If you’re stuck apart during lockdown or just dating someone who lives in Australia, it’s nice that we can be connected with movies and TV. Now with the likes of Netflix we can share experiences even from afar with our long distance partners.
Here’s a list of some tried-and-true recommendations, split into four categories: shows to jump into whenever, series to watch from start to finish, movies about love, and miscellaneous/weird movies that will keep you talking. What you choose will obviously vary based on your preferences, but if you watch something on the list and hate it, at the very least you and your boyfriend can talk about how bad of a recommendation it was.
Did you know? You can get Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that syncs up your screens.
Shows to jump into whenever:
Friends
This is a fan favorite that everyone has seen either in its entirety a thousand times, or just as a few random episodes here and there — but either way, it’s very simple to jump into whenever you have some free time and need an excuse to stay on Facetime for more than ten minutes to talk about your days. The familiar cast and stupid jokes gives you plenty to chat about (or to ignore when you think of real things to discuss).
Shows to jump into whenever:
How I Met Your Mother
Another classic with no shortage of episodes at nine seasons, the characters do weird enough things that you’ll be giggling to each other even after the episode is over. It’s a little romantic, in that the show is about Ted’s quest to find love, but it’s so outrageous and funny that the romance isn’t overdone.
Shows to jump into whenever:
Parks and Recreation
Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt are couple goals, and they go through enough trials and tribulations to make it seem like the miles between you and your beau aren’t really the worst that could happen. That may be a bit of a stretch, but it’s funny in a laugh-out-loud kind of way. When you’re apart, you can always do with some cheering up.
Shows to jump into whenever:
The Office
Again: everyone’s seen it or is at least familiar with it. The appeal of this group of shows is that they help take away the pressure to watch something from start-to-finish, and they kind of create the environment that you guys are chilling on the couch at night, watching whatever’s on TV. It makes you feel a little closer. So snuggle into the familiarity of The Office and enjoy your completely normal evening of Netflix and Skype.
Shows to jump into whenever:
New Girl
This is the only one in this section that you may not have already seen, but it’s a pretty good show. Funny, sweet and it’s still on TV, so if you start to really like it you’ll have new episodes to look forward to. The series follows Jess (Zoey Deschanel) as she moves in with three guys and they all try to live their lives. Obviously, hilarity ensues.
Series to watch from start to finish:
Freaks and Geeks
This classic series follows a brother and sister as they try to navigate the jungle that is high school in the early ’80s. A mathlete starts hanging out with the burn-outs, and a freshman just tries to make it through. The all-star cast, including Jason Segel, James Franco and Seth Rogen will keep you pointing excitedly at the screen when someone new you recognize appears, and the uncomfortably relatable struggles the teenagers are going through will prompt nostalgic stories back and forth with your bae of your own school days.
Series to watch from start to finish:
The People v. O.J. Simpson
Suspenseful, dramatic and not to mention timely, The People v. O.J. Simpson will keep you on the edge of your seat and make it very easy to squeeze in time to watch the next episode. I know that we all know how it ends, but the show chronicles the discovery of a crime to the final verdict, and you see the hardships that both the prosecution and the defense went through. If your boyfriend doesn’t want to watch, watch it yourself — but it’s best with someone else because you’ll have a lot to talk about after each episode.
Series to watch from start to finish:
The 100
Sometimes, you need something that’s going to take you out of this world. Enter The 100, a show set nearly a century after Earth was destroyed by nuclear war. A spaceship with the survivors sent 100 juvenile delinquents back to the planet they’ve never been to, to see if it’s livable or not. It’s a weird, sometimes slightly violent show that leaves you thinking and theorizing — with your partner hopefully.
Series to watch from start to finish:
Love
This Netflix original has a corny name, but it’s not really. It follows two young adults as they try to navigate relationships while figuring out their own $h*!. They’re imperfect, frustrating and run into a lot of problems along the way. But it’s real, if not cringe-worthy at some points, and will at least serve the purpose of making you feel like you have most things in your life together.
Series to watch from start to finish:
Master of None
This smart comedy, also a Netflix original, is a very self-aware show which makes for good viewing. It’s the right balance of low-key and interesting to watch as it follows an aspiring actor and his friends living in New York City. It’s not afraid to talk about topics like racism and sexism, and will give you and your significant other some valuable life lessons. It’s second season is maybe better than the first… but we’ll leave it to you to say for sure.
Movies about love:
Drinking Buddies
This kind-of comedy follows a man and a woman who have been good friends for a while, but may be with the wrong people. I think the descriptions and the trailer and even the promotional photos for this movie are all misleading. This isn’t a funny romantic comedy, this is a maybe-too-real, up-close look at what happens when you’re possibly not with the right person for you. The characters are good people who mess up, and it’s a really great film.
Movies about love:
I Love You, Man
Watching this with your significant other may bring you both a better understanding of each other. Paul Rudd’s character is getting married to Rashida Jones’, but he doesn’t have any guy friends and she thinks (or her friends do) that it’s a red flag. Enter Jason Segel, and two hours of laugh-out-loud moments with a surprisingly touching ending. It’s an interesting twist on a romantic comedy that even your ~very masculine boyfriend~ won’t be able to complain about.
Movies about love:
Before We Go
Another interesting story that’s not necessarily about love, but about how two people can connect in unexpected ways and places. It’ll leave you both with plenty to think about. Plus, hello Chris Evans!
Movies about love:
Atonement
This is a sad movie at pretty much every turn. But it’s on here because sometimes when you’re in a long distance relationship, you want to watch something sad so you have an excuse to be sad in general. Not all the time, it’s not good to wallow — but this movie is your excuse.
Weird/miscellaneous movies that will keep you talking:
Fundamentals of Caring
This Netflix original is weird too! The humor is cringey in places, but mostly because it’s about a teenager with a disability playing pranks on his inexperienced caregiver before eventually going on a road trip together. It’s refreshing, has an appearance from Selena Gomez and has an ending that isn’t as miserable as I was prepping for the whole way through. Go forth without fear.
Weird/miscellaneous movies that will keep you talking:
Heathers
I guess this entire list is just movies that I would identify as “weird,” but I think those are the best ones to watch with your significant other. They leave you reeling! Heathers is like that, too. It’s unexpected, violent and funny in a twisted kind of way. It’s Winona Ryder at her finest.
Weird/miscellaneous movies that will keep you talking:
The Overnight
A couple new to L.A. meets another eccentric couple that invites them over to their house for a playdate between their sons. After the kids go to sleep, things get increasingly — you knew this was coming — weird between the two, coming to a series of very strange little… climaxes. This is definitely the movie on this list wrought with the most sexual tension, so that should at least get you and your boyfriend interested.
Weird/miscellaneous movies that will keep you talking:
Boyhood
I end this list with a feel good film that’s also critically acclaimed, so you can take my word for this one being good. It’s a coming-of-age story that follows one boy as he grows up — but the coolest part is that they do that by also allowing one actor from the age of 6 to the age of 18, to grow with the role. It’s a beautiful film by Richard Linklater that’s all about adolescence. Even though it’s about a young boy, you’ll relate to it in some way. Trust me.
[adace-ad id=”96501″]Summing-Up
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think that Netflix is what helps preserve a long distance relationship. It keeps you busy when your boyfriend is too busy to text or talk on the phone and gives us something to look forward to doing together when going on dates is impossible. Watching a series together or actually blocking out two hours of time for a movie is just one way to maintain some semblance of intimacy when there are miles between you, and one way to keep the conversation going after you’ve both gone over your days.