When the weather outside is frightful, there are few better ways to spend a weekend than cozying up on the couch with a Snuggie, a bowl of Orville Redenbacher and a 12-hour queue of streaming entertainment. With Winter Storm Hercules locking us firmly inside and new episodes of most shows not returning until later this month, you’re probably in need of some serious time-wasting. So we’ve put together a list of the year’s most addictive movies and TV shows to suit even the pickiest pop-culture consumer. Grab your remote, fire up your Internet connection and dig into these binge-worthy picks.
If you love thrillers:
For a roller-coaster ride of surprise, cuddle up with the first season of “Orphan Black” ($14.99 on iTunes), a BBC America show that premiered last year to little fanfare but has developed a cult following. The 10-episode first season follows Sarah Manning as she discovers that she is one of a large group of clones (all brilliantly played by Tatiana Maslany, which earned her a Golden Globe nod).
If you want to binge a whole show in one day:
Pick a miniseries, such as the Emmy-winning “Top of the Lake” (Netflix), which stars Peggy Olson — uh, Elisabeth Moss — as a detective trying to solve the mystery of a missing 12-year-old in New Zealand.
If you want something you’ll enjoy as much as the kids:
Pick one of this year’s boxoffice smashes that pack plenty of punch for adults and kids alike, like the snarky “Despicable Me 2,” the college-joke-filled “Monsters University” or “The Croods,” which is worth it just to hear Nicolas Cage as a caveman (all $4.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes).
If you want to laugh your socks off:
Catch up on the first half of the premiere season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Hulu Plus) before it returns next week with new episodes. The cop comedy stars Andy Samberg as a sarcastic detective, but it’s the hilarious ensemble, including an instantly quotable Chelsea Peretti (far right), that will make you steamroll through the 11 episodes available so far.
If that “SNL” episode made you miss seeing John Goodman on TV:
Try out his new comedy “Alpha House” (Amazon Prime), in which he stars as one of four US senators living under one roof in DC, which, crazily enough, is based on a similar reallife home to two Democratic senators and a representative.
If you need a distraction for the kids:
Plop the young’uns down in front of the TV with the allnew “Turbo FAST” series (Netflix Streaming), a 2-D spinoff of this summer’s snail-racing 3-D film, “Turbo.”
If you want to binge on something sexy:
Turn up the heat with “Masters of Sex” (Showtime on Demand), the new drama in which Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star as 20th-century sexperts William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
If you wish “Mean Girls” was a TV show:
Give “Ja’mie: Private School Girl” (HBO GO) a chance. The Australian show features subversive comedian Chris Lilley in drag as queen bee Ja’mie King, who is generally the worst person in the world. If you finish her six-episode super “quiche” season too quickly, backtrack with “Summer Heights High” (HBO GO), in which Ja’mie was one of a cast of characters before getting her own spinoff.
If you’re just now wondering what everyone was talking about all year:
You’re a little late to the game, but if the major plot points haven’t already been spoiled for you online, settle in with the year’s biggest watercooler hits, such as the meth-tastic “Breaking Bad” (Netflix Streaming) and the soapy “Scandal” (Netflix Streaming). And definitely try out those Netflix original shows that had everyone hooked and are both getting second seasons this year: Kevin Spacey’s “House of Cards” and the laugh-out-loud funny “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflix Streaming).
If you’re ok with subtitles:
The majority of the nine films on the short list for the Foreign Language Oscar are not yet available for home viewing, but two early arrivals are up and roaring, should you be OK with having to read your movie. Denmark’s entry “The Hunt” ($3.99 rental on Amazon Instant, iTunes) is a terrifying piece about a man falsely accused of sexually abusing a little girl. If that’s a bit heavy for you, there’s also Hong Kong’s “The Grandmaster” ($3.99 rental on Amazon Instant, iTunes), a martial arts drama.
If you thought there was a serious lack of Channing Tatum nudity this year:
This year may not have had a “Magic Mike,” but Tatum still showed us the goods. Blink and you’ll miss him, but the studly actor makes the year’s most memorable cameo in the apocalypse comedy “This Is the End” ($3.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes).
If you want to check out our critics’ picks:
Last month, Post film critics Lou Lumenick and Kyle Smith listed their top 10 movies of the year, and while many are still in theaters, you can catch these picks now. Lumenick loved Joss Whedon’s update of “Much Ado About Nothing,” as well as Leonardo DiCaprio’s splashy decadence in “The Great Gatsby” (both $3.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes). Smith, on the other hand, flipped for the exploits of the wannabe rich and fabulous in “The Bling Ring” ($2.99 on Amazon Instant), the brutal thriller “Prisoners” ($3.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes) and the “ ‘Goodfellas’ on steroids” action comedy “Pain & Gain” ($4.99 on iTunes).
If you want to see if those box-office bombs are really as bad as they say:
The critics ripped into them, and, in turn, the masses left the theaters empty. But if you find yourself going against the status quo (or you’re just a masochist), test your mettle with the year’s biggest stinkers, such as the Will and Jaden Smith sci-fi mess “After Earth” ($3.99 at Amazon Instant).
If you liked “Men in Black”…
…but wished it wasn’t as funny and had less likable characters, you’ll definitely enjoy “R.I.P.D.” ($4.99 at iTunes). And if you loved Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean” but had an urge to see him playing a Native American, definitely hit up “The Lone Ranger” ($4.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes).
If you’re in the mood to see some explosions:
Sometimes, we really just want to see some stuff get blown up. Choose a film that did it well this year with one of these options from the Oscar short list forvisual effects. Zombies get crazy fast in “World War Z” (99 cents streaming from Sony Entertainment Network), while Matt Damon shoots ’em up sci-fi-style in “Elysium” ($3.99 on Amazon Instant, iTunes). Robert Downey Jr. continues to save the world in “Iron Man 3” ($4.99 on Amazon Instant), Chris Pine continues to save space in “Star Trek Into Darkness” ($3.99 on Amazon Instant, iTunes) and Tom Cruise saves something in “Oblivion” ($9.99 purchase on Amazon Instant, iTunes). But for sheer decimation porn, “Pacific Rim” ($3.99 on Amazon Instant, iTunes) is your best bet.
If you love esoteric indies:
Grab your organic, free-trade snacks and sit down to one of the thinkers nominated at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards. Follow Michael Cera as he hunts for an elusive hallucinogen in “Crystal Fairy” (Netflix Streaming), or watch Disney stars Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez go bad in “Spring Breakers” (Amazon Prime). But if you really want to be confused and just see some pretty cinematography, go with the parasite thriller “Upstream Color” (Netflix Streaming).
If you want to learn something:
There’s plenty to take away from the documentaries that have made this year’s Oscar short list, several of which are available to stream now. “Dirty Wars” (Netflix Streaming) takes you across the world as investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill attempts to uncover war secrets the government doesn’t want you to know. The buzzy “Blackfish” (Netflix Streaming) pulls the curtain back on SeaWorld’s mistreatment of killer whales, and “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer” (HBO GO) looks at the protest music group that was imprisoned in Russia. And Sarah Polley’s provocatively formatted “Stories We Tell” ($3.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes) unravels the mysteries of her late mother’s life through the memories of her family.
If you want an updated rom-com:
Learn from the master, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in his sexy romp “Don Jon” ($4.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes), in which he plays a man addicted to porn, despite dating a delicious, Jersey-accented Scarlett Johansson.
If you want to catch up with the Golden Globes’ acting nominees:
You’re out of luck! Most of them are still in theaters. But there are two exceptions. Best comedy actress nominee Greta Gerwig stars as “Frances Ha” (Netflix Streaming) in a film that could be called “Girls: The Movie.” Or catch fellow nominee Julie Delpy in the third entry of her long-running saga with Ethan Hawke, “Before Midnight” ($3.99 at Amazon Instant, iTunes).
Pro Tip:
Want to stream something you don’t see on our list? Visit canistream.it, a site that allows you to search and compare prices and subscription options for virtually any movie or show.
For individually priced rentals such as on iTunes or Amazon Instant, we’ve included only the cheapest streaming option. Options identified as being on Netflix Streaming ($7.99/month), Amazon Prime ($79/year) and Hulu Plus ($7.99/month) require a subscription to the services. Premium cable on demand, such as HBO and Showtime, require a subscription (prices vary) via your cable provider.