Do you need a safe, fun distraction from the global pandemic engulfing all of us? I think we all do, and I love that so many artists are doing their part from within their areas of expertise.

Orchestras around the world are offering free live concerts online. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has started a #SongsofComfort initiative. Art historian Ada Palmer has popularized the hashtag #SomethingBeautiful on Twitter. And in the crowdsourcing domain, readers of The Guardian have put together a recommended reading list.

As a film & TV translator, the first thing that occurs to me is, why not catch up on some classic movies you’ve always meant to get around to, or revisit your favorites?

So, here’s a list of classics to watch on Amazon Prime and Netflix while you’re quarantined or self-isolating. (…Okay, maybe the sushi documentary isn’t a classic, but sushi is classic, am I right?)

Enjoy!

On Amazon Prime:

1. The African Queen (1952)
2. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
3. Clue (1985)
4. The 39 Steps (1935)

Want a Top 50 list of both classics and more recent films on Amazon Prime? Check out The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now from the New York Times.

The first two films in this list feature improbably awesome pairings of A-List stars. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in the same movie? Yes, we’ll take The African Queen. Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne in the same movie? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a powerful depiction of the tension between the fading Wild West and the rising rule of law coming in from the eastern US, is one of the most memorable classics I watched as a teen. Clue–yes, it’s based on that Clue–is a cult classic with fun performances by Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn. And Alfred Hitchcock is always in style, The 39 Steps being no exception.

On my Amazon Prime watchlist: Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Sunset Boulevard (1950), and The Birdcage (1996).

On Netflix:

1. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
3. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
4. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

In these troubled times, sometimes you just need to kick back with Raiders of the Lost Ark and watch Indiana Jones fight Nazis. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won Ang Lee multiple Oscars and features a great cast, including Michelle Yeoh, whom both my father and I are huge fans of. Hayao Miyazaki’s film debut Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro can be watched with your kids around. It’s the least “Lupin-like” of all Lupin III movies, but fun in its own right. A warning about Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the delightful documentary about sushi chef Jiro Ono: it may cause an uncontrollable craving for raw fish on rice. If you’re quarantined, consume this film responsibly.

Want a Top 50 list of both classics and more recent films on Netflix? Check out The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now from the New York Times.

On my Netflix watchlist: Purple Rain (1984) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). As a note, this Spider-Man movie contains strobe lights that may trigger seizures in those with certain medical conditions.

And as a gift to us from the universe, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is available on both platforms.

 

Note: all the movies on this list are included for free with their respective services at press time on 3/15/2020. Movies come and go from streaming services all the time, so if you are reading this post in the future, there is a possibility that they are no longer available.