Duvet day: 20 Netflix movie picks to get you through the dreary weather

The weather outside is frightful but our beds are so delightful, and since we’ve no place to go… duvet day? Pretty sure that’s how the Frank Sinatra version of the classic Christmas song goes. 

Irish people and the weather; it’s a cliche, but it exists for a reason. Whatever the conditions are, we’re likely to comment on it – be it hot, cold or anything in between, you can guarantee that we’ll all have something to say about it. And boy do we love the rain. Well, actually most of us hate the rain, but we definitely love to moan about it. 

Our beauty editor Holly reckons the forecast is gaslighting us and I’d have to agree. In fact, I’ve given up looking at the weather app because it’s been spectacularly wrong in recent weeks and instead, have taken to planning my schedule around what colour the sky is when I wake up each morning. Today, it’s a very gloomy shade of grey and to quote Karen Smith in Mean Girls – “it’s 68 degrees and there’s a 38% chance that it’s already raining”… by which I mean it’s lashing and there’s no way that I’ll be braving the elements and going outside. 

Thankfully, there’s plenty on Netflix to keep us company. Here are our picks of some of the best rainy day viewing options. 

To make you laugh

Bridesmaids

Just after celebrating its 10th anniversary (yes, it’s been 10 whole years since the movie first hit the silver screen), Bridesmaids needs no introductions. From the dress fitting that goes south to Annie trying to sneak her way into first class, it’s all gold. 

Easy A 

We’re big Emma Stone fans here and this may just be one of her best movies to date in my humble opinion. Great soundtrack (hello, Natasha Bedingfield’s Pocketful of Sunshine?!), funny jokes (skip to 18 seconds in to hear my personal favourite) and possibly the coolest parents ever – I’d recommend watching for Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson’s onscreen banter alone. 

Notting Hill

She’s just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her. Sure, this movie will pull on your heartstrings, but it will also make you laugh out loud. Hugh Grant is on top form with his trademark self-effacing humour, but it’s his scene-stealing roommate Spike that really gets me. 

Deadpool

Full of profanities, Deadpool is a gory superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. And it has Ryan Reynolds in it, which, you know, is always a bonus. 

To make you cry 

Wonder

This movie is great, but it absolutely will make you cry. Feel-good and family-friendly, it’s based on a New York Times bestseller and tells the story of August Pullman, a boy with a craniofacial condition that causes disfigurement. Entering the fifth grade at his local elementary school, Augie (as his family call him) must learn how to navigate the highs and lows of the real world on his own for the first time. 

Coach Carter

Samuel L Jackson is Coach Carter, the tough guy basketball coach tasked with whipping the Richmond High team into shape. Unwavering in his approach, he expects a lot of his team, though his methods don’t often win him many fans.  

Babyteeth

A coming-of-age movie about love and loss, let me save you the time in wondering where you know the central protagonist (Eliza Scanlen) from and tell you that she’s the same actress that played Beth in the recent Little Women remake… that took me the entire movie to figure out. 

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Fed up of his life at the old age home where he lives, Zak – a young man with down syndrome – decides to escape one night. Obsessed with the dramatic world of pro-wrestling, he leaves to track down his hero, the Saltwater Redneck. Along the way he meets Tyler, a wayward fisherman on the run, and the two become unexpected friends. 

To make you nostalgic 

School of Rock

You’re not hardcore, unless you live hardcore… at least that’s what Jack Black taught me in School of Rock. As brilliant as the first time I watched it, I’d highly recommend throwing this on if you’re in need of a serotonin boost. I also just learned that two of the movie’s young castmates (Frankie and Marta) are actually a couple IRL.

Shrek

2021 marks 20 whole years of Shrek. Large and in charge, he’s the grumpy, green monster we all secretly (or not-so-secretly as the case may be) adore. Eddie Murphy has played many memorable roles throughout his career, but few compare to his portrayal of Shrek’s obnoxious sidekick Donkey. 

It Takes Two

Before we knew her as Carol on Friends, Jane Sibbett was Clarice Kensington in It Takes Two – the nasty stepmother to be, who Alyssa Callaway must stop her father from marrying. Think Merideth Blake in The Parent Trap, another excellent movie choice for a rainy day. I spent much of my childhood quoting Diane Barrows (played by Kirstie Alley) and saying “beat it barbie” as my comeback of choice. 

Clueless

Ugh, as if we could compile a duvet day movie list and not include Clueless. That would be way harsh. Loosely based on the Jane Austen novel Emma, the movie introduced us to Cher (Alicia Silverstone), the power of a coordinated plaid skirt suit and the conspiracy theory that Paul Rudd just doesn’t age. 

To make you think 

The Truman Show

Jim Carrey is Truman Burbank, an ordinary man living an ordinary life… or so he thinks until he discovers that his life is actually the subject of a reality TV show all about him. An almost preposterous idea at the time, it’s only in hindsight that we realise how spot on the movie really was. Hello Big Brother, if you’re reading this. 

The Wolf of Wall Street

At 3 hours long, watching The Wolf of Wall Street is a bit of a time commitment but with the weather not looking like it’s going to let up anytime soon, today is as good a day as any to stick it on. Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort and his rise to wealth, the movie raises many questions, most of them about money and business. 

Marriage Story

Centred on the relationship between a stage director and his actor wife, Marriage Story shows them struggle through a gruelling divorce that pushes them to both their personal and creative extremes. 

The Big Short

Both Steve Carell and Christian Bale were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances in The Big Short, and though its subject matter may suggest otherwise (the movie is about the collapse of the housing bubble in 2007/2008), it’s actually quite funny. 

To make you scared 

The Woman in the Window

Only recently released, The Woman in the Window has already landed itself within the top 10 most popular things to watch on Netflix at the moment. Woman of the hour (at least to Wicklow natives) Amy Adams stars as an agoraphobic child psychologist, who, unable to leave the house due to her anxiety, basically views the world only from her window.

Zodiac

One for those with a penchant for anything crime-related (speaking of movies/TV shows/podcasts only that is… ), Zodiac is all about the infamous Zodiac killer who shot to fame in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Known for leaving encrypted messages after each of his murders, a local detective becomes obsessed with tracking the unidentified individual down and bringing him to justice. 

American Psycho

Scary? Yes, but also remarkably un-bloody for a slasher movie (most of the violence happens offscreen). Telling the story of Patrick Bateman, to the outside world he’s a manicured, investment banker who prides himself on his pristine lifestyle. Underneath he’s hiding something much more sinister though and the movie reveals his psychopathic tendencies which culminate in several brutal murders. 

Ma

Another relatively new release, Ma is a psychological horror starring Octavia Spencer as a lonely, middle-aged woman who befriends some teenagers and lets them use her basement as their party space. Her hospitality soon turns to obsession though and things curdle, and Ma’s guests begin to question her intentions. 

Photo by Samson Katt via Unsplash