The weather has cooled down, and Instagram feeds are crammed with back to school ads between last-minute vacation photos. The children who were locked away at summer camps have come back to clog up the city—yes, summer has ended, and school starts again.
Whether starting first-year or coming back for more credits, feelings that range from existential dread to an optimistic sense of renewal are abundant right now. Everyone is preparing for their upcoming classes, getting ready to study in their own ways.
Some might buy study guides and agendas; this is a study guide to help you navigate what you’re going to be binge-watching on Netflix. Freshmen might think that they’ll be studying and this isn’t applicable–upper-year students see the truth.
This is your guide to Canadian Netflix this month. Since you’re still logged into your ex’s-brother’s-roommate’s account, you have hours of entertainment to dig in to. Those four midterms can wait, right? Right!
Love greatly woven plots dealing with interesting concepts that are smart, complex, and make you feel brilliant for understanding? Over the summer, Netflix Canada has been acquiring the rights to a whole bunch of Oscar Best Picture-nominated features. They’ve been brought out bit by bit, and more are coming. These films are so much to chew on that it’s easy to justify not studying.
The beautiful and brilliant Moonlight should be at the top of everyone’s list. A story based on the life of the director, it’s an amazing story paired with sharp colour grade, making for grade-A entertainment. This is not only a movie with an important message, but it is one of the best films ever made.
The big release movie coming to Netflix this September is Marvel Studios’ Black Panther. Relive the epic action and experience the cultural phenomenon in your bed. With its look into African identity, you can also apply your education just enough to feel smart. If that’s not your taste, watch the armoured rhinos fight the guy in the catsuit.
Want to see stuff blow up and don’t like having to figure out who the bad guy is? There are movies and TV for you as well. Iron Fist is back for season two, punching his way through thinly-plotted bad guys. The first season gained a lot of criticism for its horrible stunt work, but season two trailers show that this has been corrected.
In better directed action, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol I and II, the new Star Wars films, and other Disney tent poles are on Netflix. Disney’s streaming service is still in development, so for the time being its major titles won’t cost, say, your soul to watch. Get the popcorn out and enjoy these flicks before they’re gone!
If you’re in the mood for a laugh, comedies 21 Jump Street and its sequel, 22 Jump Street, are top movie picks, cementing Jonah Hill’s status as one of the best funny men. BoJack Horseman, Disenchantment, and Final Space are three well-produced animated shows that will produce laughs. BoJack Horseman has its season five release scheduled for a mid-September launch.
Disenchantment was released last month, created by The Simpsons’ executive producer Matt Groening. The cartoon features an alcoholic princess and her elf and demon companions. While its pilot satisfied, mixed reviews claim it is unoriginal and the humour largely falls short.
Two more hit shows are releasing new seasons to Netflix–watch out GPAs everywhere. Quantico makes its return with season 3 on Sept. 20, making the FBI academy seem way cooler than Carleton. This early 20s student drama is appealing to those who enjoy action with a strong female lead. This show owes a lot to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which remains on Netflix and is as bingeable as ever.
AMC’s The Walking Dead is back for season eight, slightly played out at this point, but worth the watch. The infusion of new episodes is also enough motivation to revisit earlier seasons, which are very re-watchable.
For those looking for a fresher action show, The Flash has arrived on Netflix Canada. Follow Barry Allen through four seasons of awesome superhero action, this is the show that can make anyone laugh and cry. It has a goofy guise, but is a wonderfully-directed, emotional show about life in the 21st century.
On the heels of the successful documentary Evil Genius: The true story of America’s most diabolical bank heist, two more Netflix original series come this month that demonstrate great promise. Inside the Criminal Mind is a dense documentary but wholly entertaining; they can feel so educational, it’s almost like attending a really fun lecture.
Back for a fifth season is the Netflix original Chef’s Table, a riveting look into the minds of the greatest chefs around the world. In documentary terms, Chef’s Table cannot be given high enough reviews—this show is transcendentally brilliant even for non-foodies.
This is, of course, just the most notable content—no amount of unemployment could ever bring me to comb through every show. These are top picks, but please, Netflix is your oyster and that paper can wait.
Note: All release dates are tentative and subject to change.
Photo by Jasmine Foong
