5 Netflix Shows You Finally Have Time to Watch (and definitely should)

Ryan Crowley

During the year, we teachers always put things off until the school year is over. “I can’t do that tonight, but once school is done, I will definitely take you up on that offer!” Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? All of us do that! It’s like summer is our time to do all the fun things that we missed out on during the school year because we were too busy or exhausted. It’s what keeps us going. It’s our safety zone. If we were Ichabod Crane running away from the Headless Horseman, summer would be the bridge that we would have to cross to be in the clear.

For the last nine months, I have been hearing about all of these things on Netflix that I should be watching. I’ve blatantly put them off until summer was ready to begin. I knew I wouldn’t be able to enjoy them during the school year while I was wondering in the back of my mind if my students were getting their homework done or if I should be grading papers instead.

It has caused a bit of a problem waiting this long to watch all of these shows. I can’t count the number of times I have left the room while people have been discussing the shows I have been saving for summer. I wish “Spoiler Alert” would start flashing on foreheads when others start talking about the latest amazing movie they just saw. Its hard to explain in a restaurant when I cover up my ears with my hands and start chanting, so I don’t hear the table next to me proclaiming how great Stranger Things is on Netflix.

5 Shows to Finally Watch!
Here is my list of five things I have to watch now on Netflix to catch up with the rest of civilization. I have been waiting patiently, and my time is now. A few of these may be new to you. Feel free to comment below with any recommendations for shows you believe others would like as well. I do a bit of binge-watching, so I’ll be on the lookout for movies constantly!

1. Stranger Things
Nothing is better than a creepy, science fiction type mystery. Well, except a creepy, science fiction type mystery with Winona Ryder. I swear Winona Ryder does not age! I have not seen her in too many high profile movies lately, so I am glad to see that this multi-episode show on Netflix with fantastic reviews has her as one of the stars. (I actually went on a binge-watching marathon the last couple days and watched all eight episodes of Stranger Things. Definitely worth the wait! I would recommend watching them late at night, and you can since you don't have to get up early in the morning for school.)

2. It Follows
If you like a legitimately scary movie that makes you think, It Follows will not disappoint. I just watched it the other night, and while the premise seems a bit strange (a paranormal entity disguised as a normal person slowly stalks and kills you after you make the bad choice of sleeping with the wrong person), it will definitely have you looking over your shoulder for the next few weeks and second guessing the people walking slowly towards you.

3. Disney’s Moana
I’ve wanted to watch this movie since it has been in the theaters. And now it has been added to Netflix. I know, it's a cartoon, but the Rock plays one of the main characters. Plus, even though it’s a cartoon, Up is one of my favorite movies of all time. I don’t shy away from animated movies.

4. War Machine
This is a Netflix original movie that just came out in May, so I'm not too far behind on watching it. It has an all-star cast of Brad Pitt, Topher Grace, Ben Kingsley, and others. It is about an army general (Pitt) in Afghanistan, and it deals heavy with political satire. I enjoy most Brad Pitt movies, so I am going to check this out.

5. Masterminds
One of my friends recommended this movie to me. It has a good cast with Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, and Kristen Wiig. It’s based on the real events of a bank heist. I tend to enjoy films that are based on real life. We as teachers know that truth is stranger than fiction!

Ryan Crawley is a writer/educator from Illinois. Born into a family of eleven, he spent most of his childhood watching old reruns of Three's Company and Happy Days. He has his Masters in Reading and Literacy, and is a certified Reading Specialist. He spends his free time writing, working out, and hanging with his two dogs Flair and Smoosh Face.