Netflix’s best quarantine movies

Avery Anderson, Arcade Editor

Naomi Smith | Staff Artist

Looking for high-quality entertainment to fill those long and lonely days in quarantine? Arcade is here to help! We’ve compiled a list of Netflix recommendations perfect for a cozy night — or month — in.

“Groundhog Day” (1993)

Has the quarantine isolation made you feel like you’re reliving the same day over and over again? Bill Murray feels your pain! Starring as jaded weatherman Phil Connors, Murray finds himself trapped in an unbreakable time loop. Forced to repeatedly relive the same day, Connors fills the void with drinking and irresponsible behavior. As the film progresses, he redirects his energy to more constructive activities, learning how to speak French and play the piano. With a brighter outlook on life, Connors is finally able to escape the loop and find love. The film deals with loneliness and redemption in a way that is very relevant to current times, inspiring you to rethink your time in quarantine.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012)

As reinstated residents of our childhood bedrooms, it is easy to feel like we’re stuck in high school again. A bittersweet homage to the teenage years, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” follows a group of misfit high school students, capturing the uncertainty and beauty of adolescence. As the characters grapple with the harsh realities of depression, first love, and isolation, you can’t help but be reminded of your own coming-of-age journey. Though our journey of self-discovery is never truly over, films like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” help us remember our younger selves and appreciate the progress we’ve made.

“Moon” (2009)

Directed by Duncan Jones, “Moon” encapsulates the feelings of entrapment and solitude characteristic of social distancing. The film follows Sam Bell, an astronaut hired as the sole operator of a lunar mining facility. Stationed alone on the surface of the moon with only a robot for company, Bell slowly descends into madness and is forced to contend with his own alienation. 

“Magnolia” (1999)

“Magnolia” is the sort of film you should dedicate an entire day to watching and dissecting. Clocking in at just over three hours long, this Paul Thomas Anderson-directed epic follows the average lives of nine interrelated characters, exploring how chance intertwines their destinies. “Magnolia” is an ambitious character study, a cinematic representation of the emotional realization that you’re just a side character in everyone else’s life story.

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