What to stream to escape the news cycle for the next 24 hours

The challenge of the streaming age is constantly facing too many viewing options. But the boon of the streaming age is having a lot of paths for escapism, for just dropping out of the news-cycle churn for a while and tuning into something else for, you know, any old reason that might come to mind. Sometimes self-care means taking a break from social media and yammering pundits struggling to fill up airtime, and instead slipping into something immersive and comparatively low-stakes, whether it’s something you’ve been meaning to try for a while or an old favorite piece of pop-culture comfort food.

So we asked the Polygon staff what they’d most recommend for, say, about 24 hours of streaming distraction, for a good story to get lost in for a while. You know, just in case you might have any cause to find that useful about now. Disconnecting can be the safest, sanest thing to do when you’re stressed about something and can’t control the outcome. Here are a few marathons we’d suggest if you need a break.

There are a lot of reasons to take in Rachel Bloom’s musical rom-com series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in sustained binges, from the long-term character development to the running gags and callbacks. But maybe the best reason is the way Bloom and her team (including songwriter Adam Schlesinger and co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna) tell one continuous, evolving story while gradually shifting the show’s focus and tone.

The first season or so is largely fluff with a lot of sitcom repetition, as a depressed New York lawyer (Bloom) tries to deny her problems and self-medicate by chasing an oblivious former crush (Vincent Rodriguez III) across the country. That season is mostly worth watching for the character introductions and the steady supply of catchy, wry musical numbers, often expressly parodying familiar music videos.

But by season 2, the writers are already laying the groundwork for a surprisingly elaborate, intimate exploration of mental health and personal responsibility, without losing the ironic humor or obsessively earwormable songs. The iteration of the word “crazy” in the title, from a casually wacky, clichéd pejorative for a romantically erratic woman to an idea that needs to be unpacked and examined (through everything from pop culture usage to medical processes) is well worth the trip. You can’t get through the show’s entire four-season run in 24 hours, but you can make it from the goofy launching point to the best part of the show, and leave the rest to dissect later, one sing-along at a time. —Tasha Robinson

Where to watch: Max, Hulu

Take a vacation in the land of Ooo — with 238 episodes of the main series, four hour-long specials, and 10 half-hour episodes of the spinoff Fionna and Cake, that’s almost two entire days of animated adventures. I often ask myself: Is it too soon since the last time I watched all of Adventure Time? The children’s show gently combines comedy and adventure with deeper optimistic themes, for a trippy but heartwarming saga. —Susana Polo

When I’m struggling to choose what I’m going to watch, I turn to FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels like Pluto TV, many of which offer a variety of channels that have pre-scheduled programming 24 hours a day. As a fan of martial arts movies, Pluto’s Flicks of Fury channel is a constant destination for me when I’m trying to find something to put on.

The day I’m writing this blurb, they’re running a Jean-Claude Van Damme marathon. Perfect! On other days, I’ve turned the channel on and gotten engrossed by an Ip Man marathon, or a Tony Jaa movie I hadn’t seen before. But if that doesn’t sound like your speed, there are plenty of other Pluto TV channels to explore, centering on classic movies, Staff Picks, and specific genres or decades channels. It’s nostalgic viewing for me — not just because of the content played, but because scrolling through channels to find something on is an experience I find myself missing. —Pete Volk

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Nothing says “I don’t want to deal with reality right now” like escaping on a pirate ship. Since that isn’t really practical in this day and age, we’re gonna have to settle with the core Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. The first three movies — The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, and At World’s End — are a delightful romp into a very thrilling fantasy world, one where all the old seafaring legends are true, so long as you know what they are. The first movie in particular follows my favorite niche microgenre: A period romance? Surprise! It’s the undead. Just don’t bother with 4 and 5 unless you’re feeling particularly masochistic — if you need to fill out a full 24 hours, just loop back to the beginning of Curse of the Black Pearl and enjoy it all again.

One thing to enjoy in particular: The original Pirates trilogy (probably unintentionally) leans heavily on romance novel tropes, one of the few popular genres where female characters are at the center and making the choices. That turns the series movies from simple pulp action into the rare ’00s big-budget blockbusters that cater to the female gaze. In this essay, I will— [Ed. note: At this point, we dragged Petrana off this post to make room for other suggestions.] —Petrana Radulovic

Where to watch: Mostly on Disney Plus or via rental/purchase on Amazon, YouTube, and other digital services, though Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is on Netflix

Watching all of the Spider-Man movies, through all their ups and downs, requires some patience, about 70% of your attention, and a generous sense of humor. But when this franchise hits its stride, it’s really fun to watch. You can attempt to watch the movies in order of plot, but I’d recommend going purely based on vibes, because some of them simply aren’t very good. (Which makes a perfect 24-hour distraction, if you ask me.)

The three Sam Raimi movies starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man are a safe, nostalgic place to start — their shockingly dated special effects alone warrant a rewatch. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are easily the most artful Spider-Man movies, so I’d save them for when you have your full attention to give. The Amazing Spider-Man is a fan favorite, possibly only because of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s chemistry. And Spider-Man: Homecoming has that Garfield-Stone effect, but with Tom Holland and Zendaya.

There’s also plenty to watch within the Spider-Man orbit, like the Venom films (rental only, though Venom: The Last Dance is currently in theaters), Madame Web (on Netflix), and the universally memed Morbius (Disney Plus). And then there’s an animated Spider-Man series for just about every decade starting in the 1960s, if all of that isn’t enough wall-crawling adventure for you. —Zoë Hannah

Whether you’re a seasoned Coen bro or a Joel x Ethan newb, there’s a guaranteed pleasure in diving into the duo’s best films in a new collection that Criterion Channel launched as part of its Noirvember observance. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the Coens never settled for one stylistic or genre lane; even from the beginning, they swerved hard from 1984’s neo-noir Blood Simple to their 1987 criminal caper comedy Raising Arizona.

Criterion’s chronological marathon whisks viewers into the criminal underbelly of mob conflicts in the 1920s (Miller’s Crossing), the panicked brain of a struggling screenwriter (Barton Fink), and the hijinks-filled mania surrounding the invention of the Hula-Hoop (The Hudsucker Proxy). There may not be a replicated note in all 16 hours of Criterion’s programming — you even get two incredible Jeff Bridges performances where the only resemblance is a well-coiffed mustache (The Big Lebowski and True Grit). There is no lack of discussion of the Coen brothers’ excellence in film-buff circles, but rarely do we see the work in totality, where their genius really shines — particularly in the way they take every kind of character as seriously as possible, no matter where they fall in the smart-to-dumb range. —Matt Patches

Like Pete and Matt, I prefer to have my 24-hour blocks of entertainment curated for me, rather than having to do the work myself. The high-minded film lover’s version of this is the Criterion Channel, but personally, I think you should spend your time in front of Shudder TV. The concept is exactly the same as Pluto TV’s theme channels: Shudder TV is an always-on channel that plays one movie, then jumps straight into the next. The twist here is that every single one is a horror movie that’s currently available on Shudder.

This means you’ll get quite a few horror classics, like The Ring, Dario Argento’s 1982 giallo Tenebrae, The Exorcist III, or Black Christmas. On the other hand, Shudder might decide it’s time you checked out something a little further off the beaten path, like Autopsy, Saloum, The Dark and the Wicked, or something even more unexpected. All of this makes the streaming channel a real treat for die-hard horror fans who love nothing more than stumbling on a great scare they’ve never seen before. Just think what new nightmares you might discover by watching it for 24 hours straight! —Austen Goslin

Where to watch: Peacock, or via digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV

The ultimate comfort binge might well be a run of the classic NBC sitcom about local government, Parks and Recreation. It’s funny, stuffed with lovable characters, intensely welcoming, unfailingly generous, and upbeat, yet with a tart, satirical edge that never curdles into cynicism. You can binge it any number of times and return to a world where Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, and Aubrey Plaza are your best friends, Aziz Ansari is unproblematically cute, and Chris Pratt is the adorable kind of douchebag rather than… the other kind.

You could pick any run of episodes to fill your 24 hours, but I’d recommend seasons 2 through 4. Season 1 isn’t quite right; the tone and characters aren’t dialed in yet, and it’s a little more mean-spirited, mocking rather than celebrating Poehler’s public-minded politics dork Leslie Knope. For the next three seasons, though, the show is at its creative peak, and you also get to round things off with the satisfying climax of Leslie’s election to city council.
About that: The whole fourth season is a goofy but still pointed satire of U.S. electoral politics. Depending on your reasons for wanting to binge narrative media for 24 hours straight — I wouldn’t presume to guess at them — that might not be the kind of escapism you’re looking for. On the other hand, this wholly disarming vision of a world where the system might be farcical and the people foolish, but the spirit of public service always wins out, might be just the ticket. Treat yo’ self. —Oli Welsh