The Must-See Movies to Watch at Home During The Coronavirus Pandemic

It's a crazy world we live in—a lot of crazy news. Crazy stories. Crazy times. I don't need to mention what's been going on recently because you already know, so I'll jump right to the point.

Chances are, you're staying at home. You have nothing to do. You might be doing some work on your computer, but what are you going to do when you're done with all of that? I'd recommend doing what I would do when I have nothing to do: watch a movie.

But what movie, you ask? Well, I'm a film critic who currently has nothing to review in the theater, so I have decided to create a list of some of the best movies for you to watch on your laptop, tablet, phone, TV, or wherever you stream your favorite films.

For Those Looking on Netflix...

Now, if you're anything like me, you've probably spent hours mindlessly scrolling through the Netflix menu, trying to find one movie that you're in the mood for, and you have the mental capacity to focus on.

Well, you've come to the right place for a decision. Netflix is home to all four Indiana Jones movies, so check those out if you're in the mood for some good action-adventure. Other classics on the streaming service are Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Other Guys, Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, Steve Jobs, Groundhog Day, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

I know those are a bunch of movies, so if you're looking for an excellent miniseries that you finally have time to watch, check out When They See Us, Unbelievable, and Wild Wild Country.

For the Action Junkie...

I'm a massive fan of action movies, and if you aren't, then this is the perfect opportunity to become one. It's never too late to check out the best action franchises so far, such as the Die Hard films and the Mission: Impossible movies.

Now, for all my Keanu stans, he has been in a bunch of awesome action movies. If you're looking for pure non-stop adrenaline, watch Speed. If you want an action movie with a fascinating character story, watch Point Break or The Matrix. And if you want some of the best fight choreography in recent memory, check out the John Wick movies.

What if you want some great car movies? The Fast & Furious movies are perfect escapism entertainment for those who don't mind the demolition of the laws of physics. Also, Baby Driver is one of the most effortlessly rewatchable car chase movies ever, complete with a hell of a soundtrack.

For People Who Need a Good Laugh...

As I said, these are some crazy times. I've been a bit stressed recently, so sometimes, it's nice to sit back, watch a movie, and laugh. Recently, I watched Liar Liar, starring Jim Carrey, and I found it to be hilarious.

If you want an excellent action-comedy, check out the Rush Hour movies. 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street are pretty hilarious movies as well. But if you want a pure laugh riot, you can't go wrong with Superbad, Dumb & Dumber, Booksmart, Step Brothers, The Wolf of Wall Street, and White Chicks.

You also can't go wrong with a good crime comedy. Shane Black has made some stand-outs in this genre, such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Two comedies from last year that I also really loved are Knives Out and Jojo Rabbit.

For People Who Need a Good Cry...

Everyone needs to cry once in a while. And even though I'm a heartless fool who has never cried because of a movie, I can tell you the films that have made me get pretty close to it.

You can't go wrong with Pixar when it comes to a good cry. Some of their biggest tearjerkers include Inside Out, Wall-E, and in my case, Up. Other movies like Forrest Gump, 50/50, and Room can give you the sniffles towards the end.

And I feel a bit guilty for saying this, but Michael Bay's scientifically inaccurate, explosion-fueled thriller, Armageddon, almost gets me at the end. I feel disgusting just admitting something like that, but it worked on me. Check it out if you don't believe me.

For the Starry-Eyed Romantics...

Sometimes, I feel like a hopeless romantic. Other times, I'm the most cynical cynic in the world. Luckily, there are movies for both types of people.

The Before trilogy is one of the greatest romance trilogies of all time, and even though those movies are driven forward by conversations, they are consistently fascinating. If you want a good ol' cheesy romance drama, you have to watch The Notebook; that movie is an emotional rollercoaster.

For a more realistic rom-com, watch (500) Days of Summer; it's my favorite romance movie of all time, and it can best be described as one fantastic scene after another fantastic scene. If you're looking for more great romance movies, you have to watch Her, 13 Going on 30, and La La Land.

But for something more recent, watch Marriage Story, an incredibly well-acted story of divorce. It's on Netflix.

For the Children...

Your kids probably don't have to go to school anymore, so you have to keep them entertained, right? If you get a Disney+ account, they'll have access to nothing but some of the best children's movies of all time.

Every Pixar movie, from Toy Story to Monsters, Inc., will entertain your kids. That includes Cars 2, which is an awful movie, but your kids probably won't realize how bad it is for another few years. All kidding aside, Pixar has produced some great films over the years, and your children will love them.

Disney has made many classic films as well, such as The Lion King, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. More recent Disney movies I would recommend are Big Hero 6, Frozen, Tangled, and Zootopia.

If you want to show your kids a non-Disney animated movie, go for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.

For People Who Want Nothing But the Best...

I get it. You're tired of watching mediocre movies. You want to rediscover your love of cinema. You want nothing but the best films ever made. Have no fear, because I have some fantastic films to recommend.

This year's Best Picture winner, Parasite, is one of the greatest movies ever made. Please don't skip it because it's a South Korean movie with subtitles. It's an original, funny, suspenseful movie that will have you in shock when the credits roll.

You can't go wrong with The Dark Knight trilogy, and The Godfather is one of the most acclaimed films in history. Inception and the first two Alien movies are fantastic, and if you haven't seen the first two Terminator films, I don't know what you've been doing with your life, but it is about time you watch them.

But that's not all; watch Back to the Future. It is my favorite movie ever, and you will not meet a single person on the planet who has watched that movie and didn't like it. I promise you. Also, 12 Angry Men. That's a great one.

For People Who Have a Surplus of Time...

Well, now that you've likely self-quarantined, you're going to want to pass the time. And I don't know about you, but when I have work, I never start any long movie series, because I never feel like I have enough time for it.

Guess what? Now, we have all the time in the world. That means you have ample opportunity to marathon The Godfather trilogy and all the 4-hour Lord of the Rings movies that you haven't yet seen. While you're at it, start marathoning Harry Potter, Star Wars, or Star Trek.

If you haven't yet jumped onto the superhero hype, now is the perfect time to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and if you're going to do it, watch it in the Spaghetti Order. But if you'd prefer watching Hugh Jackman's muscles and Ryan Reynold's jokes, check out the X-Men movies in the Cannoli Order.

For People Who Want an Underrated Gem...

But what if you've already seen all these movies? These are all top-rated movies after all, so what if you would prefer watching a film that most people haven't seen?

Well, this is the space for underrated gems. If you want a great children's movie that went under the radar, watch The Iron Giant. Furthermore, there are some great psychological thrillers that many people have not yet seen, such as Unbreakable, Memento, and Shutter Island.

Psychological thrillers like those will blow your mind, and so will Predestination, a time travel thriller with an ending that will shock you to your core. And my favorite underappreciated foreign language romance movie would have to be the 2007 film, Secret, which is on Netflix.

If you want some jaw-dropping martial arts action, watch The Raid movies. And if you've ever wondered what Tom Cruise would look like as a villain in one of the most well-written thrillers ever, watch Collateral.

For People With a Great Sense of Irony...

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And if you're in the mood for some movies that are very relevant to our current situation, I'd go for Contagion, a film about a lethal virus that has been gaining a lot of traction recently for its accuracy to our current pandemic.

If you've quarantined yourself at home, then you might feel isolated and alone. So would I recommend you watch movies like The Shining and Identity to creep you out with all these horrifying stories of isolation? The answer: yes.

You should also check out 12 Monkeys and I Am Legend. Just saying.

Well, hopefully, I've filled up your movie watchlist with some quality picks. If you watch anything on the list, tell me what you think on Twitter (I'm @TheJonathanSim).

Thank you for reading and stay safe, everyone.