Okay, first things first. What tools are we going to need as we attempt to survive the coming months of isolation?
Before entering the wilderness, the right tools are essential; and make no mistake, this is the wilderness. Many of us are entering unprecedented territory; a tangent, a liminal space, a time outside of time. Fear not, my friends, we will do battle with the isolation and emerge better for it.
Our mission is to survive being trapped in our homes for what looks like months without going entirely mad. So, like every movie ever made about a mission/quest/battle/adventure/journey/endeavor/etc., things always begin with a montage of our intrepid heroes arming themselves with the tools they’ll need to survive.
Over the next few posts, I will lay out the tools I’ll be using to survive my time sheltering in place.
First, the tl:dr version: You absolutely need to download the JustWatch app, figure out how to use it, and thank me later for helping you survive this insanity.
Also, this may seem like a commercial, but it’s not. I just love this app. Even before these crazy times, I still used it nearly every day.
With that out of the way, on to the full version:
Obviously, one of the main things we’re all going to do over the next few weeks, and perhaps months, is watch the fuck out of some movies and shows.
We’ll watch new-to-us stuff we’ve never gotten around to, and old favorites that offer the comfort we need in these supremely anxious times. We’ll watch powerful stories that challenge us and lift us up, and silly, mindless nonsense to help distract us from the chaos outside our doors; edifying high art, and delightful tripe we’ll pretend we don’t enjoy.
This is why we need the JustWatch app. It’s the first tool we’ll need in our quarantine utility belts. If you’re going to binge shows and movies at the end of the world, you’re going to need this app.
For the uninitiated, JustWatch is your one-stop-shop for finding out what you can watch on the streaming apps you have access to. It can also help you decide what to watch without surfing each streaming platform individually.
There are three primary ways to use JustWatch, all of which are going to be fucking clutch while you weather life in the time of Covid19.
1. Scroll Through Everything Available on Every Streaming Platform You Have
Once you download the JustWatch app, or visit the site on your browser, you get to highlight all of your streaming apps. After that, you can find a selection of any and all movies waiting for you on those apps. Chances are, you’ll find a bunch of titles you had no idea you had access to.
Choose your platforms, click on the ‘popular’ button, and just like that you’ll be able to see just how much is there at your fingertips to edify or distract yourself indefinitely.
Left unfiltered, the ‘popular’ button shows you everything available, prioritized by what other people are into right now. But be assured that you don’t have to scroll far to skip past the obvious stuff and get into the deep cuts.
As helpful as that can be when you have no idea what you want to watch, the even better option is to add filters to help you discover something you’re actually in the mood for without scrolling through every movie or show in existence.
If you only want to be shown films released over the last two years, you can do that. Want to explore shows but limit the genre to comedy? You can do that, too. Action films from the 80s? Go for it. Westerns released in 1975? Yes, you can get that specific.
Or you can keep the field relatively wide. Not positive what you’re in the mood for, but know what you’re definitely not in the mood for? Just click the filters for any type of movie or show you maybe want to watch, while excluding those you aren’t interested in. This will show you anything related to your preferred genres.
When you see something you’re interested in, just click the icon to visit a page that shows you where to stream the title. This page also features a synopsis, a trailer, cast and crew details, and a Rotten Tomatoes score. You can also see a score based on the opinions of JustWatch users and the IMDB user score, but you should ignore those because most people are fucking idiots.
2. Start a Watchlist to Create a Personalized Version of the Feature Above
As you’re scrolling through the massive list of options available using the first method, you’ll probably notice a bunch of titles you’re not in the mood for tonight, but know you’ll want to watch eventually. That’s where the ‘watchlist’ comes in. As you scroll, you can click a little bookmark on each icon. This will add that title to a list you can access separately. Later, simply open the app, go to your watchlist, and get all the features of the ‘popular’ tab, but limited to films you’ve saved for later. Now you can see all the stuff you’ve already shown interest in that is available for you to stream right now.
3. Search Any Title You Can Think of to See Where It’s Available Right Now
This is, by a very large margin, the feature I use the most.
The search feature makes it so you can find out the ways to watch any title that pops into your head. Search a title, and JustWatch will show you all places you can watch it for free, as well as what it would cost to rent or purchase it on Amazon, OnDemand, Redbox, iTunes, etc.
In the mood to watch Into the Spider-Verse tonight? Boom, Netflix. — Moulin Rouge? HBO Go. — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Hulu. — Shaun of the Dead? Starz. — Office Space? Well, unfortunately you’re going to have to pay for that one on the rental platform of your choice.
The first two features are a way to explore when you’re not sure what you want to watch. The search tab is the way to find out how to watch exactly what you have in mind. As I’m working on some of the upcoming posts for RtM, I’m using this feature constantly.
And there you have it: my vote for the most important tool you’ll need in your arsenal while you’re stuck at home. I hope it helps.
Be safe, stay well, and be good to each other.
