The Easter long weekend is a great time to cue up some movies and TV shows (particularly if the weather is sub-optimal), and with streaming platforms like Kanopy it's super easy. Just be sure not to blow through your entire month's allotment of viewing credits (or do, if that's the vibe).
My colleague Donna and I have made some picks of what we're looking forward to watching this weekend.
New Zealand
We were dangerous
Donna's pick: This 2024 coming of age movie about a group of delinquent girls was filmed on location at our own Ōtamahua Quail Island (a place laden with atmosphere). (Was going to add this one to my list of picks but Donna beat me to it! -Moata)
Music
Daft Punk unchained
Donna's pick: Music and Documentary? Count me in. This 2015 music doco tracks the careers of helmeted French DJ musicians Thomas and Guy-Manuel – Daft Punk.
Kneecap
Donna's pick: Bring on the Barn-storming Breakbeats - this biopic about Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap was popular at last year’s Film Fest.
Movies
The Apprentice
Donna's pick: Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong act up a storm as young douchey Trump and super cynical lawyer Roy Cohn.
Fear the Night
Moata's pick: Every bachelorette party is only a couple of tequila shots away from turning into an orgy of violence - though in this case the threat is in the form of masked intruders but I'll take "girls night gets dangerous" in whatever form it comes, apparently.
Grease
Moata's pick: Are the sexual politics in this movie extremely problematic? Yes. Do I completely forget about that when Olivia Newton John sings "Hopelessly devoted"? Again, yes.
The Hurt Locker
Moata's pick: I don't know what I was doing in 2008 when this came out but it was not going to see this movie that won 6 Oscars and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% fresh. About time I got round to this one, I think.
Mean Girls
Moata's pick: I honestly considered putting this in the "Classics" section of this post, such is its longevity and cultural impact and I'm well overdue for a rewatch. This movie has more iconic quotes than you can shake a stick at. Get in loser, we're going shopping etc.
Molli and Max in the Future
Donna's pick: I love Zosia Mamet (Shoshanna in Girls) and timey-wimey stuff – this 2023 movie has both!
Classics
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Donna's pick: Swoon at Holly Golightly as the archetypal New York City playgirl.
The Godfather
Donna's pick: Might be a time to visit this classic Mafia movie with moody Pacino as Michael Corleone and Brando chewing up the scenery as the Don.
Portrait of a lady on fire
Donna's pick: Period drama par excellence, set in 18th century France
TV and Mini-series
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates
Moata's pick: It may be a long weekend but it's also school holidays. These are short, kid-friendly episodes based on Liz Pichon's wildly popular Tom Gates series.
The Jetty
Donna's pick: It’s grim up north in this BBC crime miniseries starring Jenna Coleman.
Pride and Prejudice
Moata's pick: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a long weekend must be in a want of a BBC period drama and this one is the peak of the artform.
Twenty thousand streets under the sky
Donna's pick: Patrick Hamilton’s classic trilogy turned into a three-part tv series starring Kathy Burke and Sally Hawkins.
Add a comment to: Watchathon: Long weekend viewing