Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — If the current gray weather has given you the urge to be sedentary for a weekend or two, iFlix has a lineup of television shows and highly rated films to help you do just that. Below are select recommendations, from an absurdist animated sitcom about a burger joint-owning family, to a drama film about an aging bet collector, to a supernatural romantic comedy starring two future Oscar winners. (To make your blanket-wrapped marathon an even more stress-free experience, use the iFlix app to download your favorites onto your tablet or mobile device for offline viewing in case the next brownout strikes too soon.)
“Bob’s Burgers” centers on the Belcher family — the unlucky Bob, the optimistic Linda, the prepubescent Tina, the keyboard-playing Gene, and the not-so-secretly evil Louise — and the titular burger joint they are trying to keep alive. With its catchy musical numbers and absurdist storylines, the show has become a frontrunner in late-night comedy, breaking through Seth MacFarlane’s Fox animation domination, and continues to take oddly accurate jabs at the dilemmas that come with reaching the so-called American Dream, without abandoning its low-key, anti-joke sense of humour. The first and second seasons are available on iFlix.
What happens when two people who don’t believe in love, well, fall in love? After meeting at a wedding, Jimmy, a self-involved struggling writer, and Gretchen, a self-destructive publicist, decide to give this whole “relationship thing” a go. They are joined by Lindsay, Gretchen’s haphazard best friend, who married a man for his money in the heat of a competition with her sister, and Edgar, Jimmy’s weed dealer turned roommate who’s an Iraq veteran with PTSD. With each episode producing more laughs (and, surprisingly, tears) than the last, “You’re the Worst” is a wonderful mix of comedy, romance, and the darker aspects of being human. Both seasons so far are available on iFlix.
A contemporary remake of the 1977 miniseries based on Alex Haley’s novel of the same name, “Roots” tells the tale of Kunta Kinte and his family as they are sold from their Gambian home as slaves to Americans. Throughout the miniseries, Kunta uses his headstrong personality and undying willpower to persuade his fellow slaves to fight for their freedom. As discussions of race and discrimination continue to be as important today as they were several years ago, the retelling of “Roots” is a must for the modern-day television enthusiast. All four episodes are available on iFlix.
Produced by Joe Weisberg, a former CIA officer, “The Americans” tells the story of a married couple and the secrets they possess. Living near Washington, D.C., during the Cold War in the 1980s, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are on a mission to execute covert intelligence operations as Ronald Reagan becomes president of the United States. The Jenningses’ efforts to keep their identities hidden from their children and from outsiders take an unfortunate turn when an FBI agent moves in next door. With a focus on marriage and the family as a unit, “The Americans” ascends from the typical spy-thriller mold and demonstrates how these real-life situations have real-life consequences. The first three seasons are available on iFlix.
In our digital-infested society, whether it’s a text asking for load or an email asking for a wire transfer, we’ve all been near-victims of a scam before. But what happens when the scammer falls in love with the scammee? “Babagwa” tells the story of Greg, who uses a fake Facebook account to ask people to deposit money into his bank account. As he attempts to swindle Daisy, a rich woman, Greg begins developing deep feelings for her. Now, Greg has to pick between revealing his true emotions and remaining true to his identity.
The banal existence of a lifelong kubrador named Ami takes on a series of twists and turns when she leasts expects it. Jueteng, the illegal game of numbers that was introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonization, still has a tight grasp on Filipino society, just as Ami’s kubrador career still has a tight grasp on her. “Kubrador” stars Gina Pareño in one of her most acclaimed performances.
Fe (Irma Adlawan), an overseas Filipino worker, is forced to return to her rural home after the global financial crisis hits. Upon her arrival, Fe discovers that her husband, Dante, has become resentful and abusive toward her. When she learns that Dante’s change is due to an affair, Fe finds solace in Arturo, her ex-lover. Fe wants to elope with Arturo, but because of Arturo’s own marriage and duty to his family, he is unable to. When Fe begins to receive mysterious gifts, she is enchanted by this mysterious suitor and turns to him for her escape. A representation of the struggle that comes with the Philippines’s patriarchal society, “Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe” is not just the story of the violation of a woman’s body, but of her dignity as well.
Now with a cult following and a reputation for being a modern animated classic, “The Iron Giant” (based on the novella “The Iron Man” by Ted Hughes) features the incredible bond between the young Hogarth Hughes and a mysterious, metal-eating robot. When an FBI agent finds out about the giant’s existence, it is up to Hogarth to save his newfound friend from a terrifying ending. Considering the picturesque state of Maine juxtaposed with the constant fear that reigned over society in the 1950s, one sees many similarities between the elements of this film and society today — fear of the unknown, fear of the unfamiliar, and fear of the thing that is not oneself.
A journalist and a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., respectively) become consumed with finding the Zodiac Killer after two teenagers are found dead on a quiet street in California. The Zodiac Killer continues to jeer the police with undecipherable ciphers and bloodstained clothes, adding more and more victims to his tally as the years go by, all the while never revealing his identity. Based on true events that still have no conclusion decades later, David Fincher’s “Zodiac” is just as perplexing and gut-wrenching as the case that has never been solved.
A love potion is supposed to make falling in love easy and painless. Unfortunately, because of the family curse that casts a shadow on the witches of their family, Gillian and Sally (pre-Oscars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, respectively) grow up aware that any man who falls in love with either of them will be destined for doom. In “Practical Magic” (based on the novel by Alice Hoffman), the sisters learn that a spell to make romance more within reach is just not practical at all.