Netflix is a godsend for college students.
Not because it helps out with homework (because, let’s be honest, no one with Netflix open is planning on getting any school work done), but because it provides a quick escape from all responsibility by allowing you to watch all the shows you were too embarrassed to watch when they first came on.
Having such a close ally when facing down a to-do list is probably what keeps most of us going (well, that and coffee), which makes it all the more devastating when Netflix drops a favorite show in favor of something newer or less expensive it can feature instead.
With Spring Break upon us, the time has come to responsibly binge-watch anything you denied yourself while class was in session. Sadly, some Netflix lovers may find to their dismay that their go-to source of joy and relaxation has been removed from the streaming service with nary a trace.
It is to you that this list of some of the more offbeat Netflix selections is dedicated. Hopefully these shows can help fill the hole in your heart left by the absence of your favorite films and series.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Ok, yeah, a bit of an odd choice for spring, but sometimes you need a dash of holiday nostalgia to power you through the end of a semester. Enjoy this tale of romance told through the music of the genius Irving Berlin, and don’t listen to anyone who dares to remind you Christmas isn’t for another nine months.
Tracks
With the unpredictable weather that is a Utah spring, “Tracks” can help you trick yourself into thinking you are somewhere much warmer than you actually are. This movie follows Mia Wasikowska playing the go-getter Robyn as she embarks on a 1,700-mile trek across Australia with four camels and a faithful dog. Surprisingly engaging despite the seeming simplicity of the plot, the film alternates between glimpses of Robyn’s sometimes dangerous long journey and flashbacks of the past she’s trying to work through.
Feminist and empowering, this movie is a great watch, and the fact that it is based on the true story of the woman who actually made the trip makes it even cooler.
Waste Land
What is art, really? Can trash be art?
According to “Waste Land,” a documentary about the so-called “catadores” of Rio de Janeiro who search through the trash of the world’s largest landfill to make a living, the answer is a defiant “yes.” Vik Muniz, a modern artist, works with the catadores in the film to painstakingly create beautiful portraits of themselves using the trash that has so long defined them as lesser. Powerful and educational, “Waste Land” provides a new take on art and the value of that which we throw away without a second thought. This film is a good choice if you are starting to feel like nothing has value except what academia determines does. Watch “Waste Land” — you’ll feel better.