Start the semester strong with your January streaming guide

With a new semester beginning, new shows and movies will be a perfect break in routine from classes. Whether you like period dramas, comedy, animation or all three, there is bound to be something for everyone to check out this month. You may just find your new guilty pleasure series or get hooked on a stand-alone movie that leaves you wanting for more.

Netflix

“Bridgerton”

Content Warning: Episode 6 of “Bridgerton” contains references to sexual assault. 

“Bridgerton” proves that regardless of the time, drama is always present. The show is set in the Regency era and plays into every ballroom-filled fantasy a person could have. The modern storytelling gives the viewer the impression that the Bridgerton family acts quite similar to the Upper East Side socialites found in contemporary dramas like “Gossip Girl.” The show opens on the higher regalty initiating arranged marriages for the single members of the family. Soon after, drama erupts when suitors are deemed inadequate for the eligible bachelorettes. This leads to learning more about each member of the family, their scandals and their traumas. It’s difficult to provide more detail about the series because spoilers arrive within the first episode, but if the regal world interests you even a little bit, this show is worth checking out. 

USC alumna Shonda Rhimes serves as one of the executive producers, which makes this recommendation extra special. Rhimes, alongside her co-executive producers,  decided to cast a diverse group of actors to play parts that have been historically reserved in period pieces by white actors.

“Big Mouth”

The fourth season of Netflix’s original animated comedy arrived over winter break, and it did not disappoint long-time fans. Existing characters Nick Birch (Nick Kroll), Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney), Jay Bilzerian (Jason Mantzoukas), Missy Missy Foreman-Greenwald (Ayo Edebiri) and Jessi Glaser (Jessi Klein) continue navigating middle school and puberty together with the help of their hormone monsters and, at times, their parents. One new character, Tito the Anxiety Mosquito (Maria Bamford), antagonizes the group of friends while providing the viewer with a representation of how anxiety can manifest differently for every person. When looking beyond the raunchy, middle-school-level comedic moments, the viewer is able to learn a bit more about themselves through the successes and failures each character has.

HBO Max

“Wonder Woman 1984”

Leaving HBO Max Jan. 24, this made-for-theater blockbuster got the straight-to-DVD treatment due to the pandemic. The film follows Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in 1984 as she leads a double life working at the Smithsonian as her day job and fighting crime when it arises as Wonder Woman. Her coworker, Barbara Ann Minerva (Kristen Wiig), becomes envious of the attention Prince garners and, acting on desperation, wishes on a stone to be like her. The stone, however, unleashes a new wave of evil as villain Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) arrives to use the stone’s power for his benefit. As the over two hour film plays out, viewers can only hope to see a blockbuster of this caliber in theaters again soon.

“King of Staten Island”

“SNL” star Pete Davidson stars in this comedy-drama loosely based on his own life. Scott Carlin, the main character, is a 20-something-year-old who is floundering with no direction for his life. After experiencing his father’s death at a young age, Scott, his sister and their mother are left to navigate life without him. 

Years later, after his sister has left for college, Scott’s mom begins to start over again by finding a new boyfriend and changing the house against Scott’s will. Although their team dynamic falters, in the end both Scott and his mom realize the importance of keeping one another close. The film is a treat for both super fans of Pete Davidson and those who are unfamiliar with his life.

Disney+

“Soul”

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) and 22 (Tina Fey) are an unlikely yet powerhouse duo in the latest Pixar film, “Soul.” Gardner is a middle school music teacher who loses his drive to teach as he realizes he has always wanted to perform. As things start to go his way, he finds himself in the Great Beyond, Pixar’s version of the afterlife, where he meets 22. Their envisioning of what the afterlife looks like is comforting for the viewer but is not paradise for Gardner. Gardner and 22 team up to fulfill the other’s desires to go to Earth, yet, they are in direct violation of what the Great Beyond requires them to do. As they spend time together, it becomes evident that both characters are about as different as can be. Still, their high jinks allow them to learn from one another the importance of appreciating what life has to offer.

“Wandavision”

Set directly after “Avengers: Endgame,” this television show follows the life of superheroes Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) as they adjust to life in American suburbia. Their adjustment seems to be going fairly well as Vision settles into his job and Wanda plays the role of housewife quite well. As they learn more about themselves since they don’t know their own backstory, their progress slows. It is unclear what the show’s long-term plot will be since only the first two episodes have been released so far and seem to be set in two distinct decades. A full season is set to roll out in the coming months. 

Aside from the story captivating Marvel fans, this show has the potential to be a turning point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as this may be emblematic of further made-for-television episodic efforts over films. That’s only speculation currently, but it is something interesting to consider given the pandemic’s impact on the movie industry and theaters specifically.

Amazon Prime Video

“One Night in Miami”

“One Night in Miami” serves as Regina King’s directorial debut. Although fiction, the film provides a look into what might occur in a meeting between Muhammed Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Their conversation revolves around each of their unique and significant roles in the civil rights movement. The realizations that occur between the men throughout the film make it difficult to believe it only took place during one meeting one night. Each man’s personal turmoil influences how he interacts with the others and what he expects of them moving forward.