There’s only so much time in quarantine to be productive with our internet use. Here are some recommended movies and  songs to occupy your brain in the time between Zoom calls and Canvas tabs.

“Uncut Gems” – Netflix (2019)

Audiences knew Adam Sandler as much for his roles in iconic classics (“Billy Madison”) and first-ballot dumpster fires (“Jack and Jill”), but “Uncut Gems” showed audiences a side of Sandler that maybe not even he could expect. In it, Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a New York jewelry store owner whose hot pursuit of hotter diamonds leads to him betting his life on a million-dollar opal and a Celtics game. “Uncut Gems,” one of the cinematic essentials of 2019, comes back to the small screen for your viewing convenience. 

“Dead to Me” Season 2 – Netflix (2020) 

For the benefit of either background noise or binging, the second season of “Dead to Me” is here. Following two unconventional friends, one of which is still trying to solve the hit-and-run murder of her husband, while the other is Linda Cardanelli (who maybe did the hitting and running). All of the complexities of the first season return with a new intensity in the second. Together, they navigate parenting, life, death and lots of wine.

“The Fantastic Mr. Fox” – Disney+ (2009)

Based on Roald Dahl’s 1970 book of the same name, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” is still a piece of stop-motion sincerity in a indulgently digital world. What that means is you can expect all of Wes Anderson’s dynamic storytelling devices and quirks and a knock-out cast featuring George Clooney, Merryl Streep, and Bill Murray. It’s campy, captivating, charming and upholds the source text’s commentary about the degrees of morality to a tee. 

“The New Abnormal” – The Strokes 

Almost two decades after their seminal debut “Is This It” and first sign of life since their 2016  “Future Present Past” EP, New York rock combo The Strokes make a triumphant return to form with the perfectly-titled “The New Abnormal.” Flashing the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of their debut with the New Wave stylings of their later works, the only thing that could make it better is the fine production pedigree of Def Jam Records founder and sonic legend Rick Rubin. And that’s exactly what happened. And that’s exactly what makes “The New Abnormal” essential listening.

“High Off Life” – Future

The Atlanta rapper aims his emotional output at piercing highs (“Touch the Sky”), fragile lows (“Pray for a Key”) and more conventional definitions of high (“Trapped in the Sun”) across the 21 songs in “High Off Life.” A fervent collaborator, Future stays true to form, trading verses with Travis Scott, Drake and YoungBoy NBA (“Trillionaire”) for matchups that marry unmistakable aggression with effortlessly cool hooks. 

“Blake Braley” (self-titled)

For a more local flavor of music, look no further then Spokane’s own R&B boss Blake Braley. The former Spokane Falls Community College student’s crowd-funded, self-titled EP released in late April packs six tracks that never shy away from slinky bass grooves (“Neon Nights”) and vocals that sweetly teeter between mellow and searing. Imagine if Nathaniel Rateliff dove into all those classic Earth Wind & Fire records. Every second sounds like, and feels like, the more blissful side of life in the Pacific Northwest.