Not sure how to procrastinate for your finals? At a loss for what movie you should watch during your next Netflix and chill session? Dreading the long, boring days of winter break after all of your at-home friends on the quarter system have gone back to school? Experiencing post-TV show sadness? We at the Clog have your back.
We know how rough it is to pick out what to watch on Netflix — so many titles, so little time. We sat down with the list of new December releases (along with some old-but-good Netflix titles), did some hardcore research (Read: We watched a lot of Netflix) and put together a quick guide for our fellow UC Berkeley students. So grab a bucket of popcorn, some soda and get ready to marathon every title mentioned below.
For the holiday lover:
If you’re one of those people who begin anxiously counting down the days until Christmas in June, Netflix in December has a few seasonal films that capture the holiday spirit. “Love Actually,” the all-star British film that revolves around the intersecting lives of about a dozen different characters, returned to Netflix earlier this year. If Netflix follows its previous patterns, this rom-com extraordinaire will be gone within the first week of January, so watch it while you can. It’s got romance, friendship, adventure, a random musical number and it all takes place during the holiday season.
If you’ve seen “Love Actually” a few too many times, you could also check out “A Very Murray Christmas.” This holiday special features Miley Cyrus, Amy Poehler, George Clooney and of course, Bill Murray, among others. It’s brand new on Netflix as of Dec. 4 and is guaranteed to be both hilarious and festive.
For the serial series watcher:
If you await the days until the 20 or more series you follow have a new season premiere or a new season on Netflix, you’re in luck. The second season of popular show “Broadchurch” was uploaded Dec. 1. If you don’t already watch the show, now is the perfect time to start. It’s a British crime drama starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman with an 86 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Still looking for more series to get into? A new Marvel drama was produced by Netflix, and all the episodes for Season 1 premiered on Netflix on Nov. 20. It’s called “Jessica Jones,” and it’s not your typical Marvel show. It’s darker and more intense than “Agents of Shield” or any of the Avengers films. A huge perk, at least to us, is the fact that the two of the main characters are butt-kicking, three-dimensional females. It also stars David Tennant, as well as Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss and Mike Colter. It’s already being touted as the best show of 2015, a praise that we at the Clog support wholeheartedly.
For the thrill junkie:
First of all, check out the serial series watcher section above, as both of those TV shows are thriller/crime based. But Netflix is also trying its hand at a true-crime/documentary TV series with a 10 part series called “Making a Murderer.” Keep an eye out for this show, which will be released Dec. 18.
More of a movie person? “The Da Vinci Code” will be available on Netflix on Dec. 14. If you enjoy car chases, museum break-ins, shooting scenes, vague blasphemy and movies that manipulate history, check this one out. While you’re at it, you might as well watch “National Treasure,” too.
For the pop culture fanatic:
Could you recite the Top 40 hits without Googling it right now? Do you know which movies are most likely to get Oscar nominations? Did you follow Fashion Week? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then it’s a good month for you.
On Dec. 1, Netflix released a movie called “A Genius Leaves the Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z.” This documentary chronicles the 99 or more problems that Jay Z faced on his rise to the top and the sacrifices he had to make.
Once you’ve watched that, “Fresh Dressed” comes to Netflix on Dec. 16. This historical documentary follows the development of urban fashion and hip-hop. It has an 88 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s pretty much bound to be interesting.
For the comedian:
If you basically only go to the movies when Will Ferrell is on the poster and prefer your rom-coms without the romance part, you should be happy with one of Netflix’s latest releases. One of Adam Sandler’s latest films, “The Ridiculous 6,” premiered on Netflix on Dec. 11. This American Western comedy features famous names like Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi and Luke Wilson. It’s the first in a four movie deal that Sandler has with Netflix.
If you prefer TV shows like “Family Guy” or “the Simpsons” over comedic movies, a new TV show that follows a similar format debuts Dec. 18. It’s an animated cartoon called “F is for Family,” and it takes place in the 1970s. “F” is created by Bill Burr and Michael Price, and it is loosely based on Bill Burr’s own childhood. Warning: It’s advertised as being set in a “time before political correctness,” so be prepared for some offensive jokes.
