Bored and Quarantined: Movies & Anime to Binge While You Practice Social Isolation

Convention cancelled and you suddenly find yourself with a free weekend? Classes moved to online only and you’ve got a little extra time during the day? Or are you voluntarily practicing social isolation and doing your part to flatten the curve? Whatever the reason, we at The Geekiary have compiled a list of binge-worthy media to get you through this pandemic! Our final list: movies and anime.

Listen, going out to the movies or shopping is not being brave in the face of danger. It’s being socially irresponsible. This is probably the one chance in your lifetime to stay at home and have a movie marathon without being judged for it, so take advantage of that fact by checking out one of our many, many recommendations while you’re quarantined and bored.

MOVIES

TITLE: Cloud Atlas
RECOMMENDED BY: Corellon Johnson
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is my favorite movie without a major fandom involved. It’s a story told in six eras–and six film genres such that everyone will find something that speaks to them. But the underlying message is the best part: We each have the power to enact positive change in our lifetime and then use art (six different mediums) to inspire the next generation to achieve things we couldn’t begin to comprehend.

TITLE: Paddington and Paddington 2
RECOMMENDED BY: Em Rowntree
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This pair of movies is nourishment for the soul, so sweet and nutritious it might as well be spiritual marmalade. The movies are light and easy to watch, with some masterful character work and so many moments that are filled with little delights. Everything feels rich and thought-through. And with things in the outside world being as they are, it’s nice to be able to sink into a universe where it feels possible that a very polite bear with a very serious stare could go through the world making everything just a little bit more right, just by being who he is.

TITLE: Star Wars
RECOMMENDED BY: Angel
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: If you have made it this far and haven’t watched Star Wars, what the HECK? If you genuinely have no interest in the franchise, fine, but if you haven’t watched it due to a lack of time needed to watch it all, OH BOY DO I HAVE GOOD NEWS for you! You are now stuck at home and have the almost 23-hours needed to watch every single Star Wars film. And some extra good news! The Rise of Skywalker just dropped early! Might I suggest you go with the Machete Order to get the ball rolling on this? And then once you’ve caught up on the main films with this suggested watch order, you can watch the extras like Rogue One and Solo after in any order that you please.

TITLE: Lord of The Rings Trilogy – Extended Editions
RECOMMENDED BY: Tara
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: Uhhh…12-ish hours of LOTR? I’ve held marathons of this even when there isn’t a quarantine situation. If you’ve never watched the extended editions, I can’t tell you how much you’re missing out. If you have…when was the last time you did so? There are some low lows in this trilogy (in terms of how bad things get for our beloved characters), but my god, the triumphant moments make it all worth it. Have you lived for Gandalf appearing at Helm’s Deep at dawn on the fifth day? Have you seen Aragorn lop off the head of the Mouth of Sauron? Even if the answer to both of those questions is yes, why wouldn’t you want to see it all again?

TITLE: Hot Fuzz
RECOMMENDED BY: Em Rowntree
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: There’s no such thing as a bad time to watch or indeed rewatch Hot Fuzz. The acting, the plot, the humor, the incredible cinematography, the homoromantic love between the two main characters that’s so almost canon that the movie’s music ships it as much as I do – everything about Hot Fuzz is a masterclass in how to make a movie. Except Nick and Danny should’ve at least held hands.

TITLE: Harry Potter
RECOMMENDED BY: Jamie
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: You’d be hard-pressed to find a non-Potterhead among those of us at The Geekiary. Harry Potter was my first huge, obsessive fandom in the time of message boards and my first real introduction to fanfiction as a concept, so I always hold a special place in my heart for it. Divorce yourself from JKR and settle down with the eight movies that defined a generation and then stop there before you hate your life.

TITLE: Peter Pan (2003)
RECOMMENDED BY: Em Rowntree
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: With the Disney live-action version of Peter Pan having just announced its two lead actors, it seems like a great time to go back to the Universal Pictures version of Peter Pan from 2003. An underrated classic, this movie features a properly impish Peter and a Wendy who’s brave and clever – the movie also cast a Native American Princess as a fierce Tiger Lily, and Jason Isaacs is a suitably dastardly Captain Hook.

ANIME

TITLE: Boku no Hero Academia
RECOMMENDED BY: Angel
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is one of the most popular anime series of our time and the fandom is huge, diverse, and has hidden pockets that appeals to almost everyone (shout out to my EraserMight shippers!). With almost 80 episodes (as of yet) and hundreds of manga chapters available, it’ll occupy you for a really long time. Then you add in the fandom engagement and, well, your entire quarantine will end up entirely BNHA themed. Join us! Let’s wait this out together.

TITLE: Haikyuu
RECOMMENDED BY: Jamie
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: I’m sorry, am I not going to recommend my favorite anime again? I push this as often as I have the chance! Even those who aren’t a fan of volleyball can’t help but fall in love with plucky, determined Hinata and his goal to be the best volleyball player in Japan. The characters and relationships are solid, the music is great, and pay attention to the background conversations for some of the best humor on the show.

TITLE: Mo Dao Zu Shi
RECOMMENDED BY: Angel
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is technically a donghua and, yes, I have recommended it before, so now is the time for me to push it on you one more time. It’s got an incredible plot, amazing art, rich mythology, and it’s hella gay!

TITLE: Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
RECOMMENDED BY: Jamie
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is a slice-of-life anime featuring adult nerds being adults and doing adult things…but also being huge nerds. It follows two couples who are coworkers and do things like have drinks after dinner, but also go to conventions and theme parks. They cosplay together, they game together, and they’re in general just really, really cute together. With just 11 episodes, it’s easy to binge.

TITLE: Given
RECOMMENDED BY: Angel
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is an emotionally driven, often funny, heartwarming BL series about a rock band that will calm your soul in these trying times. I cried many times during the series, which might not sound like the best thing when you’re trapped at home under quarantine, but trust me – it’s a good kind of emotional journey. Sometimes it’s cathartic to cry and this strikes that perfect emotional note.

TITLE: Polar Bear’s Cafe
RECOMMENDED BY: Tara
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: I’ve recommended this before, and can’t recommend it enough. And right now? It’s just the totally random, slice-of-life, feel-good anime you need. As I stated in my original rec, the humor is often deadpan, full of puns, and involves the show poking fun of itself. On top of that…it’s a show about sentient animals who live and work alongside humans. My only complaint? I wish there was more of it.

TITLE: Devilman Crybaby 
RECOMMENDED BY: Angel
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This is NOT a feel-good anime. In fact, it’s incredibly depressing. It feels like a punch to the gut. So why the heck am I recommending it? Despite the absolutely devastating sensation it leaves you with, it’s still very much a quality distraction you can sit down and watch all in one sitting. Additionally, there’s a great deal of fix-it-fic out there to help you turn that heartbreaking feeling into a strangely heartwarming alternative.

TITLE: Fruits Basket 2019
RECOMMENDED BY: Jamie
WHY I’M RECOMMENDING IT: This series is a classic, even though this version is recent, and it’s this one, in particular, that got me into the story. Though it starts out light-hearted, I must warn you that it gets pretty dark, but it’s just SO GOOD. It’s like a deep dive into people’s souls and the bonds of human connection. I couldn’t stand the wait for the next episodes and binged the manga in between. Season 2 drops in a few weeks, so you have plenty of time to catch up.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary