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Before you know it, we’ll be hitting the dog days of summer, where you’ll want to do nothing more than lay around out of the sizzling sun and heat. But if those slow, hot summer days have you feeling completely bored and aimless, we’ve got you covered with the best titles to help you pass the time.
We at Decider have long been committed to helping people figure out what to watch and when, so helping to relieve some summertime bored is a piece of cake. Follow along as we serve up a full spectrum of content culminating in 13 movies and TV shows that range in tone and genre so that there’s sure to be something for everybody.
So no matter what you’re into, we’ve surely got at least one boredom alleviating suggestion for you to stream now.
'Palm Springs'
CAST: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J. K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher, Camila Mendes, Meredith Hagner, Tyler Hoechlin, June Squibb, Dale Dickey, Conner O’Malley
RATING: R
DESCRIPTION: Palm Springs was a surprise hit in the summer of 2020, transporting us to a mind-blowing world of time loops and a never-ending wedding to deliver us some hilarious, action-packed, and sweet escapist content just when we needed it most. And if a movie could thrive in those early depressing peak-pandemic days, then you KNOW it can snap you out of your boredom now (or any time, really).
Palm Springs is a sci-fi rom-com revolving around carefree Nyles (Samberg) and burdened maid-of-honor Sarah (Milioti), who go from being strangers at a wedding to stuck in a time-loop together that forces them to relive the wedding day over and over, inadvertently bringing them closer. Conflict arises when Sarah wants to escape the loop while Nyles is happy to remain their with her forever, putting them at odds at a time when they need each other most. The film is a true marvel of originality that gives you the familiar trope of the time loop as you’ve never seen it before, creating a boredom-free viewing experience you’ll want to immerse yourself in again and again (and again and again and again).
'Schitt's Creek'
CAST: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Chris Elliott, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, Jennifer Robertson, Dustin Milligan, Tim Rozon
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: It’s not just the show’s many awards and overwhelming critical acclaim that have made Schitt’s Creek a sure-fire boredom blaster. Eugene and Dany Levy’s sitcom is a wonderful riches to rags story following video store magnate Johnny (Eugene Levy)and his wife, soap opera star Moira (O’Hara), who go broke and are forced to give up their lives of luxury to live at their last remaining asset, Schitt’s Creek, with their spoiled grown-up children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Murphy).
While it is fun to see pretentious people get humbled, the show is also a treasure because it’s about a family who, despite their uppity and obnoxious moments, truly do love each other, so that you can’t help but root for them in the end and quickly get sucked into their lives and various pursuits, successes, and failures. There’s never a dull moment when you’re hanging with the Rose family, that’s for sure.
'Spirited Away'
CAST: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Bunta Sugawara, Akio Nakamura, Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Yō Ōizumi
RATING: PG
DESCRIPTION: To kick boredom to the curb, how about something whimsical, haunting, and visually stunning? You get all three with Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, an Academy Award-winning 2001 animated fantasy film that follows 10-year-old Chihiro (Hiiragi), whose stunning and perilous journey into a secret magical world begins with her parents (Naitô, Sawaguchi) turning into pigs after they’ve accidentally trespassed on a resort for magical beings.
With the help of the mysterious Haku (Irino), it’s up to Chihiro to work at the resort in order to free both herself and her parents from this mystical realm, and to remain undeterred by a name-stealing witch, a greedy faceless spirit, a giant baby, and more. Who could possibly be bored whilst experiencing a plot like that?
'Community'
CAST: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase, Jim Rash
RATING: TV-14
DESCRIPTION: For most network TV shows, there are certain parameters to fit into and things to do and avoid in order to make a series at least somewhat family-friendly and appropriate to air. Community, however, did things their own way (mostly thanks to the chaotic genius of Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon), culminating in a meta, risk-taking sitcom that was so ahead of its time (the show aired from 2009 to 2015) that it is still somehow relevant and hilarious today.
If your own life ever feels boring, then all you need to do is take a little trip to Greendale Community College, where there’s always something absurd or ridiculous going on. But for all of its outlandish moments, this cult classic series also has a ton of heart, largely thanks to its focus on the well-written, misfit characters who make up the show’s core Spanish study group and those around them, as well as the incredible actors (I mean, just look at that cast list!) who bring them to life.
'Thelma & Louise'
CAST: Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt
RATING: R
DESCRIPTION: What better way to kick boredom to the curb than watch an invigorating movie about people doing the same? What begins as besties Thelma (Davis) and Louise’s (Sarandon) fun weekend vacation to escape their boring lives in Arkansas quickly spins out of control after the ladies become involved in a murder, leading to a wild buddy road trip that’s simultaneously an intense police chase, culminating in an iconic ending. There’s definitely no room for boredom when you’re hanging with our girls Thelma and Louise, so be sure to add this Ridley Scott-directed, Academy Award-winning movie to your queue now!
'The Simpsons'
CAST: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, Pamela Hayden
RATING: TV-14
DESCRIPTION: As many of you may know, The Simpsons is the longest-running animated series in U.S. history. With this in mind, no matter what you’re interested in or in the mood for, there is surely at least one thing to cure your boredom among the 728 episodes of the show that have been broadcast since its premiere in 1989.
The Fox comedy series revolves around the titular Simpson family, helmed by donut-loving, charmingly oafish, nuclear-plant employee Homer and his kind-hearted, tall-haired wife Marge. Together with their kids, troublemaking Bart, overachieving Lisa, and lil’ rascal Maggie, the Simpsons go about their daily lives in Springfield, where wacky hi-jinx of all kinds ensue, fun and strange characters reside, and anything is possible.
'Parasite'
CAST: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin
RATING: R
DESCRIPTION: It feels like just yesterday that the world was buzzing about Bong Joon-ho‘s 2019 black comedy thriller Parasite, a feat of heart-pounding originality that earned practically universal acclaim and accolades that include four Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe Award, and the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Let’s get that buzz going all over again by watching (or rewatching) this striking film that follows the horrors experienced by the poor Kim family and wealthy Parks due to class discrimination and greed, as the Kims infiltrate the Parks’ home and lives in order to leech off their money and lavish lifestyle. Parasite is sure to get your attention as much as a rock to the head (but will luckily be way less painful).
'Stranger Things'
CAST: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp
RATING: TV-14
DESCRIPTION: As we get closer to the final part of Stranger Things Season 4’s highly-anticipated July 1 premiere, there is no better time than now to brush up on the thrilling (and often times horrifying) lives of your favorite Hawkins, Indiana residents. Even if you’re all caught up with Stranger Things, the seasons tend to come out so many years apart that any fan could benefit from brushing up on how it started to get a better sense of how we got to the Vecna-terrorized world that the (nearly all grown up!) kids are trying to survive in today.
You may be left with nightmares after bingeing such a superb and scary show so quickly, but hey, at least your boredom will be a thing of the past!
'Harry Potter'
CAST: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, John Hurt, Gary Oldman, John Cleese, David Thewlis, Tom Felton
RATING: PG to PG-13
DESCRIPTION: If you’re bored and have nothing to do, there’s probably no better way to kill time than by watching all eight Harry Potter films in an epic marathon of magic and escapist entertainment, action, and fantasy. Start with the 2001 (has it really been that long?!) first movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and work your way to the 2011 epic final film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 for nearly 20 full hours of seeing beloved heroes Harry (Radcliffe), Ron (Grint), and Hermione (Watson) grow up before our eyes and, of course, save the world along the way.
After watching them all, you won’t be bored, but you probably will be exhausted (so maybe pace yourself if you can help it).
'Breaking Bad'
CAST: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Laura Fraser, Jesse Plemons
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: As evidenced by its many accolades (including 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and two Peabody Awards) and the people around the world who still sing its praises, this neo-Western crime-drama is one of the best TV shows of all-time. Whether you’ve never seen the show before or are a longtime fan, Breaking Bad is thrilling television that immediately pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you follow the journey of Walter White (Cranston) from hardworking and straight-laced high-school chemistry teacher to shady and dangerous meth maker and drug dealer.
What is Walt willing to do for his family in order to secure a good life for them following his Stage III lung cancer diagnosis? The better question is what won’t he do, and you can look forward to seeing the wild action he takes and decisions he makes through all five seasons of this legendary Vince Gilligan series.
'Rear Window'
CAST: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Georgine Darcy
RATING: PG
DESCRIPTION: Maybe the reason why you’re bored is that you’ve been watching and experiencing the same sorts of things over and over again these days. If you want to shake things up, just check out Rear Window, the Academy Award-nominated mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock that, despite being made in 1954, is still remarkably relevant in our current age of voyeurism and nosiness induced by social media and reality TV.
The film follows L. B. “Jeff” Jefferies (Stewart), a professional photographer who passes the time recovering from an injury by watching his neighbors out of his rear window during a heat wave. His innocent curiosity about their lives becomes twisted, however, when Jeff believes he witnesses the murder of one of his neighbors, leading to a tense and gripping murder-mystery that is sure to draw you in and keep boredom at bay.
'The Office'
CAST: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, Leslie David Baker, Ed Helms, Ellie Kemper, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton,Oscar Nuñez, B.J. Novak, Craig Robinson, Paul Lieberstein, Zach Woods
RATING: TV-14
DESCRIPTION: I mean, just look at that cast list. The comedy talents behind NBC’s beloved American remake of The Office are some of the best in the biz, still crushing it on screens big and small today. It’s largely thanks to these stars that unforgettable characters were brought to life, making us fall in love with Scranton paper company Dunder-Mifflin and its colorful crew of employees. It’s hard to believe that The Office has been off-air for a whole decade now, but the good news is that it’s endlessly rewatchable, making it a fun and binge-worthy way to cure boredom.
'Everything Everywhere All at Once'
Where to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once
CAST: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr.
RATING: R
DESCRIPTION: It’s got to be physically impossible to be bored whilst watching Everything Everywhere All at Once. This absurdist comedy-drama film from Daniels (the brilliant minds also behind Swiss Army Man) is definitely unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s mind and genre-bending, incorporating everything from action to sci-fi to raunchy comedy to romance, but at its heart, the film is a story about family, mothers and daughters, and the power of love in its ever-changing forms.
Attempting to explain else wouldn’t even begin to do this wild ride of a film justice, so just do yourselves a favor this summer by watching Everything Everywhere All at Once as soon as you can (and then again and again).
