Compiled by Camille Rasor | Arts & Life Editor
Classes are getting busier and students all over campus are feeling the late-September burnout. Check out what the Lariat editors have been watching to help us decompress and take a break when everything gets too overwhelming.
Gilmore Girls (2000) | Selected by Madalyn Watson, Editor-in-Chief
The 2000 comedy-drama “Gilmore Girls” is near and dear to my heart. The series focuses on the mother-daughter relationship between the independent, former wild child Loreali Gilmore, her studious teenage daughter also named Loreali (Rory) and her strict, wealthy mother Emily.
The series starts out with inn manager Loreali finding out she must revisit her estranged parents to ask for a loan so her daughter can attend the private high school of her dreams. “Gilmore Girls” is a classic for all close mother and daughters that are more like best friends as well as every headstrong aspiring female journalist.
Watching “Gilmore Girls,” you grow up with the characters, like I did since I have been watching the series since I was a child. Since the story is so sweet, heartwarming, and familiar, “Gilmore Girls” is my perfect feel-good choice to watch on Netflix.
The West Wing (1999) | Selected by Matthew Soderberg, News Editor
“The West Wing” is a dream. It’s a story of bipartisan cooperation and learning to care for other people that just wouldn’t take place today and, I’m not sure it would have 20 years ago, either. It’s a seven season show you can find on Netflix, and I’d purely recommend it because it makes me yearn for a time when the country was less polarized and more cooperative. It makes me dream that someday we can go back.
Umbrella Academy (2020) | Selected by Tyler Bui, Opinion Editor
The Umbrella Academy is different from anything that I’ve ever watched before. The show combines superpowers, actions scenes and love stories that make it unpredictable. I was skeptical in the beginning, but the more I watch, the more I become intrigued in the show. There’s over 8 main characters who live such different lives, so it’s exciting to keep up with their stories and see how they all end up connecting in the end.
The Devil All the Time (2020) | Selected by DJ Ramirez, Sports Editor
“The Devil All the Time” is about the closest I’ll ever get to enjoying an almost-horror story. Based on the book by the same name by Donald Pollock, Antonio Campos brings to life a masterpiece of a Gothic psychological thriller set in mid-20th century Ohio and West Virginia.
Graphic, mature and beautifully dark, this film highlights the intersectionality of violence and religion that lurks in the underbelly of small-town America. Tom Holland is brilliant, serving as the story’s moral center. The only blemish on the film would be Robert Pattinson’s failed Tennessee accent, a slight taint on an otherwise chilling performance as an uncomfortably villainous and corrupt pastor.
The Love Witch (2016) | Selected by Madalyn Watson, Editor-in-Chief
The 2016 horror-comedy “The Love Witch” is a new underrated, feminist classic. After escaping her abusive ex-husband, Elaine uses witchcraft as a form of empowerment. Leaving a string of lovestruck men in her wake, the beautiful young woman struggles to find balance between her desires to be loved and society’s view on her femininity.
The ’60s technicolor aesthetic, campy dialogue and purposefully stilted acting dissects the differing views of feminism without condoning or condemning opposing perspectives. The film is so unique it inspired me to start my own Instagram account dedicated to movie reviews. If you want follow me, you can find me here: @madsreviewsmovies.
More movies, TV shows and YouTube videos to watch:
Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter Life Crisis (2020) | Comedy special on Netflix
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018) | Fantasy TV show on Netflix
Cobra Kai (2019) | TV drama on Netflix
The Boys (2019) | TV action/comedy on Amazon Prime
Brockmire (2017) | TV comedy on Hulu
Cita a Ciegas (2019) | Telenovela on Univision
Holes (2003) | Movie on Disney+
Wolf of Wall Street (2013) | Drama film available for rent or purchase
Frailty (2001) | Thriller available for free on YouTube
The Office (2005) | Comedy show available on Netflix
A Message From Tyler | YouTube video of a country artist speaking out against racial injustice.
Psych (2006) | Comedy TV show on Amazon Prime
New Girl (2011) | Comedy TV show on Netflix
Friends (1994) | Sitcom available for purchase
How I Met Your Mother (2005) | Sitcom available on Hulu
The A-Team (2010) | Action film available for rent or purchase
The Social Network (2010) | Drama film available on Netflix
Good Will Hunting (1997) | Drama film available for free on Tubi
Succession (2018) | Comedy-drama TV show available on HBO Max
Zodiac (2007) | Drama on Netflix
Love Island (2020) | Reality TV show on CBS
30 Rock (2006) | Sitcom on Hulu
Community (2009) | Sitcom on Netflix
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) | Comedy available for rent or purchase
John Wick (2014) | Action film available for rent or purchase
Lizzie McGuire (2001) | Sitcom on Disney+
The Platform (2019) | Thriller film on Netflix
Brooklyn 99 (2013) | Sitcom on Hulu
Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial (2018) | Comedy special on Netflix
Queer Eye (2018) | Reality TV show on Netflix
Million Dollar Beach House (2020) | Reality TV show on Netflix
On the Basis of Sex (2018) | Drama film available for rent or purchase
Stick It (2006) | Comedy film available for rent or purchase
The Legend of Korra (2012) | Animated TV show on Netflix
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019) | Docuseries on Netflix
Cosmos Laundromat (2015) | Short film on Netflix
The Wind Rises (2013) | Animated film on HBO Max
Bojack Horseman (2014) | Animated comedy on Netflix
Bob’s Burgers (2011) | Animated comedy on Hulu
The Endless (2017) | Thriller film on Netflix
Sunderland ‘Til I Die (2018) | Docuseries on Netflix
