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TV & Flim recommended

TV & Film Recommendations

This page is a curated list of my personal TV and film recommendations. I’ve organised everything into categories to make browsing easier, covering everything from light entertainment to more thought-provoking titles.

With streaming constantly shifting and titles regularly disappearing from platforms, finding something worth watching isn’t always straightforward, so this list aims to highlight films and shows I think are genuinely worth your time.

Recently added and last updated: 09/05/2026

New additions this update:

  • The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  • South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
  • Man on Fire (2004)
  • The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
  • Zootopia (2016)
  • Utopia (2013–2014)
  • Gotham (2014–2019)
  • How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)
  • Jessica Jones (2015–2019)
  • Chernobyl (2019)
  • The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)
  • It’s a Sin (2021)
  • Heartstopper (2022–2026)
  • Mr Bates vs The Post Office (2024)

Add more notes and finished the top 10 TV shows.

Top 10 Movies — No real order

  • The Matrix (1999)
  • Spirited Away (2001)
  • Hot Fuzz (2007)
  • The Dark Knight (2008)
  • Skyfall (2012)
  • The Big Short (2015)
  • Logan (2017)
  • The Death of Stalin (2017)
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Top 10 TV — No real order

  • QI (2003– )
  • The Thick of It (2005–2012)
  • Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
  • Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
  • Utopia (2013–2014)
  • Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
  • Jessica Jones (2015–2019)
  • Ozark (2017–2022)
  • Bluey (2018– )
  • Heartstopper (2022–2026)

Film Recommendations (ordered by release year)

Trilogy and series entries are grouped together

  • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) — The best Star Wars film. Classic sci-fi space opera.
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) — Action-adventure done right, with a hero who doesn’t rely on guns.
  • Back to the Future (1985) — A cult classic and one of the best time travel films.
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) — An impressive blend of live-action and animation that still holds up.
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) — A sci-fi action film with a surprisingly strong story.
  • Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) — Ahead of its time in exploring gender, identity, and queerness. Robin Williams is brilliant.
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) — Tim Burton at his most wacky and weird. A genuine classic.
  • Pulp Fiction (1994) — A classic that was ahead of its time. One of Tarantino’s best films.
  • The Truman Show (1998) — A funny film with darker themes underneath.
  • The Matrix (1999) — One of the finest action films ever made, often read as a trans allegory.
  • Toy Story 2 (1999) — Early CG animation done right, and still one of the best.
  • South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) — Some jokes have dated, but it’s still funny.
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) — A beautifully made martial arts film.
  • Spirited Away (2001) — One of my favourite films of all time.
  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003–2004) — Vol. 1 is all style; Vol. 2 focuses on the story.
  • Layer Cake (2004) — A dark crime film with humour mixed in.
  • Man on Fire (2004) — A dark film about kidnapping. Good but not great.
  • Shaun of the Dead (2004) — A zombie film that doubles as a brilliant comedy.
  • The Devil Wears Prada (2006) — A movie about fashion, fun and rather good. 
  • Hot Fuzz (2007) — A police film that plays as both action and parody.
  • The Dark Knight (2008) — A grounded take on Batman and one of the best in the genre.
  • Inglourious Basterds (2009) — A darkly comedic take on WWII from Tarantino.
  • Watchmen (2009) — A famously “unadaptable” comic that I think works pretty well here.
  • The King’s Speech (2010) — A look at the British royal family and a story many don’t know.
  • Margin Call (2011) — A quietly gripping look at the financial crisis from inside a firm.
  • Paul (2011) — A comedy take on alien encounters.
  • Skyfall (2012) — My pick for the best James Bond film.
  • Django Unchained (2012) — A dark, action-heavy Western from Tarantino.
  • The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) — An over-the-top look at one of the biggest frauds in history.
  • Captain Phillips (2013) — A tense true story about a cargo ship hijacking.
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) — One of the best MCU films, leaning into thriller territory.
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) — A stylish comedy-drama set around a hotel during wartime.
  • The Lego Movie (2014) — Wacky, creative, and just fun. The Batman spin-off is worth a watch too.
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) — One of the best time travel stories from superhero films.
  • Pride (2014) — Based on true LGBTQ+ history.
  • The Big Short (2015) — Another financial crisis film, but great at explaining what happened.
  • Deadpool (2016) — A low-budget reboot that’s funny, chaotic, and breaks the fourth wall.
  • Zootopia (2016) — Fun, with a genuinely good story underneath. Very popular with the furry fandom too.
  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) — A prequel showing how the Rebels got the Death Star plans.
  • The Death of Stalin (2017) — Darkly hilarious and brilliantly written.
  • Logan (2017) — One of the best superhero films ever made.
  • The Foreigner (2017) — Set in Northern Ireland, focused on a man seeking answers when authorities won’t help.
  • Call Me by Your Name (2017) — Not for everyone, but a genuinely moving film.
  • Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — The culmination of a decade of MCU storytelling.
  • Avengers: Endgame (2019) — The payoff, bringing everything together.
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) — Tarantino’s take on Hollywood.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy (2020–2024) — A fun set of films and one of the best video game adaptations.
  • Don’t Look Up (2021) — A satire with clear parallels to climate change inaction.
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) — Weird, creative, and shows what can be done on a smaller budget.
  • Wicked (2024) — A musical adaptation based on the stage production.
  • Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man (2025) — A modern detective story that shows the genre still has life.

Documentary Recommendations (ordered by release year)

  • Blue Planet (2001) — A landmark nature documentary series, with a follow-up in 2017.
  • Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
  • How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009)

TV Recommendations

Animation (Anime & Western) (ordered by start year)

  • The Simpsons (1991–2004, seasons 3–15 recommended)
  • South Park (1997– )
  • King of the Hill (1997–2010, 2024– )
  • Futurama (1999–2013, 2023– )
  • Death Note (2006–2007)
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020) — Most Star Wars animation is worth watching.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010)
  • Archer (2009–2023)
  • Bob’s Burgers (2011– )
  • Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
  • Attack on Titan (2013–2023)
  • Rick and Morty (2013– )
  • Seven Deadly Sins (2014–2021)
  • One Punch Man (2015–2027)
  • Castlevania (2017–2021)
  • Hilda (2018–2023)
  • The Hollow (2018–2020)
  • Final Space (2018–2021) — No longer on streaming services.
  • Bluey (2018– ) — A kids’ show that adults can enjoy too.
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–2024) — A love letter to Star Trek.
  • Arcane (2021–2024)
  • X-Men ’97 (2024–2026)
  • Terminator Zero (2024)

Drama / Crime / Thriller (ordered by start year)

  • The Thick of It (2005–2012) — A masterpiece of political satire.
  • Mad Men (2007–2015)
  • Breaking Bad (2008–2013) — A masterclass in storytelling.
  • Suits (2011–2019)
  • The Borgias (2011–2013)
  • Line of Duty (2012–2021)
  • House of Cards (US) (2013–2018) — Later seasons are weaker.
  • Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) — LGBTQ+ themes.
  • Utopia (2013–2014) — A cult thriller with a unique visual style. Cancelled before its story was finished, but well worth watching.
  • Fargo (2014–2024)
  • How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020) — Falls off in later seasons.
  • Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
  • Narcos (2015–2017)
  • Stranger Things (2016–2025)
  • The Crown (2016–2023)
  • GLOW (2017–2019)
  • Ozark (2017–2022)
  • Chernobyl (2019) — A gripping dramatisation of the 1986 nuclear disaster.
  • El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
  • It’s a Sin (2021) — A heavy-hitting short series about the AIDS crisis in 1980s Britain.
  • Heartstopper (2022–2026) — A warm coming-of-age story.
  • The Gentlemen (2024–2026)
  • Mr Bates vs The Post Office (2024) — A dramatisation of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history, where hundreds of Post Office workers were wrongly prosecuted.

Comedy / Light-Hearted (ordered by start year)

  • Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006) / Life’s Still Unfair (2026)
  • Scrubs (2001–2010, 2026– ) — Skip season 9.
  • Arrested Development (2003–2019)
  • QI (2003– )
  • The Office (US) (2005–2013) — Later seasons are weaker.
  • Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)
  • Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020)
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021)
  • BoJack Horseman (2014–2020) — Deals with mental health themes and gets dark, but still genuinely funny.
  • Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020)
  • Taskmaster (2015– )
  • Superstore (2015–2021) — Final season is the weakest.
  • The Good Place (2016–2020)
  • Motherland (2016–2023)
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)
  • Derry Girls (2018–2022)
  • After Life (2019–2022)

Superhero / Sci-Fi / Fantasy (ordered by start year)

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) — Better than its reputation suggests.
  • Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
  • Doctor Who (2005– ) — Series 11–13 (2018–2021) are the weakest, but the rest is well worth watching.
  • Game of Thrones (2011–2019) — Strong early seasons, weaker ending.
  • Gotham (2014–2019)
  • Daredevil (2015–2018) / Daredevil: Born Again (2025–2026)
  • Jessica Jones (2015–2019) — Season 1 is fantastic; skip the rest.
  • Watchmen (2019)
  • The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024) — Fun superhero family drama; the final season is shorter and more mixed.
  • Loki (2021–2023)
  • Andor (2022–2025)