Fourth of July: 5 movies and shows to watch instead of the fireworks

Instead of the fireworks, watch these features this Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is a big celebration for a lot of Americans. It commemorates when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic has prevented a lot of festivities from happening. Cookouts, barbecues, and all sorts of outdoor blowouts have been canceled. One of the more popular events is fireworks. People come from all over the world to see them.

Boston has been one of the more popular spots for decades. Families will show up early in the morning to grab the best spot to see the colors illuminate in the sky. Staying in the house has been the responsible thing to do. So why not light up your living room with TV shows and movies instead?

Is this as fun as sitting outside with food, great company, and a cold beverage? Maybe not. Nonetheless, it can still be fun. Especially if it’s an opportunity to catch up on shows.

This writer just started New Girl at the beginning of the week. A decision that I’m more than happy with. You could have the same experience with your family. There are choices like The Mandalorian or movies from the MCU, but those are the easy choices. What you have here are Fourth of July sleeper selections. So, grab your popcorn, your drink of choice, and check out these five features.

The Boys

Streaming service: Amazon Prime

The Boys is definitely not a show for all ages. You’re going to see everything from violence to nudity. You’re also going to witness some things that would give Mortal Kombat ideas. Beyond the rated-R content, The Boys is a fantastic show. It has a story with more than its share of twists and turns. The ending of season one has a shocking moment that even fans of the comic book didn’t see coming.

With season 2 starting up in September, it seems like the perfect time to dive in. Even if you’ve seen season 1, it’s worth going back this Fourth of July Weekend. You’ll see things that you may have missed the first time around. Or, re-familiarize with the characters. Especially Black Noir.

There have been reports that he’s going to have a more “terrifying” role in season 2. The clip above confirms it.

Sin City

Streaming service: Netflix

Here’s a personal favorite. A movie that has everything from action-packed scenes to superior dialogue. Fifteen years later, Sin City remains an incredible watch. The black and white with hints of color at the perfect time makes the movie visually stunning. The internal monologue is masterfully done.

This gives the movie a more comic book vibe. Like you’re listening to the thought bubbles. Sin City may not have the budget that Marvel Studios has, but they can rival them with the story.

Why this movie? It’s a classic. You can see how the formula used hasn’t been duplicated as well since. Not even Sin City 2 (don’t bother watching it). You can also see how the action scenes compare to the ones we’ve seen in other non-comic book-related movies. Each fighter has a different style. This gives each scene a more personal touch.

Shockingly no one has tried to recreate this style. Maybe The Spirit ruined that idea for everyone.

Supernatural

Streaming service: Netflix

The Winchesters have been hunting demons since 2005. After 15 long years of seeing their family and friends die and dying themselves, the boys of Supernatural will be riding off into the sunset. Supernatural is in its final season.

We don’t know how this is going to end. What we can assume is that it’s going to end in a happy tragedy. There’s no other way that their story can conclude. If you’ve seen the show, you know how likely this is.

According to quora.com, there are 236 hours and 15 minutes of Supernatural. There’s no way to watch it all on Fourth of July Weekend. What you can do is revisit your favorite episodes or seasons. Or, and this could be fun, watch all of the season finales.

You can go back and see which ones had the best cliffhangers. Was it Dean in Hell? The Angels falling from Heaven? Castiel announcing that he was god? All great choices. Check them out and decide for yourself.

Hotel Artemis

Streaming service: Amazon Prime

The trailer for Hotel Artemis would lead you to believe that this movie is nonstop action. It’s not. The film has action, but not the John Wick romp you’d expect. Instead, you’re given a movie with really good acting and a cool story.

Considering that Sterling K. Brown is involved, you shouldn’t be shocked. He’s amazing in everything he’s in. You also have Dave Bautista playing a nurse, Charlie Day playing a very Charlie Day character, and a Jeff Goldblum sighting. You also get Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, and Zachary Quinto.

While the story is worth the price of admission (free on Amazon Prime), we want the action. When the fighting starts, it’s better than advertised. The only thing about it is that the fighting is shorter than we may have wanted and takes longer to get to. However, the wait is worth it. Without spoiling too much, everyone gets involved.

Harley Quinn

Streaming service: DC Universe

As someone who covered this show weekly, you can trust this writer. Harley Quinn is worth the binge. Season two just ended and it finished with a bang. Both figuratively and literally. Harley Quinn immediately begins by letting you know what you’re getting into. Violence, vulgarity, and making fun of your favorite DC Comics characters.

The Harley Quinn creative team showed that they know the characters and their demographic. They’ve also shown that they’re not afraid to show their support for women’s rights and pokes fun at the people who oppress others. That’s only part of what makes Harley Quinn a great binge.

Among all the shenanigans is an amazing story as well. Harley learns a lot about herself and who she wants to be. Poison Ivy grows in ways that help her both professionally and personally. And the other characters are hilarious. Again, showing that the staff knows the source material.

Clayface was an actor in the comic books so they made him an overly dramatic thespian. People love poking fun at Bane’s voice from Dark Knight Rises and now he has that voice in the show. Then there’s Commissioner Gordon. He’s exactly what you’d expect from the commissioner of the most dangerous city in America.

Two seasons in and it’s close to perfection. More than anything on here, this is the one to watch this Fourth of July.

What do you think? Are these worthy of a watch on Fourth of July? Let us know in the comments below.