The holidays are a great time to be around dozens of family members you only see a couple of times a year, attend packed office parties and travel on sold-out flights to the far ends of the country.
It’s basically every introvert’s nightmare scenario.
Thankfully, we have streaming channels now for those few hours you need to put earbuds in, start up a new show and lay low for awhile.
Just in case you’re looking for a few solid recommendations to add to your queue over the holiday weekend, we’ve put together this list of movies and shows for no matter what level of escapism your days off are calling for.
The Long Game
If you want a modern, genuinely inspiring underdog sports story, The Long Game is the move. Based on a true story, the film follows a group of Mexican-American teens in 1950s Texas who build a golf team out of borrowed clubs, rugged determination and the hope that they could belong in a world trying to keep them out. What starts as a story about adversity becomes something bigger — about dignity, unlikely mentors and what happens when a community decides its kids are worth believing in. It’s hopeful without being sentimental and faith-adjacent without feeling preachy.
Streaming now on Netflix
Daredevil
For its handful of Netflix originals — Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage — Marvel took their brand in a new direction. Instead of the glossy, wise-cracking polished tone they established in their Avengers movies, the shows offer gritty, dark looks at flawed characters that are barely super or heroes. But the commitment to a flawed protagonist—who is engaged in spiritual battles as fierce as any physical ones he’s in with criminals — makes Daredevil extra compelling. As star Charlie Cox explained to RELEVANT about his character,
He’s religious. He comes from a religious background. He’s Catholic. So he’s dealing with this always in the back of his mind, this idea of morality and original sin, and also God’s will. What is God’s will? I don’t think he would be in any doubt as to whether going out and beating people up is God’s will or not.
Even if you’re not a superhero fan, Daredevil offers gripping drama, intense action and a character you can actually relate to.
Streaming on Netflix
American Nightmare
If you want the same gripping, documentary-style tension as Making a Murderer but rooted in a more recent case, American Nightmare is the right kind of unsettling. The series revisits a 2015 home invasion and kidnapping that police initially dismissed as a hoax. What unfolds is a sobering look at how bias, assumptions and bad investigative instincts can warp an entire case. It’s bingeable and disturbing, with real implications for how victims are treated when their stories don’t fit the expected narrative.
Streaming on Netflix
The Phoenician Scheme
If you want the quirky, meticulously crafted escapism of Moonrise Kingdom but with a more current flair, check out Wes Anderson’s latest caper-comedy The Phoenician Scheme. It delivers the pastel palettes, deadpan humor and handcrafted detail you expect from Anderson, but pairs it with a twisty, warm-hearted story about misfits, identity and the strange connections you can make along the way. It’s breezy and melancholy in the best way — perfect for sneaking away from the holiday chaos for a couple hours.
Streaming on Peacock
The Gospel According to Mac
The story of Bill McCartney has all of the makings of an American epic: Football, addiction, celebrity, race relations, scandal and, most of all, faith. Part of ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series, the film — which has become somewhat controversial — takes a look at the complicated life of legendary college football coach and Promise Keepers ministry founder Bill McCartney. Much of the movie plays out like a thrilling (and tragic) underdog sports story, but its surprise third act shows that the real story of Bill McCartney isn’t just about faith and success: It’s about personal redemption.
Streaming on ESPN+
Freaks and Geeks
Despite lasting for just 18 episodes, Freaks and Geeks is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. Watch a couple episodes and you’ll see why. Created by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig — who are now two of comedy’s biggest names — the series follows a group of outcast high school friends making their way in the world of 1980s America. Since the show first aired, much of the cast has gone on to become superstars — including James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Busy Philipps — but Freaks and Geeks offers a look at their early talent as misfit teens trying to make sense of life, purpose and relationships. Unlike many great modern TV comedies that rely on cynicism and irony, the show is super funny without ever being cynical or mean-spirited.
Streaming on Paramount+
Atypical
If you’re looking for something heartfelt but a little lighter on the emotional gut-punches, Atypical is a great substitute. The series follows Sam Gardner, a teenager on the autism spectrum who decides it’s time to start dating — a choice that pushes his whole family into their own journeys of growth. What starts as a coming-of-age comedy becomes a surprisingly moving look at communication, boundaries, love and the messy process of becoming more honest with the people closest to you. It’s funny, warm and full of the kind of relatable family chaos that makes for perfect holiday-weekend viewing.
Streaming on Netflix
Shiny Happy People
If you want something gripping, emotional and uncomfortably relevant to modern church culture, Shiny Happy People delivers. Season 1 digs into the Duggar family’s rise and the fundamentalist systems that shaped them, while Season 2 turns its attention to Teen Mania — the high-energy youth movement that left many young volunteers to process spiritual trauma long after the rallies ended. Together, the series traces how faith, control and charisma can collide in ways that reshape real lives. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an essential one for anyone wrestling with reconstruction, accountability and healing in 2025.
Streaming on Prime Video
