WSJ’S WHAT TO

WATCH GUIDE
 WSJ’S WHAT TO WATCH GUIDE
Isolation. Quarantine. Social distancing. Life during the coronavirus pandemic has us separated
from the outside world in ways that would have been unimaginable just months ago. It’s also
left many of us with more hours to fill, and the opportunity to finally put a dent in that watchlist—
the “I’ll add it to my list!”-group of films and shows that’s forever growing thanks to the
recommendations of friends, family, critics. But what if you never actually got around to making
a list? Or the items on it are so numerous you don’t know where to begin? Or maybe you have
streaming fatigue and you’re looking for something completely different to watch? For any
of the above cases, or simply the inquiring viewer, the following selection of stories from
The Wall Street Journal is here to help.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 2

In These Times

CILLIAN MURPHY IN ‘28 DAYS LATER’

PHOTO: 20TH CENTURY FOX/EVERETT COLLECTION PAULA KELLY, JAMES OLSON AND KATE REID IN ‘THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN’
PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION

BRAD PITT AND BRUCE WILLIS IN ‘12 MONKEYS’ A SCENE FROM ‘WALL-E’
PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION PHOTO: WALT DISNEY CO./EVERETT COLLECTION

While some undoubtedly are tuning in looking for an escape from the world around us, other
viewers are doubling-down on the current situation and flocking to pandemic-related viewing. For
those unafraid to engage with these things, film critic Joe Morgenstern gives his outbreak-related
recommendations and offers a selection of movies whose abandoned streets and citiscapes eerily
mirror our own, while theater critic Terry Teachout explains how Elia Kazan’s “Panic in the Streets”
(1950) is especially resonant today.

The WSJ What to Watch Guide 3

 Building Your Knowledge

THE INTERIOR OF THE AMIENS CATHEDRAL

PHOTO: ALAMY

Movies and television, of course, aren’t the only things people are watching now, and with
streams, historical videos, and other web-based offerings, now is the perfect time to delve
into different subject areas. For architecture lovers, Michael Lewis has recommendations for
watchable resources to learn more about two styles very much in the news at the moment:
Classical and Gothic.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 4

 Cinematic
Rewind

JONATHAN PRYCE AND ANTHONY HOPKINS IN ‘THE TWO POPES’ A SCENE FROM ‘KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE’
PHOTO: NETFLIX PHOTO: BUENA VISTA PICTURES/ EVERETT COLLECTION

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES O’BRIEN

BEANIE FELDSTEIN AND KAITLYN DEVER IN OLIVIA WILDE’S ‘BOOKSMART’ ASTRONAUT MICHAEL COLLINS IN ’APOLLO 11’
PHOTO: ANNAPURNA PICTURES PHOTO: NEON

With so many of us relying on delivery services for basic needs these days, there’s no better time
to look at a trio of charming films that you might have overlooked about people (and animals) who
get us our goods. And while you’re exploring cinematic archives, why not watch some of the best
movies from years gone by, starting with Joe Morgenstern’s top 10 films from 2019.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 5

 Reruns Worth
Returning To

AUGUST WITTGENSTEIN AND RICK OKON IN ‘DAS BOOT’ JEREMY STRONG IN ‘SUCCESSION’
PHOTO: HULU PHOTO: HBO

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES O’BRIEN

A GROUP OF CLOWNS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

PHOTO: COLLECTION OF THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART, ROBOT SPY MEERKAT BEING INVESTIGATED BY A YOUNG MEERKAT IN ‘SPY IN THE WILD’
THE STATE ART MUSEUM OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY PHOTO: RICHARD JONES/JOHN DOWNER PRODUCTIONS

In the onslaught of new television releases and the hunt for the next bingeworthy program, it’s
easy to forget about the panoply of great shows already out there. Television critic Dorothy
Rabinowitz has been chronicling the medium for years, so those with premiere burnout should
turn to her Best Of guides from the past: 2019 was a year of programming focused on war and
justice; 2018 saw an ample number of noteworthy new shows while forcing viewers to bid goodbye
to old favorites; and 201 7 was packed with colorful characters, ranging from New York pimps and
prostitutes, to KGB agents to robotic animals.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 6

 On Pointe
Viewing

SASHA DE SOLA AND VLADISLAV KOZLOV IN ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’

PHOTO: ERIK TOMASSON

Dance venues may be shuttered but the show must go on—or at least online. Archival recordings
of performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Swan Lake” and “Tales of Beatrix Potter” let
you experience the ballet at home, even if you don’t own a barre.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 7

 Parental
Advisory

A SCENE FROM FROM ‘NIGHT ON EARTH’ KING PENGUINS ARE SEEN AT VOLUNTEER POINT, NORTH OF STANLEY IN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS
PHOTO: NETFLIX PHOTO: PABLO PORCIUNCULA BRUNE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES O’BRIEN

A SCENE FROM ‘ULTIMATE BEASTMASTER’ A SCENE FROM ‘DOC MCSTUFFINS’

PHOTO: NETFLIX PHOTO: DISNEY JUNIOR/ASSOCIATED PRESS

For parents hoping to guide their children toward more wholesome viewing habits, John Anderson
has been cataloging shows that won’t atrophy little brains while driving adult ones mad. For the
kinetically captivated, “Ultimate Beastmaster” provides a dose of healthy competition, while those
interested in a different kind of beast should look to these animal-themed shows. Finally, “Doc
McStuffins” and “The Octonauts” provide substance and rewatchability that even grownups
can appreciate.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 8

All That Jazz

BRANDEE YOUNGER FRANK SINATRA AND ELLA FITZGERALD IN ‘FRANK SINATRA: A MAN AND HIS MUSIC + ELLA + JOBIM’
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION

Music lovers are understandably mourning the inability to go to concerts, but jazz fans have
plenty of options to bring the show right into their living room. Martin Johnson suggests several
livestreamed performances by some of today’s most noteworthy musicians, while Will Friedwald
rounds up a selection of the best historic concerts ready for you to watch right now.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 9

Now for Your Feature
Presentation

VIKTORIA MIROSHNICHENKO AND VASILISA PERELYGINA

PHOTO: KINO LORBER

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES O’BRIEN

SIDNEY FLANIGAN AS AUTUMN ACTIVIST AND FORMER CAMPER JUDY HEUMANN

PHOTO: FOCUS FEATURES PHOTO: HOLLYNN D’LIL/NETFLIX

Despite widespread shutdowns, production companies are still releasing new movies (if not into
theaters) and there are plenty of inspiring new titles available to watch at home. Joe Morgenstern
says “Beanpole” is “an improbably thrilling work of art by virtue of its physical beauty and its
relentless intensity of feeling about people” and calls Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes
Always” a film that “needs to be seen.” For more uplifting fare, look to the documentary “Crip Camp,”
which tells the story of a Catskills sleepaway camp that helped inspire a grass-roots movement on
behalf of people with disabilities.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 10

It’s Always
Prime Time

A SCENE FROM ‘ULTIMATE BEASTMASTER’ A SCENE FROM ‘DOC MCSTUFFINS’

PHOTO: NETFLIX PHOTO: DISNEY JUNIOR/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Just as movies continue to be produced, so do television shows, with more new releases coming
every week. Dorothy Rabinowitz calls “World on Fire,” a seven-part PBS drama about families
across Europe caught up in the struggles of World War II, a “smashing series.” And John Anderson
says Netflix’s new docuseries about corrupted drug testing and Massachusetts court cases, “How
to Fix a Drug Scandal,” is surprisingly captivating given its subject matter.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 11

Decisions,
Decisions

JANELLE MONÁE STARS IN SEASON 2 OF ‘HOMECOMING,’ OUT MAY 22 PEDRO PASCAL, LEFT, PLAYS THE TITLE ROLE IN ‘THE MANDALORIAN,’ ALONGSIDE NICK NOLTE AS KUIIL.
PHOTO: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO PHOTO: DISNEY+

SPIKE LEE’S 1989 FILM, ‘DO THE RIGHT THING,’ IS AMONG MOVIE TITLES ON PEACOCK. ESSIE DAVIS STARS AS A DETECTIVE IN ‘MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS.’
PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION

While there is undoubtedly plenty to watch during the coronavirus pandemic, the question
of how to watch is especially important since we’re spending more time with our screens
and streaming service offerings are more plentiful than ever. To help you navigate the
digital landscape, The Wall Street Journal has compiled a side-by-side comparison of 26
different options.

WSJ’s What to Watch Guide 12