Adjusting to a life of self-isolating, social distancing and lockdown. Plenty of time on your hands? The FinalBoss squad have assembled (don’t worry, remotely) to provide a string of entertainment recommendations…
Films
Arrival – A terrific story that explores some really unexpected plot threads. It wasn’t what I expected, and I don’t think it will be for many others either, which is why so many people missed it! – James
I Am Legend – Going for an end of days theme! – Ryan
Monsters Inc – With the imminent arrival of Disney+ and the need for some good feels, why not watch this classic Pixar film? One of my favourite films of all time, Monsters Inc also deals with mass panic and extreme biohazard caution (23-19!)… topical. – Callum
The Darkest Hour – Srivats
Shaun Of The Dead – One of my favourite films of all time. Constantly quoted and with the global epidemic in the news England seems scarily similar to Shaun’s worldview. Edgar Wright noted on the spike in “And wait for all this to blow over comments” recently on his Twitter account. – Jon
The Last Of The Mohicans – Director Michael Mann and star Daniel Day-Lewis may have gone onto bigger films than this but I don’t think either have bettered it. It’s 1757 and Britain and France are at war in North America, both supported by Native American tribes. A stunning historical action film. – Shaun
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy – They’re awesome and will take up at least a day. – Scott
TV Shows
Avenue 5 – A spectacular weekly mash up of sci-fi and comedy. I’ve always said maybe bar, say, Ghostbusters, this is a sub-genre that so few get right or even attempt and Hugh Laurie is spectacular. – Jon
Game of Thrones – With nearly every new fantasy wanting to be the next Game of Thrones, why not watch THE Game of Thrones. Plenty of hours worth of entertainment even if you do skip the last series. – Callum
Patriot Act – Srivats
Sharp Objects – In a world obsessed with crime drama, this one flew well under the radar. Spectacular performances and gripping throughout. –James
The Walking Dead – Going for an end of days theme! – Ryan
The West Wing – I’ve never missed a chance in these pages to say how good The West Wing is. As a political drama about life in the White House it covers a wide variety of subjects. The majority is written by the great Aaron Sorkin and for a drama it is at times very funny. It will remind you of how great political leaders should be, and inevitably how far the current ones are from that. – Shaun
Books
20000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne – Classic science-fiction adventure about a man in isolation. His ocean exile is self-imposed and interrupted by unwanted guests who join him on his underwater journey. – Shaun
Dracula by Bram Stoker– It’s tempting here to put a big series like The Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire but why not indulge in a classic? Dracula is the father of horror and one of my favourites as a teenager. I will definitely reread this beauty if I have to quarantine. – Callum
Misery by Stephen King – A wonderful insight into one’s life as a writer vs fan, and has an excellent way of getting across the theme of gaslighting. Perhaps a little schlocky as it gets towards the end but I loved the begrudging relationship between the two characters. – Jon
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age Of Amazon by Brad Stone – Srivats
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks – My favourite series of books and have read them at least three times. Features monsters, magic and assassins, what more could you want? – Scott
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Debut novel that offers creativity in spades. Set in a world modelled on feudal Japan, it mixes fantasy with detailed warfare. – James
Albums
Amo by Bring Me The Horizon – Scoring the band their first UK number 1, Amo continues the evolution of this once exclusively screamo band into a new and more mainstream music genre. Of particular note is the song Heavy Metal which is a commentary on the fan reaction to BMTH’s move away from metal music. – James
Direct Hits by The Killers – Might be cheating a bit to choose a greatest hits album but it’s worth it. This covers the bands first four albums and I’m not sure another act comes close to this amount of sing-along anthems over the same time period. Even the two new songs are great. – Shaun
Get Rich Or Die Tryin by 50 Cent – I’m a big hip-hop fan and this album is one of the very best. 50 Cent’s swagger is infectious and his flow is a laid back, flawless art form that I very much love. – Callum
Games
Call Of Duty Warzone – Everything the battle royale genre should be. Fun, intense but accessible. Free to play and easy to learn, it’s well made and perfect for those on lockdown with zero budget and a lot of free time. – James
Classic Pokemon – If you’re a hoarder like me then you might have an old Game Boy or DS somewhere, so why not charge one up and indulge in a nostalgic poke-journey. My personal pick would be Leaf Green/Fire Red.* – Callum
*If you can’t play the true classic, Pokemon Let’s Go on the Switch is a remade version of Pokemon Yellow – James
FFXIV – Nothing like a good MMO to sink your teeth into whilst you have an abundance of time – Scott
The Last Of Us – Going for an end of days theme! – Ryan
Tetris – This was the game that came with my Game Boy. And then my DS. Totally addictive, you can have hours and hours of fun clearing those lines! – Shaun
Podcasts
The Rewatchables – Three or four co-hosts gather to chat about a movie deemed worthy of watching over and over again. They go into great detail, via a variety of categories such as Apex Mountain, Casting What Ifs… and Most Rewatchable Scene. With over a 100 films in the back catalogue there’s bound to be one on a movie you love. – Shaun
The Weekly Planet – Australia’s most loved entertainment podcast. Chats about movies, TV and comics often descend into comedy riffs and general banter. Perfect for casual listeners, this is a fun and surface level podcast with more laughs than insight. – James
Today, Explained – Srivats
YouTube
Dunkey – I’m not particularly one for game analysts but Dunkey has a strange, very particular outlook that just makes everything so ridiculous and guarantees him a spot on my notifications. – Jon
JustinGuitar – If you’ve got a guitar lying around that’s remained untouched, why not use your new found free time to teach yourself. JustinGuitar offers a super easy, idiot proof beginners course. There are also other YouTubers that teach nearly every instrument so why not dust off that old keyboard or find your ukulele. – Callum
Kegz – Has been releasing the chilliest indiest tracks that you’ve never heard of. Sit back and let them sweep over you. – Jon
Kurzgesagt – Cleverly animated videos that explain complex concepts and answer big questions in an entertaining way. High-brow content in easy to understand terms. Great video about Covid-19 for topical education! – James
We hope you find something you like and would love to get your recommendations, leave them in the comments or let us know on one of our social channels. Remember, there’s always plenty to read here at FinalBoss!
