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One of the most frustrating parts about living in the middle of a television zeitgeist is that there are just too many good things to watch. Sure, we all want to be up to date on Narcos or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but we also need to sleep, hang out with friends, date. work, and travel to all those places in between. It can be frustrating, but if you can’t get enough of great television, there’s a cheat for you. Netflix lets its subscribers download a select amount of its shows and movies for offline viewing, meaning if you don’t mind watching shows in public, commuting can be a lot more fun.
As long as its not a huge title like The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story or owned by Disney, you can basically download any show or movie from Netflix that you want. However, Netflix and traveling requires a difficult balance. You want a watch that’s engaging but isn’t so mature it will scare the people around you. Also, it all has to look decent on a tiny screen. On that front, we’re here to help. No matter how long your commute is, here are some of the best titles you can remotely binge without feeling embarrassed.
Less Than 30 Minutes: 'Schitt's Creek'
This Pop TV show you probably haven’t seen follows a wealthy family who loses everything and is forced to slum it in a motel. There are crazy outfits, great one-liners, and some of the funniest rich characters this side of Arrested Development. Plus, because it’s a network comedy, there are very few sexy scenes that could leave you embarrassed, and each episode is about 21 minutes long.
Less Than 30 Minutes: 'Nailed It'
Netflix’s latest baking show is all sorts of fun, especially if you secretly enjoy watching people look silly in competition shows. Nailed It follows a group of generally bad bakers as they try to recreate some of the most elaborate cakes and cookies you’ve ever seen. Of course everyone fails, but host Nicole Byer makes it work.
Less Than 30 Minutes: 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'
Looking for an inspirational way to start your day? Jerry Seinfeld’s series about some of the most impressive comedians of our time is now available to stream and download on Netflix. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee watches like a mini documentary about your favorite performers, and with episodes that are less than half an hour each, it’s an easy binge.
About an Hour: 'Black Mirror'
If you need to go somewhere but also want a new reason to be skeptical of all of the technology around you, queue up Black Mirror. Each episode is its own self-contained hourlong story, so as long as you plan out your binge, you should be fine. Also, the show isn’t overwhelmingly violent or steamy, so it’s safe for public binges, but there are some exceptions that prove the rule. To help you out, here are the Black Mirror episodes that are the most “appropriate” if you’re watching in public:
- “The Entire History of You”
- “White Bear”
- “The Waldo Moment”
- “Nosedive”
- “Shut Up and Dance”
- “Playtest”
- “Men Against Fire”
- “Hated in the Nation”
- “USS Callister”
- “Metalhead”
- “Black Museum”
About an Hour: 'Dirty Money'
Want to watch something that gets you mad? Then Netflix’s Dirty Money is for you. The docu-series combines some of the best directors working in the medium with stories of corporate corruption. It’s deeply shocking, but watch out. You may find yourself screaming in anger at your phone or tablet.
About an Hour: 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' and 'Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return'
Technically all episodes of Mystery Science Theater and its Netflix reboot are longer than an hour, but because it’s just an hour of people ruthlessly ripping on terrible movies, it’s not like there’s a plot you need to follow. If you love podcasts like How Did This Get Made?, give the first professional mockery show a shot.
About Two Hours: 'Sing'
Sadly, none of Netflix’s Disney, Marvel, or LucasFilm movies are available to download. However, that’s not really a problem because now you have the opportunity to check out the delightful Sing. This animated musical comedy about a group of animals wanting to achieve their professional singing dreams is fun enough to keep you entertained but light enough so that your long flight doesn’t feel like a chore.
About Two Hours: 'Moonrise Kingdom'
To be fair, any film by Wes Anderson deserves as big of a screen as you can find. However, sometimes you don’t have that luxury and you want to watch something heart-warming and sweet that’s still cool and dramatic. That’s where Moonrise Kingdom comes in. Also, since Anderson is a fairly chaste director, there aren’t any nudity scenes you have to worry about.
About Two Hours: 'Spotlight'
Again, this Oscar-winning film deserves as big of a screen as you can find, but we all have to make sacrifices. Apart from being a genuinely thrilling drama, on a content level, Spotlight is a perfect commuting binge. Because it’s just about reporters getting to the truth, there are no risque scenes and lots of tense arguments.
About Two Hours: 'The Founder'
Did you see the movie where Michael Keaton played the founder of McDonald’s? No? That’s because this was the movie of 2016 that everyone was mildly interested in but no one watched. Cross it off your list now.
More Than Two Hours: 'The Crown'
It seems like you’re traveling somewhere pretty far. Instead of getting bummed out about how long your commute is, why not invest that time in one of Netflix’s greatest originals? The award-winning The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth II all throughout her life, and because it’s all about tight-lipped royal drama, there’s nothing on here that will embarrass you if some stranger catches a glimpse of your screen
More Than Two Hours: 'Girls Incarcerated'
This docu-series follows the lives of teenage girls who have been incarcerated at a juvenile correctional facility in Madison, Ind. It can be a bit heavy, but because the stories from different episodes intersect with one another, it makes for a great long watch.
More Than Two Hours: 'Jane the Virgin'
This CW show is one of those series that is a genuine delight but never gets as much attention as it deserves. Now you can cure this particular pop culture blind spot and catch up.
