What to Binge on Netflix and Hulu Before School Starts Back

Want something to watch before starting back to school but just don’t know what? Don’t worry! I have some recommendations from both Netflix and Hulu that might help you out.

Netflix:

1. Explained!
   1. I recently got into this one, but it’s super interesting and a show you can jump into without needing to start from the beginning. Learn something new about whatever interests you in every episode! 
2. Glow Up
   1. This is a makeup competition show. Talented makeup artists go head to head to create artistic and intricate looks with prompts every week. This is super entertaining! 
3. Never Have I Ever
   1. I LOVE Mindy Kaling! So I knew I was probably going to enjoy this show about an Indian-American girl grieving the loss of her father whilst trying to navigate high school. This is not your average high school drama and is just as full of dramatic depth as it is real comedy. Definitely worth a watch!
4. The Baker and the Beauty
   1. My friends and I binge-watched this for HOURS. A crazy storyline based off of a popular Israeli drama, this centers around a humble baker who falls in love with an A-list actress. This show is just so much fun and will leave you wanting more. 
5. Boys Over Flowers
   1. This is a CLASSIC. It’s a Korean drama starring none other than my celebrity crush, Lee Min Ho, in the role that launched his career. A Cinderella story, the show centers around the daughter of a dry cleaner who gets accepted into an elite academy because she saves the life of a fellow student. From there, she meets the school’s most popular and rich group of guys, called the F4, and goes on an array of adventures when two members of the group take an interest in her. 
6. Memoirs of a Geisha
   1. This is a historical romance about a young girl’s journey to becoming a geisha. With World War II on the horizon, she not only faces her own personal changes as she comes of age and trains in the arts, but also changes that are taking place in the world as she knows it. This is an inspiring story and truly a fascinating look into pre-World War II Japan and Japanese traditions. 
7. Iliza Shlesinger: Freezing Hot
   1. I personally think every female should watch an Iliza Shlesinger comedy special at least once in her life, and I truly believe Freezing Hot encapsulates so much of the female experience… well.. The funny parts that we can laugh at ourselves about at least. 
8. Jane the Virgin
   1. Look, if you haven’t seen Jane the Virgin yet… it’s time. I know you might have preconceptions, but this show will make your heart skip a beat with its wild romances and then make you cry because of familiar acts of love and demonstrations of family that seem all too familiar. 
9. Love Actually
   1. This is a CLASSIC. Technically more of a Christmas movie, but I’m always up for Christmas in August! Genius-ly written and directed by Richard Curtis (who also made About Time, another favorite on Netflix I highly recommend) this movie follows multiple people’s love stories as Christmas approaches…. And ALL the characters are loosely connected to one another. Just a word of caution, this one is for more mature audiences, so viewer discretion is advised. 

Hulu:

1. Under the Tuscan Sun
   1. This is such a good movie for if you want something uplifting (and maybe a bit romantic too). This centers around Francis, who impulsively decides to move to Tuscany after her divorce. She experiences depression, change, and then the overall process of starting over and realizing that sometimes our dreams don’t come true exactly the way we think they will. 
2. This is Us
   1. Will you cry almost every episode? Yes. Probably. But that doesn’t mean this beautiful show about family isn’t worth a watch. Full of twists and turns, follow Kate, Randall, Kevin, Rebecca, and Jack and see how their choices impact generations to come. 
3. I Love Lucy
   1. If you’ve never seen this classic sitcom, do yourself a favor! You will probably laugh harder than you have in a while! You can watch the episodes in any order, but my favorite (and the one I have my friends start on) is “Lucy Does a TV Commercial.” If you’re into girl power, Lucille Ball is a shero to watch. She wrote, produced, and starred in her own show in a time period where that was basically unheard of, and she did a BRILLIANT job at it!
4. Dawson’s Creek
   1. Coming at you with another classic TV show! My mom showed me Dawson’s Creek in high school and I instantly became hooked watching Dawson, a want-to-be filmmaker, as he and his friends navigate high school in their hometown by the coast in Massachusetts. 
5. Bohemian Rhapsody
   1. If you love classic rock as much as I do, especially Queen, DEFINITELY watch this movie! Warning for mature content here, but Rami Malek does an awesome job playing Freddie Mercury and the music is AMAZING. This is such a fun movie to watch!
6. Little Fires Everywhere
   1. This suspenseful drama will leave you wanting to know more! I’ll admit, I’m still in the middle of this one, but so far it has so many twists and turns (and an all-star cast) I HAD to include it. If you like a good mystery, I 100% recommend this show!
7. Palm Springs
   1. Okay, I’m going to put another content warning so your parents don’t get mad at me. This one is for a mature audience, but if you’re in the clear to watch it, you will laugh so hard at this Groundhog Day-esque movie! It centers around the two protagonists being stuck in a time loop and, consequently, starting to fall for one another. One starts to want to get out of the time loop, and the other is just fine where he is.

Check out more TV show recommendation articles from GirlSpring contributors!

skysky99

Skylar Summers is a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She's passionate about empowering women through storytelling, writing, and creating visual media. To learn more about Skylar, visit her Instagram page @skylarsummers20 and watch her short films on her website (linked on her Instagram page)!

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