It’s National Popcorn Day! What will you watch? Here’s a list with recommendations of series and movies worthy of your undivided attention.
Today is National Popcorn Day and to the unfamiliar, that pretty much means it’s an entertainment holiday for nerds like me. As such, I highly recommend grabbing your favorite popcorn and taking the day (and the weekend) to watch, well, whatever you like! But in case you’re one of those who loves recommendations, I’ve got plenty for you. If you’re wondering what to watch for National Popcorn Day, here’s a select list of some of my favorite recommended series and movies worthy of your undivided attention.
NATIONAL POPCORN DAY: SERIES TO WATCH
1. FISK
Where: Netflix, 2 seasons
Why: To watch Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanaghan, of Utopia) interact with the idiots of the world
Do you find yourself feeling like you’re living and working in a world of idiots sometimes? Me too. And that’s precisely why you’ll want to watch Fisk because it’s what this comedy series is all about. For further series info, here’s a full review of Fisk.
2. SCHITT’S CREEK
Where: Hulu, 6 seasons
Why: To see everyone pronounce Schitt with a straight face, and for characters David Rose (Dan Levy, of Sex Education and Good Grief) and Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara, of Beetlejuice)
What would you do if you were super rich and suddenly found yourself stripped of all your money and belongings, then living in a rundown motel in a little town your father bought for you as a joke called Schitt’s Creek? Eugene Levy (American Pie franchise) and Catherine O’Hara lead this unforgettably comical cast of characters that you’ll soon be quoting. “It’s okay, she’s his sister!”
3. RESIDENT ALIEN
Where: Peacock, 2 seasons with a third on the way
Why: To watch Alan Tudyk react salty to, well, everyone, but particularly a kid Alan Tudyk is funny no matter what kind of role he’s in.
With Resident Alien, Tudyk plays an alien who crashes into Earth in a remote Colorado mountain town and assumes the identity of town doctor Harry Vanderspeigle. His response to human life is, “This is bullsh*t.” Aside from keeping up the charade long enough to fix his ship and kill all the humans, his only other real problem is a 9-year-old boy who sees his true alien form. Their interaction will have you choking on your popcorn.
4. SILICON VALLEY
Where: Max, 6 seasons
Why: For characters Jian Yang (comedian Jimmy O. Yang) and Zach Woods (Jared Dunn, of The Afterparty).
Partially inspired by co-creator Mike Judge’s (Beavis and Butthead) experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this geeky series follows the misadventures of an introverted computer programmer and his brainy friends as they live together and attempt to strike it rich in a high-tech gold rush. Silicon Valley is full of quick wit, and you’ll still find it funny even if you’re not a techie.
5. SONS OF ANARCHY (2008)
Where: Hulu, 7 seasons
Why: Plain and simple, the grit, the drama, and the incredibly human characters and their arcs.
Sons of Anarchy is a no-b.s. motorcycle drama with darkly comedic undertones about a club of brotherhood built on hopes, dreams, and loyalty that becomes tainted with lies, secrets, and betrayals when guns, drugs, and violence infiltrate the Sons’ foundation. This is superb writing and is so bingeworthy, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from the screen for longer than a bathroom break or for more popcorn. For more details, read a full review of Sons of Anarchy.
6. JUSTIFIED
Where: Hulu, 6 seasons
Why: To watch gun-slinging U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant, of The Crazies) clean up the hills, hollers, and hoodlums of Eastern Kentucky.
Justified is one of the most critically acclaimed shows of this century. Raylan Givens is a stubborn, unmatched modern-day gunslinger who gets sent back to his hometown in Harlan County, Kentucky after a very public no-no down in Miami. Now he must face his long-standing conflict with career holler criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins, of Sons of Anarchy). Their redneck banter is priceless, as is the cast of characters. Justified is a must-watch series reflecting the perfect balance of comedy and drama.
7. BANSHEE (2013)
Where: Max, 4 seasons
Why: The fight choreography and coordination.
When a recently paroled master thief sets out to find his former lover and partner in crime, he finds her in Banshee, Pennsylvania, where she has a new life and a new identity. Refusing to move on, the ex-con (Anthony Starr, of The Boys) assumes the identity of Sheriff Lucas Hood and resumes his life of crime. Oh yeah, he’s also being hunted by a mob boss seeking revenge for the jewel heist that landed him in jail, and did I mention this takes place in Amish country? Prepare to watch this one with an open mouth and wide eyes for many reasons, but particularly because the fight choreography is outstanding and very well performed.
8. DEXTER (2006)
Where: Paramount Plus (with Showtime), 8 seasons
Why: For Dexter Morgan, of course!
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall, of Six Feet Under) is a Miami-based blood spatter analyst who helps solve murders. He also commits them as a serial killer who takes out other serial killers. Trapped between his morals and his psychological hunger, Dexter must stay one step ahead of the cops while appearing to have a normal life … and battling his inner voice.
9. PEAKY BLINDERS (2013)
Where: Netflix, 7 seasons with another on the way
Why: To walk in the shoes of Tommy Shelby.
Set in Britain in Birmingham, Peaky Blinders is a gritty crime drama mixing despair and hedonism in 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War. In a nation rocked by economic upheaval, The Peaky Blinders, led by Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy, of Oppenheimer), emerged as one of the most powerful street gangs and were involved in the unsavory practices of robbery, racketeering, and illegal bookmaking. They’re called the Blinders because they stitched razor blades into the peaks of their signature flat caps to be used as weapons in fights with competing gangs. Thomas Shelby is every person’s hero, and you’ll see why.
10. QUANTUM LEAP (2022)
Where: Peacock, 2 seasons with a third on the way
Why: Captivating blend of drama and sci-fi.
Raymond Lee (Top Gun: Maverick) is Dr. Ben Song, or for Gen Xers, the new Dr. Sam Beckett, who was played by Scott Bakula in 1989’s original series. In this continuation, Dr. Song is a lead physicist with a top-secret government time-travel program known as Quantum Leap. When he makes an unauthorized leap to the past, Ben awakens in a different body with only fragments of his memory intact. The dramatic stories are expertly written and are half of what carry the show. Raymond Lee as Ben Song is the other. Quantum Leap is literally the adventure of a lifetime.
11. KINGDOM (2014)
Where: Peacock, 3 seasons
Why: The drama embedded in the ruthlessly talented Mixed Martial Arts action.
Legit mixed martial artist Frank Grillo (Zero Dark Thirty) leads this visceral family saga that takes place in Venice, California, and is set against the backdrop of the renegade subculture of Mixed Martial Arts. The show is rife with complex characters top-notch fighting, and intense relationships that unfold in surprising scenarios that keep you on your toes with your fingers gripping the cage. Breakout star from Kingdom is Paul Walter Hauser, whom you may know from Black Bird, Cobra Kai, and The Afterparty. Also stars (drumroll please) Nick Jonas. And the boy can fight.
12. GAME OF THRONES (2011)
Where: Max, 8 seasons
Why: To see what really happens when (and if) Winter ever comes
Game of Thrones really needs no introduction, but on the off chance you’ve been living under a boulder for the entire 2010s, it’s one of the best fantasy series you’ll ever watch. Based on author George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”, the show depicts two powerful families of kings, queens, knights, renegades, liars, and truth-tellers playing a very deadly—and oftentimes incestuous—game for control of the Iron Throne, which controls the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. You won’t sleep once you start watching and will likely forget about your warm, buttery popcorn. And did I mention dragons?
13. OUTSIDERS (2016)
Where: Hulu, 2 seasons
Why: For the characters played by Ryan Hurst (The Walking Dead) and Kyle Gallner (Smile)
Set amongst the hills of Appalachia in rural Kentucky, Outsiders focuses on a family clan of hill people who have lived by their own laws and traditions for more than 200 years outside of society. Now in the rugged, mysterious hills of the modern day, there’s a battle brewing between those trying to take the Farrell clan’s land and the key family members, like Li’l Foster Farrell (Hurst) and Hasil Farrell (Gallner), who vow to protect their home and defend their way of life at all costs. This one ended way too early and is worthy of being resurrected.
14. YELLOWSTONE (2018)
Where: Peacock, 5 seasons
Why: The cowboys, the quiet one, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser, of Dazed and Confused), and the queen of all bitches, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly, of Britannia).
If at any point in your life you’ve ever wondered about what real cowboy life is like, this is your show. Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) stars as the patriarch of a powerful, complicated family of ranchers, The Duttons. He’s a sixth-generation homesteader and devoted father; he also controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Drama, action, cowboys and girls, cat fights, dog fights, cattle drives, love stories—you name it, Yellowstone has it. It also spawned five spinoffs: prequels 1883, 1923, and 1944, and sequels 2024 and 6666.
15. THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES (2019)
Where: Max, 3 seasons with a fourth on the way
Why: The absurdist megachurch family antics andthe development of Uncle Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers game show.
This Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down) absurdist comedy will have you in stitches as long as you don’t take anything, including yourself, too seriously. Religious or not, you can’t deny this series is hysterical and the cherry on top is the indelible cast of characters.
*And if historical fiction and fantasy series are the kind of jam for you that they are for me, check out my full list of historical fiction and fantasy series to binge.
NATIONAL POPCORN DAY: MOVIES TO WATCH
1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
Why: To experience everything Middle Earth has to offer, including elves, dwarves, wizards, hobbits, creepy creatures, talking trees that move, epic battle sequences, and one deadly powerful ring!
2. 300 (2016)
Why: To see the strongest front kick in the history of cinema.
3. KING ARTHUR (2004)
Why: For a different take on a classic tale that focuses less on a love story and more on the brotherhood between Arthur and his knights (with a bit of humor woven throughout).
4. GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)
Why: Because Groundhog Day doth approacheth, and for Bill Murray (Ghostbusters).
5. THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)
Why: To see what happens when you f**k a stranger in the a**.
6. BAD WORDS (2013)
Why: To watch Jason Bateman curse out little kids and compete against them in the National Spelling Bee.
7. TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)
Why: For the terrifyingly fast Korean zombie chases that leave you breathless!
8. FIGHT CLUB (1999)
Why: To see ticking-time-bomb Edward Norton (Rounders) hit slippery soap salesman Brad Pitt (Bullet Train) in the face as hard as he can.
9. MR RIGHT (2015)
Why: For the chemistry and comedy Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit) and Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) share on screen.
10. WE’RE THE MILLERS (2013)
Why: To witness the comedic drug-smuggling adventure led by Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) and Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show).
11. BEETLEJUICE (1988)
Why: To watch what happens when you say Beetlejuice three times in a row, and because Beetlejuice 2 arrives later this year!
12. IP MAN FRANCHISE (2008)
Why: For the story of Ip Man, Bruce Lee’s Wing Chun teacher.
13. HORRIBLE BOSSES (2011)
Why: To watch three best friends fail hilariously at trying to kill their bosses.
14. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
Why: Because “Mawwiage is what bwings us togevah today” … and, you know, princesses and sword-fighting and fire swamps.
… and the must-see movie of 2023:
15. SALTBURN
Why: So you’ll never look at bathtub drains, white nighties, and fresh gravesites the same again, and because Barry Keoghan (Peaky Blinders) is astoundingly magnificent.
There are three ways to watch this scandalous story:
1. with your eyeballs glued to the screen,
2. with your hand cupped over your mouth, and
3. peeking through your fingers.
