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Movie Night: What to watch and how to watch it

By Kimora Bryant July 16, 2020

Going to the movies is so much fun you get to have delicious popcorn and candy, see a great (or not so great) movie and sometimes you can go with your friends or family. Now, we can't really have those same experiences in person. A good way to create a movie theater atmosphere is to find a great movie to watch, make some homemade popcorn and call your friends!

Movies 

There are some amazing movies on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney plus. Here are some excellent movies to watch while you're at home!


  1. Charlie and the Chocolate factory (PG) This is a classic about five children who find golden tickets to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It's a cute, funny and beautifully filmed movie to watch on a whim. 
  2. The Pursuit of Happyness (PG-13) This is a movie about a homeless man and his son and how the man is trying to become an entrepreneur but keeps running into setbacks. Warning, this movie WILL make you cry. 
  3. The Help ( PG-13)  Tells the story of  three black women from Mississippi in the 60’s and a white woman who writes down the stories of their lives. 
  4. Brain on fire ( PG-13) Tells the story of a young writer struggling with a rare neurological disease that no doctor can diagnose. 
  5. Freedom writers ( PG-13) A true story about a teacher and how she inspires her at risk students to change their attitude towards the world,as well as helping them grow in the classroom. 
  6. The adventures of shark boy and lava girl ( PG) The story of a boy named Max and how the stories in his journal come to life. He now has to work with two of his characters to save their world from an evil force. 
  7. Matilda (PG)  Follows the story of a little girl named Matilda who learns she has powers and how she uses them to help herself and others. 
  8. Black Panther ( PG-13)  An amazing Marvel movie about a superhero and king in Africa who’s trying to keep the identity of his high tech country a secret, while also fighting off people trying to steal their technology.
  9. The Maze Runner trilogy ( PG-13)  These movies are super captivating and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.They are about a group of kids and how they try to escape,and survive a maze separating them from the outside world. 
  10. Any Disney movie (PG) I couldn't pick just one. The magic is endless with Disney!


How to watch with friends

There are many ways to watch a movie with your friends but I found two that are easy to use and understand. 

  •  First you and your attendees need to have a “zoom” account, and start a meeting.  Invite your friends to the meeting, and once everyone is there click “share screen” at the bottom and open up your streaming app, then press play! It's as simple as that. There is one catch though. Zoom has a 45 minute limit on how long you can be on a call, and most movies are a lot longer than 45 minutes. When your time is nearing this, you can leave the meeting and start a new one. Just repeat the first steps again. This works with all streaming apps.Click HERE for more details. 
  • The second way is to use “Netflix Party”. This of course, only works with the Netflix app. Just download “Netflix Party”, open the Netflix movie you plan to watch, create a party room and then let your friends join the party. There’s even a chat feature where you can type about the movie in real time! Click HERE for more details. 

BONUS

  • Another way that you can have a movie night with your amigos is having a socially distanced movie party in your backyard! All you need to do is find an upright surface and have a DVD projector or one for your phone, then aim it at the surface. You can invite your friends over and have chairs or blankets spread six feet apart from each other. Give each person some snacks and it’s a party! This way you get to see your friends in person, rather than on a screen. 

Snacks to make your movie theater experience even better 

  • Candy 
  • Chocolate 
  • Fruit 
  • Ice cream 
  • Root Beer float 
  • Chips 
  • Nachos 
  • Trail mix 
  • Almonds 
  • Cookies or brownies 

Check out these previous articles on how to make a poppin’ snack just for this occasion! 

Popping Up Flavorful Fun: Popcorn Treats Your Family Will Love

How to Make Your Popcorn POP!