It’s 2020. Everybody needs cheering up. Some people drink, others overeat, and still others enjoy some shows or movies that make them feel good. Today, the subject of conversation will be the 3rd of those options (not that the first two are being actively discouraged, granted). Nothing can take the place of seeing friends and family during the holidays, of course, but everyone making that sacrifice this year needs a little something to make them smile.
Just like a good comfort food, there’s always a good chunk of media that can be just as satisfying. For those struggling to find something along those lines, here are some suggestions.
Even the worst year can have a few bright spots. But even if those bright spots don’t come close to eclipsing the blinding sickly greenish orange glow of unending misery, they can still provide for a brief respite. Bill & Ted Face the Music may be the perfect film for 2020. As a throwback to a simpler time for movies, it revels in the low-stakes-but-high-reward structure seen in some of the most enjoyable films from the 80s and 90s.
The film continues the fantastical adventure idea from its predecessors, and improves on it by adding Bill and Ted‘s daughters to the mix on a journey of their own. Naturally, there are plenty of throwbacks to the other two movies, but Face the Music easily stands on its own merits and never makes the audience feel uncomfortable. Even with the most “dramatic” (the term is being used loosely) moments of the story, everything is portrayed in a way that keeps the viewer hopeful. That’s the mark of a true comfort movie. (Just make sure to see the first two films first, as they are also completely worth the watch.)
Bill & Ted Face the Music is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Here’s one that many probably don’t know exist, which is a complete and utter tragedy. This precursor to the much more popular Naked Gun movie series, Police Squad! is only 6 episodes long and was canceled for being too clever. That’s not even an exaggeration. ABC’s reason for cancelation was literally “the viewer had to watch it in order to appreciate it,” due to its constant barrage of well-crafted dry humor. This show was ahead of its time and deserves to be seen by everyone who even remotely considers themselves a comedy fan.
Police Squad! stars Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, the same character he went on to play in the Naked Gun movies, in his days on the job as a police detective. While the stories themselves in the show are nothing to write home about, the comedy is the absolute focal point. Fast paced jokes and gags go past in a flash with no breaks, and they range from simple wordplay to outlandish and wacky slapstick moments. Its breakneck humor comes from the show respecting that its audience can keep up, never slowing down or explaining its jokes. In fact, the only downside is that people watching might miss a funny line because they’re still laughing at the last one.
It is seriously impossible to overstate how funny Police Squad! is, and everyone owes it to themselves to watch it. The steady stream of laughs will only go on for 6 episodes, but the effects will linger indefinitely. Plus, it’s one of those shows that benefits from multiple viewings. There will almost always be something new that was missed the previous time.
Actually that’s a lie about the downside. There are actually two. It turns out Police Squad! cannot be streamed anywhere, which should be considered inhumane for comedy fans. However, the full 6 episode series is available on DVD and Blu-ray via Amazon and other retailers.
This one might be a controversial pick, but it’s got it where it counts. Birds of Prey feels like a direct response to the shallow and rather poorly received take on the character of Harley Quinn (and everything else, got to be honest) in 2016’s Suicide Squad, and it seems to have done what it set out to do. Harley herself (played once again by Margot Robbie) is as funny and deranged as she should be, but contrary to her previous incarnation, she’s now got some proper agency.
The over-the-top feel of Birds of Prey serves it well, propped up by endearing performances from all the leads, including a delightfully unhinged Ewan McGregor as the villain Roman Sionis/Black Mask. It’s got some legitimate drama in there, as one would expect, but the payoffs in this movie where all that drama is finally vindicated are incredibly satisfying. A super fun all-out battle and car chase near the end draw everything together nicely, giving every lead character their time to shine, and Harley herself gets plenty of chances to show off throughout the film. These moments are done so well that anyone can get lost in them, briefly shedding their awareness of everything terrible going on outside. It’s worth a watch, and that’s a promise.
Birds of Prey is available for streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Yes, it also has 2 more recent seasons. No, they do not count (season 4 is kind of ok, though). Moving on.
Arrested Development is that show that everybody’s friends used to keep recommending, and for good reason. Similar to Police Squad!, its humor is smart and fast. But as a difference, it’s much more “user friendly,” as it were. Jokes are top notch, but easy to catch. The humor is fast, but it takes plenty of breaks to breathe. The first 3 seasons of Arrested Development are pure comedy gold, and the laughs they prompt can make anyone forget their worries while watching.
Featuring an all-star cast portraying a rich family who lost everything, this show obeys (for the most part) the cardinal rule of comedy: always punch up, never punch down. While the characters go through some struggles that many can relate to, it’s funny because they’re rich and rich people having to deal with actual human problems is always funny. Don’t worry, though. It’s not like the humor comes from having to relate to a bunch of high class snobs. There’s a touch of that, but the real comedy is in the script. Quotable lines, clever wordplay, and running gags are the name of the game here. It’s very light-hearted, which is perfect for 2020, and that makes it easily digestible for anyone looking to binge something without any real baggage.
(Side note, Schitt’s Creek, which just ended its run, holds a similar premise which it arguably tackles much better with comedic writing that’s just as good if not better than Arrested Development. The only issue is that real drama occasionally breaks up the jokes, which might catch some off guard. But with that disclaimer, it’s absolutely worth checking out for any fans of Arrested Development.)
Arrested Development is available for streaming on Netflix. Viewers are warned that watching beyond season 3 will be done at their own peril.
So those are a few ideas to get people through the dark times. Hopefully they help a bit, and maybe they can lead a few folks to other shows and movies like them. So check them out, stay inside, and stay safe.
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