The Quiet Critic

★★ ★1/2 When I was in elementary school, one of my favorite shows was an animated series on PBS called Liberty Kids . It followed the American Revolution through the eyes of two teens: one a daughter of a Loyalist family and the other a young man fighting for the revolution. This show got me so excited about the founding of America and the fight for independence in early United States history. What Liberty Kids did for me, Hamilton has done for a generation of young adults. Now, as a Disney + release,   Hamilton  can even more widely instill this newfound fascination with American history and its parallels to today.

★★ With Spike Lee films, you can always expect to come out intrigued. Da 5 Bloods , although not wholly successful, is indeed a fascinating artifact for our time.

Since we're all still stuck at home, here are ten more films you can watch with your family to take your mind off of things. The list spans multiple genres and years, so there should be something for everyone! They can all be found on popular streaming services and, most importantly, have my stamp of approval.

★ ★1/2 Pixar films hold a special place in my heart. No studio makes movies that appeal to the youngest of kids and can still move adults to tears. I grew up with the Toy Story  franchise—Woody was one of my first Halloween costumes—and The Incredibles  is still the best animated movie I have ever seen.  They have set a high standard for themselves. Its last three films— Coco , Incredibles 2 , and Toy Story 4— all received near-universal critical and popular acclaim.  Pixar might be the only studio that is a guaranteed watch for me every time they put out a film. Which brings us to Onward , a film set in a Dungeons and Dragons world where an elf and his older brother embark on a quest to spend one day with their deceased father. Despite failing to reach the heights of its most recent predecessors, the film has plenty of laughs, beautiful animation, and a heart-warming ending.

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.

★★★ What you can see will never be as scary as what you cannot. The Invisible Man  goes all-in on this aspect of human nature as it tells the story of a woman haunted by an abusive relationship. The film works well as both a commentary about gaslighting and a plain scary thriller.

★★★★ Who's this for? People who love courtroom dramas, The West Wing and other Sorkin works, or well-written dialogue.