“And during the difficult times like this, when the world is going through crises, each of us will turn towards art”; famous Bollywood writer and director Zoya Akhtar shared her thoughts about how movies, shows, and series have not only become a source of entertainment, but also a medium of sanity for people during this lockdown that does not seem to end anytime soon.
Even though most of us are annoyed about being locked inside our houses, we are low key enjoying the abundance of time that we have for the most universal guilty pleasures – BINGE WATCHING!
We must, however, be mindful of the kind of content we are indulging in. Scouting through many streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Apple TV, Voot, and more, here are our top 10 binge-worthy series that will keep you delighted, thrilled, intrigued, and engaged for good in this lockdown.
- F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Starting from Gen X to millennials, FRIENDS is one and the only show in the history of entertainment that has been loved by everyone. Ten seasons, six friends, one coffee shop, twisted life stories, and lots of humor will make you feel all kinds of emotions at once. Netflix has finally started streaming FRIENDS and we are guilty as charged of watching it a 50th time again.
Start from the first season if you have watched it for some laughter doses in life and come out of the rock you are living under if you still haven’t heard of FRIENDS.
- MONEY HEIST
The much-awaited season 4 of the Spanish show La Casa De Papel or popularly known as Money Heist just came out on Netflix. The audience all over the world went crazy and how! The show revolves around eight thieves, who decide to pull off the biggest heist in the history of Spain and find themselves stuck in the series of events that change their lives forever. Money Heist will keep the viewers on their toes throughout the show with the brilliant writing, amazing plotline, and the true essence of the characters.
The 4th season ended on an interesting note, leaving the spectators waiting desperately for the next one.
- THIS IS US
The American family drama is a heartwarming story about a set of triplets that will hit all the right chords of emotions. The directors and writers have outdone themselves with each season in showcasing the intricacies and little details about the struggles of an ordinary family.
Every episode of This is Us will leave you teary-eyed and the need to hug your closed ones almost immediately. A total of 4 seasons and 20 episodes are streaming on Hotstar and is perfect to binge-watch with your entire family.
- FOUR MORE SHOTS PLEASE
With a female-dominated cast as well as the crew, Four More Shots Please is back on Amazon Prime after a successful first season last year. The show revolves around four young and progressive women who are struggling to find their mark, balance, and direction in this chaotic modern life. The show deals with issues like LGBTQ, gender discrimination at work, body shaming, and single parenting in a very nonchalant way.
Even if you are not able to relate to the storyline, the rock-solid friendship between the characters and their classified wardrobes will keep you hooked for hours!
- STRANGER THINGS
If you are into supernatural, sci-fi, horror, drama, thriller, and a bit of romance, Stranger Things is a perfect match for you. This Netflix series is set in 1983 and includes a group of young nerdy school kids, a girl with psycho-kinetic abilities, an alternate dimension, and all things interesting yet strange. As you will go by three-seasons, you will watch the kids grow up, new relationships blooming and the war with the upside-down monster getting intense.
The Duffer Brothers have created a masterpiece content that will leave you stunned one moment and weeping in another.
- ASUR
Arshad Warsi starer crime thriller Asur is an unconventional Hindi web series that revolves around the brilliant blend of Indian mythology, forensic science, and crime thriller. The series of mysterious killings force the CBI to pull all their resources in finding the killer, his motive, and the final payback. The first season has attracted a lot of eyeballs with the intelligent story plot, no-nonsense writing, and most importantly the heart-wrenching end (NO SPOILERS HERE).
Series like Asur proves that content is the king when it comes to the digital world of entertainment today.
- SPECIAL OPS
Special Ops is a Hotstar Hindi original series that has made rounds for its nail-biting suspense and thrilling scenes. The marvelous acting of K.K. Menon will make you binge-watch the series and finish all the episodes at one go.
The direction is a perfect balance of a well-written script, brilliantly crafted storyline, and flawless execution of the punch lines from time to time.
- BIG LITTLE LIES
With some of the biggest female names in Hollywood like Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley; Big Little Lies showcases a mix of murder mystery, family drama, and struggles of motherhood in the most creative way possible. The two seasons have come out on Hotstar and with the strong plotline, outstanding cast, and beautiful cinematography, it will keep you hooked for hours altogether.
The sensitive issues related to rape, domestic violence, bullying, child depression, and more are highlighted in the show in a very relatable and subtle way while keeping the plot interesting throughout.
- FLEABAG
Winner of multiple Emmy’s and Golden Globes awards, Fleabag is a one of a kind tragicomedy show on Hotstar that needs to be binge-watched right about now. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays the protagonist, who also created and wrote the show. The show revolves around a troubled girl who is funny, angry, sexually charged, confused, and depressed. The usage of internal monologue, the rule of thirds, and just the humor timing will leave you to appreciate its stellar writing time and again.
You will find yourself empathizing with Phoebe in the first season and cheering for her twisted yet logical ways of life in the second.
- THE CROWN
If you are a sucker for all things royal, historic, classic, and politics, The Crown must be on the top of your Netflix original watch list. Based on the life of Queen Elizabeth ll, the series glorifies the life of a young 25-year-old girl passed on with the power of one of the world’s leading monarchy and her journey of transformation from an ordinary girl to a powerful leader.
The drama includes all the political façade, the realms of her love life, and the stories of a revolutionary era.
The documentation of the series has been done meticulously by Phillipa Lowthorpe who paid attention to enact the story with every little detail. These were some of our top 10 hero shows that are worth your time during this lockdown. These shows are purely based on the quality of content, storyline, world-wide popularity, direction, strong characters, and a tad bit of personal preference. Let us know about more binge-worthy shows for us to add to our list considering we all are in this together!
Stay entertained, Stay home, and Stay safe!
Top Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
Web series posters by IMDB.com
