My Lockdown Recommendations

Throughout lockdown, I’ve been watching, listening, reading and gaming a LOT. I’ve been planning to write more about entertainment since it’s how I spend most of my time- especially right now. Everyone who knows me is aware that I’m a big nerd. I love losing myself in a new TV series, I know an embarrassing amount of Lord of the Rings lore and I’ve written a LOT of fan-fiction. So, I thought it was about time I share some of my favourite books, movies, TV shows, albums and video games with you all.

Movies

I love movie nights. I love cosying up on the sofa with a drink and some snacks (usually chocolate) to watch a film. I have far too many recommendations to list here so I had to narrow it down considerably.

One of my favourite movies is La La Land. If you haven’t watched it already- what are you waiting for?! This bittersweet musical follows how the main characters- Mia and Seb- meet, fall in love and follow their dreams. This movie is full to the brim with bright imagery, classic movie references and beautiful songs. I would have to rank this movie in my top ten favourite films. I even have La La Land postcards that I’ve put in the scrapbook I made for mine and Ryan’s first anniversary.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World is a charming movie directed by Edgar Wright (director of Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver). Edgar Wright is best known for his creative directing style, which is abundant in this adaptation of a beloved graphic novel series. This movie follows Scott as he fights for the love of Ramona Flowers. Throughout, he battles seven of Ramona’s exes that have teamed up to make The League of Evil Exes. The movie is full to the brim with nerdy references to video games and more (making it perfect for gamers). From the action scenes to the odd humour, I adore every second of this movie.

I love both of these movies. So much so that I have found myself heading to the Belmont Filmhouse to see reshowings of them both. I never got to see either of these films in the cinema when they were released, making this experience all the more enjoyable. It was amazing to watch them on the big screen.

Honourable mentions: Easy A, Penelope, My Neighbour Totoro, Into the Spiderverse, Yesterday.

TV Shows

Who doesn’t love getting hooked on a good TV show? I certainly do. One sitcom that got me (and later Ryan) hooked was How I Met Your Mother. The show follows Ted- a hopeless romantic- on his roller-coaster ride of a journey to find love in New York City. We also see his friends grow along the way, giving amusing commentary about life and relationships. Despite portraying itself as a comedy- this show will make you cry. There are several moments throughout the show’s nine seasons where the main characters experience the ups and downs that life offers. I would recommend watching this if you like shows like Friends and New Girl.

One of the few shows set and filmed during lockdown is Staged. This show was shot entirely remotely- the majority of the story progresses on zoom calls between the “characters” of David Tennant and Micheal Sheen. The whole show perfectly encapsulates the cabin-fever-Esque feeling we all experienced during the first lockdown while being incredibly funny.

Honourable mentions: The Handmaids Tale, Stranger Things, Doctor Who, Hannibal.

Video Games

One thing I don’t speak about enough on this blog is video games. I love gaming but I don’t have nearly enough time for it- that is- until lockdown came along. During the summer, I convinced Ryan to play my absolute favourite video game franchise- Kingdom Hearts. It has one of the strangest concepts- it sounds ridiculous but it somehow works. Kingdom Hearts is a JRPG (Japanese role-playing game) that has you exploring Disney worlds. Along the way, you meet Final Fantasy (another game franchise) characters and fight Heartless (the game’s enemies). Kingdom Hearts I was released in 2002 so, I have many fond memories watching my brothers play it. They helped me play it on my first play-through when I was around six years old. Now, I’ve played it more times than I can count and I still love it after all these years.

Another game I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing is Trine. Ryan and I play this together as it’s one of the few multiplayer games we both like. I’m hopeless at it but it just makes playing it together all the more fun. You can play as one of three adventurers- a wizard, a rogue and a knight. Each character has different abilities to suit their roles. By switching characters, you can solve the puzzles in each level to progress through the story. Ryan got three of the Trine games on sale so, we’ve been slowly making our way through. It’s a fun game to play multiplayer, so if you have flatmates or family members to play it with, I’d recommend it. The levels are on the short side, so it’s perfect if you want to escape for a little while.

Honourable mentions: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game

Books

One of my goals for this year is to read more and with the current lockdown, I have more time on my hands to achieve it. One of the few books I read last year was Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi- I loved it. The book focuses on a coffee shop that allows visitors to travel back in time. We see four customers visit the coffee shop and follow them as they go back in time for different reasons. The book is incredibly unique and heartwarming, making me shed a few tears throughout each visitors journey. It’s also short, making it easier for slow readers (like me) and people with busy schedules.

Another book I would recommend is The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. My mum introduced me to Agatha Christie through the 1989 Poirot TV show that she watches all the time. She is a huge fan of Agatha Christie. I decided to base my advanced higher English dissertation on The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd after visiting Greenway House. The house was Christie’s holiday home and inspiration for several of her novels. After reading it for school, I reread it twice after that because I loved it so much. I plan to read other Agatha Christie books this year such as Five Little Pigs and Murder on the Orient Express (which both my mum and Ryan have been nagging at me to read).

Honourable mentions: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth Cline, On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Music

I love music but I rarely write about it here. I love putting on an album while pampering myself or sorting through my clothes. I have quite a strange taste in music as well- one minute I’ll be singing along to Disney songs and the next I could be jamming out to My Chemical Romance. I don’t have a set music genre that I listen to exclusively- I love most of it. One album I would recommend is Taylor Swift’s first surprise album of lockdown- Folklore. This album is beautifully surreal, with amazing lyrics and storytelling that flows from song to song. I own this album on cassette since as soon as I heard it I knew I had to have a physical copy of it. Cassette just felt right, I feel like it matches the aesthetic of the whole album. I love playing this through headphones as well to appreciate everything about it. I would recommend giving it a listen even if you don’t typically listen to Taylor Swift.

Another one of my favourite albums has to be After Laughter by Paramore. Don’t let its upbeat 80s-Esque melodies fool you- most of its songs aren’t the happiest. Somehow there’s no disconnect between the lyrics and the music. I love Paramore and this album is by far my favourite album from them. I can sing and dance to almost every song on the album, other than the more sombre mid-album tracks like Fake Happy and 26. I plan to get this album on Vinyl as soon as the shops open after lockdown. I have vivid memories of Hard Times playing in the club on nights out before Covid happened. Our group would immediately get excited about it and shouting the lyrics in each other’s faces.

Honourable mentions: Only Revolutions by Biffy Clyro, Be More Kind by Frank Turner, Ocean Eyes by Owl City, Caustic Love by Paolo Nutini.

Lockdown has been a difficult time for everyone. However, I think it’s allowed us to appreciate the small things a lot more. I’ve been loving entertainment recently since it’s helping me through the boredom and stress of lockdown. You can find more of my recommendations on my social media accounts- mainly on my Instagram stories. I always love sharing what I’ve been up to and what I’ve been watching, playing or reading. Do you have any lockdown recommendations? Please feel free to share them in the comments. If you’d like to see more content like this from me, please let me know.

Thank you for reading x

Photography: Ryan Duff