)

I’m currently hostage to this streaming sensation sweeping the nation. I like to describe it as “Now You See Me” meets “Oceans 11”. Ranked number 6 on Netflix currently, this action-packed series follows a group of criminal masterminds – each with their own specific set of skills – as they break into the Royal Mint of Spain with plans to print and steal millions of unmarked Euros.

Creator Alex Pina dismantles the “thug” stigma associated with heist shows where the thieves are bullish robbers with no regard to casualties. This show’s different. They’re thieves that care; providing food, water, sleeping bags, and even a pharmacy to their hostages. Emotions and tensions rise among the thieves and hostages as the show moves along, but I’ll stop here to avoid any spoilers!

The rights to this 2017 smash hit Spanish-production were purchase by streaming giant Netflix and has recently gained relevance among American viewers even though the show is dubbed over. “Pina puts his viewers on an emotional see-saw balancing between the lives of the hostages inside, the authorities outside, and the Professor – the genius puppeteer behind the whole heist. “It’s a very well-thought-out production and certainly worth a quarantined binge session!” – Max McVay

We sincerely hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during these tough times. Though only temporary and life will – one day – return to normal, we’re in unprecedented, and frankly scary times. Sometimes sitting down in front of a TV show or movie can help to take your mind off the current situation.

What are some of your favorite shows to binge watch? Let us know in the comments!

— The Focus Forward Team