By Clay Thompson | Reporter
Spring break is a time for rejuvenation. With the second semester of the school year almost halfway through, students are craving a much-needed break.
Luckily, spring break is here to provide this relief for students. But while many students will likely be traveling home or to other fun places to spend their week, some students — including myself — will not be able to travel and the majority of our break will be spent just sitting around.
To remedy that, I have cultivated a top-10 list of shows and films that will hopefully cure those do-nothing blues spring break can often bring. I hope people will be able to find at least one item on here to enjoy during this well-needed break from school.
10: “Palm Springs” (R): This hilarious comedy film is reminiscent of Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day,” in that there is a time loop involved. However, I was not expecting the film to give deep characterizations of the two leads, while also fully committing to the time loop plot with no discernible logical faults. The film presents a deeply humorous yet moving story about two lonely people finding meaning in the madness of life — even if it is just the same day over and over.
Where to watch “Palm Springs“: Hulu
9: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (TV-MA): Here’s another hilarious comedy on the list. This is a show about a woman in the late 1950s who discovers her affinity for standup comedy and struggles to make a way for herself as a comic in a male-dominated industry. The show creates compelling characters who you just want to root for and the comedy is always on point. Season four has just been released in two-episode weekly releases, so you can binge the first three seasons and start on the fourth as it continues throughout this month.
Where to watch “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”: Amazon Prime
8: “Criminal Minds” (TV-14): While this might be a more out-there pick, “Criminal Minds“ is a CBS show that covers the journey of the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI, whose job it is to profile and apprehend serial killers. This is another fantastic, long-run show that produced great characters as well as the relationships between them. It also had some great scares, suspense and stories.
Where to watch “Criminal Minds”: TV reruns and Paramount +. Netflix has the first 12 seasons, but not the entire show.
7: “The Cabin in the Woods” (R): This film can be considered a horror film, but in actuality is a brilliant parody of the slasher genre. Combining many elements of different horror movies and poking fun at nearly all horror tropes, “The Cabin in the Woods” is a great blend of horror and comedy for those looking for something different to watch over the break.
Where to watch “The Cabin in the Woods”: Rent on Amazon Prime for $1.99
6: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (PG): This is perhaps one of the funniest films I have ever seen — no, really. The film takes the whole concept of a medieval movie, with King Arthur and all his knights of the round table and dials up the absurdity to 11, but always in a way I found humorous and charming. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is another great comedy movie if you’re looking for laughs this spring break.
Where to watch “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”: Netflix
5: “Invincible” (TV-MA) : Perhaps one of the greatest. most well-animated superhero shows to date, “Invincible” pushes the limit between character development and coming of age, mixed with an abundance of the superhero violence most shows try to avoid. The show takes a look at the life of a superhero and secret identity, along with the real physical, mental and social tolls that can happen. With only one season out so far and more to come, now is the perfect time to start “Invincible” before the next installment.
Where to watch “Invincible”: Amazon Prime
4: “Law and Order: SVU” (TV-14): Another great long-running crime show, similar to “Criminal Minds” but with a mixture of police and courtroom procedural drama, SVU is a show about a New York police unit specializing in solving sex-related crimes or crimes perpetrated on the young, elderly or disabled. This show doesn’t sugarcoat the issues presented to the SVU unit, but it also does a great job of treating those issues with respect and making sure those who are victimized are able to receive justice.
Where to watch “Law and Order: SVU”: Season 23 episodes are currently released weekly on NBC, TV reruns and all the seasons are currently on Hulu.
3: “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (PG-13): Now here is a movie series you can actually binge. The best fantasy movies in my humble opinion, “Lord of the Rings” takes the original books, does them poetic justice in each of the three films and does a wonderful job mixing action into an epic adventure. With plenty of elements to satisfy new and old fans of Middle-earth alike, you can’t go wrong with this trilogy of films.
Where to watch “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy”: HBO Max
2: “Harry Potter” series (PG-PG:13): Another great movie series binge, the “Harry Potter” films — whether you love them, hate them or have never seen them — are entertaining. With eight films in the main series, you definitely have time to watch them all, either for the first time or once more. It is a very whimsical yet dark story about a boy coming of age in a world of wizardry and having to face off against all kinds of evil that want him dead. “Harry Potter” is truly a magical film series that I’ll never forget, but will always recommend.
Where to watch “Harry Potter”: HBO Max
1: “Doctor Who”: Yes, “Doctor Who,” the British science fiction show has taken the top spot on my list of recommendations. While the writing for more recent seasons has been a bit iffy in my opinion, each iteration of the Doctor in its revival series has been one hit after the next. Each journey through time and space feels engaging, mysterious, scary, funny and anything in between. Also, each emphasis of the Doctor, who regularly trades to other actors based on a well-known sci-fi trope of a regeneration cycle, brings something new to the show. Whether it is David Tenant with just sheer brilliant acting, Matt Smith with his hilarious personality or Peter Capaldi with his stoic and wonderfully dramatic speeches, any viewer interested in a sci-fi show will find it is the crown jewel of the genre for modern television.
Where to watch “Doctor Who“: HBO Max or catch reruns on the BBC America channel on TV.
