Winter months can be tough… Phew, when was the last time you felt the warmth of sunshine on your face? And how much time do we lose each day layering up just to step outside? But that’s old news. A new year calls for new movies and series to dive into, right?

We’ve gathered five recommendations from the IS IT A BIRD team to add to your watchlist. Whether it’s binge-watching on Tuesdays or cozy Sundays at home, these movies and series will keep you great company. And who knows? By the time you’ve finished all the seasons, it might be the perfect moment to venture back outdoors!

Movies

Triangle of Sadness

2022, stream via Viaplay

Seline says: “It’s a black comedy/social satire that critiques different corners of structures in society—class, wealth, power, etc. It portrays how people behave and act under different structures and hierarchies and ultimately claims that power is what is driving people. A funny, grotesque movie, with great visuals and sound that makes you both intrigued and disgusted by human life.”

His House

2020, stream via Netflix

Sune says: “The movie has all the characteristics of a classic haunted house story, but with the twist that the lead characters are a young couple who have fled an undisclosed African civil war, now living as refugees in a worn-down house in a British suburb. They experience scary and strange things in the house, mixed in with flashbacks from their refugee journey. But is the house haunted, or are the couple’s traumas from being refugees haunting them? And how does a small British town look at strangers when they start 'acting up'? You might choose the movie for a classic horror experience, but you end up full of emotions about what it must be like as a refugee trying to find your footing in a new country, bringing along the horrors and traumas from where you came from.”

Past Lives

2023, stream via Amazon Prime

Michael says: “I love the movie Past Lives because it takes the classic love triangle story and defies all expectations. It delves into the complex themes of nationality, identity, and love, exploring how these elements shape our lives and relationships. The film beautifully portrays the numerous directions life can take and poignantly illustrates how choosing one path means leaving others behind.”

Series

Couples Therapy

2019, stream via Amazon

Marianna says: “This is a documentary series of real couples in therapy with Orna Gularnik. A beautiful, respectful exploration into relationship dynamics, how our past impacts our present, and how the unconscious becomes conscious. A rare find to see people so bare and vulnerable.”

The End of the F***ing World

2017, stream via Netflix

Kristine says: “What immediately comes to my mind is the slightly overlooked little pearl ‘The End of the fuc***ng World’ on Netflix. A dark, but humorous, British coming-of-age story, where we follow two awkward teenagers on their quest to find themselves. The storyline is surprising, images are beautiful and minimalistic, the main characters are both hostile and lovable all at once and it highlights that what people say and what people do are often two entirely different things”

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