10 Movies to Stream While Quarantined

The world is a scary place. COVID-19 has everyone worried about the near and distant future. In times like these, movies can take us from our uncertain present to a different world. They provide much-needed escape when it feels like the sky is falling. And they're what we all need right now.

Thanks to the abundance of film options, it can be difficult to choose what to watch. We've all spent way too much time flipping through streaming services before settling on The Office for the 47th time. So, here are 10 movies you can watch from your home to take you out of this coronavirus panic.

Clue (1985)

This film holds the championship belt for the best movie based on a board game. Six people who take their names from the classic game receive invitations to a mysterious dinner party with an anonymous host. Needless to say, there is a murder, and the film because both suspenseful and hilarious. Tim Curry is brilliant as The Butler and the rest of the cast is fantastic. The ending is among the most creative you'll ever see. With a tight dialogue and brisk 94-minute runtime, you won't regret watching this classic.

Available on Prime Video*

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Who would have thought that Tom Cruise would be jumping out of planes for our entertainment AT 55 YEARS OLD!? This latest addition to the Mission: Impossible series may very well be the best. The plot is straightforward: Special Agent Ethan Hunt needs to save the world from a deadly global threat—so the same as all the other ones. It's the fastest-moving 150-minute movie of the last five years—there isn't a dull moment. It helps to have seen the previous films, but you can still enjoy this thriller without completely understanding recurring characters. While watching, just keep in mind that Tom Cruise actually did what you're seeing on screen. It's incredible!

Available on Prime Video and Hulu

A Quiet Place (2018)

Horror seems to be the last reliable refuge of truly original stories in film. In a world where aliens kill anything that makes a sound, real-life couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski do all they can to help their children survive. A Quiet Place is scary without being gory and makes you truly fear for the characters with every step. This film will, at the very least, make you grateful that the world has not been overrun by vicious, man-eating aliens—yet. 

Available on Prime Video and Hulu

Logan Lucky (2017)

The plot of this movie is like a Mad Libs: it's like Ocean's Eleven but in West Virginia with NASCAR. Channing Tatum and company are down on their luck as a result of a family curse, so they decide to pull off a ridiculous heist—rob all the cash at NASCAR race—to turn the tide. The film's supporting cast is phenomenal, with Adam Driver, Katie Holmes, and a hilarious Daniel Craig. Logan Lucky is a creative and satisfying little treasure.

Available on Prime Video

Hot Rod (2007)

Andy Samberg is a national treasure and one of the most underrated comedy figures of our time. In his best performance to date, Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a wannabe stuntman in arrested development. His only desires in life are to be the next Evel Knieval and beat his step-father—played by the impressive Ian McShane—in hand-to-hand combat. When his stepfather develops a heart problem, Rod, worried that he'll never get the chance to show up his step-father, resolves to raise the money for a heart operation. This film requires nothing more than for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy a silly comedy with lines you'll quote to your friends forever.

Available on Prime Video

The Fugitive (1993)

Harrison Ford v. Tommy Lee Jones. Need I say more? Ford plays Dr. Kimble, the titular fugitive who is wrongly convicted for his wife's murder. Kimble escapes en route to the prison and commences his mission to find the true killer and clear his own name. Jones is excellent as the U.S. Marshall tasked with finding Dr. Kimble. Of all the cat-and-mouse chase thrillers out there, The Fugitive is among the best.

Available on Hulu

Free Solo (2018)

There are plenty of films that make you wonder if the protagonist will survive until the end. Documentaries, however, tend to be predictable. Free Solo—despite being a documentary—truly made me question whether free-climber Alex Honnold would be alive by the end of the film. Honnold climbs without any equipment—no carabiners, ropes, or anchors. His lifelong dream is to be the first person to successfully free-climb El Capitan. Free Solo is as gripping as any feature film of the past few years and helps the viewer understand what would possess someone to push human strength and will to the limit.

Available on Hulu and Disney+

Cool Runnings (1993)

Before Miracle and Remember the Titans, there was Cool Runnings. This film predates all of the sports underdog movies we know and love today, making it feel refreshingly different. Two Jamaican sprinters fail to qualify for the Summer Olympics, so they decide to pursue their dream by taking Jamaica to its first Winter Olympics as a bobsled team. Inspired by a true story, Cool Runnings is witty and entertaining as the group of rag-tag Jamaicans work with their disgraced American coach to qualify for the Olympics against all odds. If you like underdog stories, you'll love this fresh take on the trope that somehow predates them all.

Available on Disney+

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

The most underrated Disney movie of the modern era, The Emperor's New Groove has recently gained new life as a millennial meme-maker's delight. There is a meta quality to the film that makes it so quotable and relatable twenty years later. The plot seems ridiculous, even for an animated Disney movie—an immature Incan king, Kuzco, is turned into a llama by his ambitious and evil advisor, Yzma. The arrogant and insensitive Kuzco is then forced to team up with the humble Pancha to regain his human form. There is enough action to keep kids entertained, but the film shines in its unmatched dialogue. If you haven't seen this movie in a while, now is the perfect time to dust off this gem.

Available on Disney+

The Muppets (2011)

When this film was released, I thought, "Did we really need ANOTHER Muppets movie?" The answer is yes, we absolutely did, and we do now more than ever. The plot is very Muppet-esque: the Muppets need to put on one last show to save their beloved studio. Where the film separates itself is in its new characters. Walter, along with his human companions, Gary and Mary, are delightful. Their singing and dancing will make you both laugh and cry. The music is wonderful and is guaranteed to put you in a good mood. In a turbulent and uncertain world, there's great comfort in knowing that "life's a happy song when there's someone by your side to sing along."

Available on Disney+

*Availability as of March 2020