Five Reasons You NEED Netflix!
First, let's be clear, I have something to confess. I'm wasting money by paying for cable when I only really NEED the internet! If it wasn't for the fact that BET released the New Edition movie and every now and then Beyonce drops a jewel on HBO, I wouldn't have cable at all. I live on Netflix (and sometimes the knock-offs like TubiTV and Crackle) and don't even go near the actual cable remote for weeks at a time. Netflix is addicting and I'm going to give you five reasons you need to get addicted too. After all, we're friends and friends share good things.
Reason #1: Orange Is The New Black
Set in a women's prison and based off of (a tiny portion of) true events. This show has been a major hit since the first season premiered. It follows the life of an inmate named Piper who was convicted of drug smuggling and how her life is impacted by the other women inside the prison. It's obvious that Piper is the main character but there are still quite a few women who could easily take her place. There isn't a character that I don't love in some small way (even the bad ones because good acting is to be commended). I'm not even going to lie, I cried several times last season. LIKE A BABY. This show is awesome and reminds me to obey the law unless I want to have to make weapons out of toothbrushes and learn how to create my own makeup and wine! If you're into binge watching (like most of the world's population) catch up on the past seasons before the new one drops in June!
Reason #2: The Get Down
The Get Down literally tells the story of how rap/hip hop was created. It's got everything from rap battles, wayward church kids, disco divas and shady record producers. Pretty much everything from the late 70's and early 80's including the drugs, crooked political officials and squatting in abandoned houses.
I suggest watching this show even if you don't like rap/hip hop because the story lines are well written and let's face it, the costume design is amazing! The sheer circular-ness of Jaden Smith's afro is enough! Every inch of this movie screams "Sugar Hill Gang" meets "Donna Summer" in Spanish Harlem for a flash concert but I'm here for every second of it and you should be too!
Reason #3: Dear White People
Dear White People is the School Daze for millennials. It's social injustice, privilege, classism and undefined sexual identity all rolled into one, well-shot, college experience. The original movie was released in 2014 but the newly released Netflix series premiered on Friday April 28, 2017. The 10 episodes are broken down into chapters, each one digging deeper into a character's backstory, and really bring their specific struggles to light. Dear White People takes a long hard look at the lives college students live from the fun to the frustration to fit in. I swear the whole time I was watching it I was thinking how much this reminded me of the fictional Hillman College. . . after dark. . . with no chaperones! Take a trip back to college and binge on this one ASAPtually!
Reason #4: Chewing Gum
If awkward was a person, this would be her life, and so, it is. This poor child, Tracey, has an UBER RELIGIOUS mother, a crazy best friend and a jealous nitwit for a sister and they all make the show awesome! Not to mention in season one she was on a wild quest to lose her virginity!
Chewing Gum is a straight awkward, embarrassing, comedy and you just know that someone out there has a life just like Tracey's! This show is set in London so, if you can get passed the accents, you're going to love this show!
Watch the first few episodes and if it doesn't pique your fancy, come back and tell me why because, we're going to need to discuss this!
Reason #5: Luke Cage
Listen, you need to watch this simply because he's a Black super hero and I said you should! Seriously, he's fighting crime, full of muscles and bullet proof! Ok, that's probably enough about the eye-candy (I'll get back to it later trust me, this show has some great acting! Alfre Woodard shows her good acting skills in quite a few episodes as well as Mahershala Ali. It's got gangster vibes, some brief nudity (hey Luke) and some serious fight scenes! Luke Cage is part of the Marvel Comics franchise so be prepared for some comic book type styling but boy-oh-boy is this show good! This show doesn't even need me to review it for you, just watch it because I said so!
If you've seen any of these shows, whether you liked them or they didn't suit your tastes, post your comments below and we'll chat about it!
