Social Distance

SOCIAL DISTANCE (L to R) OSCAR NUNEZ as MIGUEL VILLAREAL, CAMILA PEREZ as PAOLA, GIANNA ARAGON as OLIVIA, LUCA COSTANZO as BRAYDON, DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA as REINA VILLAREAL, TOM COSTANZO as CHAD, MICHAEL SANDOVAL as UNCLE TONY, and GUILLERMO DIAZ as SANTIAGO VILLAREAL in episode 102 of SOCIAL DISTANCE Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2020

Need to Know:
A Netflix anthology series filmed entirely in isolation and capturing quarantine life to a T.

Creator: Hilary Weisman Graham
Cast: Oscar Nuñez, Danielle Brooks, Heather Burns, Mike Colter

Why is It Worth Watching?

The pandemic made pants, daily showers, and face-toface meetings optional, but harsh realities such as single parenting, funerals, and break-ups didn’t go anywhere. Enter: Social Distance, an anthology series that captures the unprecedented nuances of quarantine life. We see a working mother watching over her young daughter via webcam, a newly single barber attempting to stay sober with the help of an online support system, a family gathering to grieve the loss of a loved one over Zoom, and a frazzled man tending to his sick wife though regular check-ins on FaceTime. Behind Social Distance is a handful of familiar names like Hilary Weisman Graham, Jenji Kohan, and Danielle Brooks – all of Orange Is the New Black fame – which explains the show’s ability to see both the hilarity and darkness of social isolation. Admittedly, a commentary on the pandemic feels premature and some plotlines are weaker than others, but what remains impressive is the fact that all eight episodes were produced remotely.

Admittedly, a commentary on the pandemic feels premature and some plotlines are weaker than others, but what remains impressive is the fact that all eight episodes were produced remotely

Holidate

HOLIDATE (2020)
Emma Roberts as Sloane Reed and Luke Bracey as Jackson.
Cr. Steve Dietl/NETFLIX

Need to Know:
Sick of being alone on holidays, two single people make a pact to navigate family gatherings as each other’s platonic plus-one.

Director: John Whitesell
Cast: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Kristin Chenoweth, Jessica Capshaw

Why is It Worth Watching?

It feels like the holiday season rolled around a little earlier this year thanks to the release of Netflix original Holidate – not that we’re complaining. Yes, it’s a typical romcom (read: predictable and unrealistic), but it makes for a decent 103-minute escape. The story revolves around Sloane and her family’s constant pressure for her to find right person and, after yet another nightmarish Christmas at home, she crosses paths with the solution: Jackson. Bonding over their mutual hatred for being single over major holidays, they agree to become each other’s “holidate” sans romance. The movie makes stops at every holiday ranging from New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day to Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and more until we’re back at Christmas. And despite the main characters being adamant that they’re not looking to settle down, they end up finding just what they need (spoiler alert: each other). Holidate may be formulaic in nature, but all those awkward family moments make it worth watching.