The Hollywood nostalgia binge guide:

From cinematic gems to unexplored marvels to decades-old Hollywood classics, the streaming world is full of classic Hollywood movies that are not only binge-worthy during the lockdown but also promise to leave behind a feel good nostalgia. A revisit could be worth it.

Here are a few old films that you might want to revisit, that will let you relax and bust the stress of lockdown.

* Sleepless In Seattle (1993)

It’s an evergreen love story, featuring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The classic is a heart-warming story of a mourning widower Sam Baldwin (Hanks) finding love once again. It is available on Netflix.

* The Sixth Sense (1999)

The supernatural psychological thriller, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, tells the story of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and Malcolm Crowe (essayed by Bruce Willis), a psychologist who is trying to help the child. It is available on Netflix.

* Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

The romantic comedy follows an estranged couple who have erased each other from their memories. Featuring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, it is available on Netflix.

* It Could Happen To You (1994)

Based on a true incident, the romantic comedy-drama is about a New York City police officer (Nicolas Cage) who wins the lottery and splits his winnings with a waitress (Bridget Fonda). It is available on Netflix.

* Pearl Harbor (2001)

As the name suggests, the movie presents a fictionalised version of the Pearl Harbor attack. It follows American friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter World War II as pilots. It is available on Netflix.

* Rebecca (1940)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the psychological thriller tells the story of an aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine as the young woman who becomes his second wife. Her life turns upside down when she discovers that Maxim had killed his ex-wife. It features Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. It is available on Netflix.

* Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

An erotic mystery psychological drama, the film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is about the sexual adventures of Dr. Bill Harford, who is shocked when his wife, Alice, reveals that she had contemplated having an affair a year earlier. The film stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. It’s streaming live on Netflix.

* The Aviator (2004)

It’s a classic film by Martin Scorsese about Howard Hughes, who despite suffering from germophobia and psychological illness, is trying to design a new aircraft. He faces personal issues but becomes a successful filmmaker. The biographical drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Kate Beckinsale, is streaming on Netflix.

* The Stranger (1946)

The film, starring Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, and Orson Welles, is about a war crimes investigator tracking a high-ranking Nazi fugitive to a Connecticut town. It is streaming on Netflix

* Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones, who battles a group of Nazis searching for the Ark of the Covenant. The film promises an adventurous ride to the jungle and back. It is streaming on Netflix.

* The Mask (1994)

Mask your isolation woes away with Jim Carrey’s fun film “The Mask”. Available on Netflix, it is about Stanley Ipkiss, an unfortunate bank clerk who finds a magical mask that transforms him into a mischievous hero with superpowers.

* American Pie (1999)

From the notorious pie scene to many “self loving” moments to the curiosity around sex, the 1990s teen sex comedy is about guys on a mission to lose their virginity before high school graduation. The film has become a pop culture phenomenon and has cult following amongst youngsters. It stars Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Sean William Scott and Eugene Levy. It’s live on Netflix.

* Jurassic Park (1993)

The science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg chronicles a disastrous and dangerous attempt to create a theme park of dinosaurs. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. It’s live on Netflix.

* Apollo 13 (1995)

The space docudrama, directed by Ron Howard, stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, and Ed Harris. It narrates the story of astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert of the Apollo 13 moon mission, who get stranded after their spacecraft gets damaged. It’s live on Netflix.

* Tucker: The Man And His Dream (1988)

The biographical comedy-drama recounts the story of Preston Tucker and his attempt to produce and market the 1948 Tucker Sedan, which was met with scandal between the “Big Three automobile manufacturers” and accusations of stock fraud. It is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Jeff Bridges. It’s live on Netflix.

* Forrest Gump (1994)

The American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a slow-witted but kind-hearted man from Alabama who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century in the US. The film was directed by Robert Zemeck. You can watch it on Netflix.

* Cast Away (2000)

The film is about Chuck Nolan (Tom Hanks) who finds himself marooned on a desolate island after a plane crash. It’s a story of how he survives in his new home. You can watch it on Netflix.

* Sophie’s Choice (1982)

With Meryl Streep in the lead role of Sophie Zawistowska, the drama set in post-World War II Brooklyn revolves around Sophie’s struggle as a Polish-Catholic immigrant in the US who had survived a Nazi concentration camp. Kevin Kline plays her all-consuming lover, Nathan. You can watch it on Netflix.

* Goodfellas (1990)

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is about Henry Hill who along with his friends Jimmy and Tommy, become a gangster from a petty criminal in New York. You can revisit the classic on Netflix.

* Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s film is about Rick Deckard, an ex-policeman who becomes a special agent with a mission to exterminate a group of violent androids. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young, it is live on Netflix.

* The Godfather (1972)

Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic gem is about Don Vito Corleone, head of a mafia family, and how things turn dangerous when he decides to hand over his empire to his youngest son Michael. It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano and Robert Duvall amongst others. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

* Indecent Proposal (1993)

Based on the novel of the same name by Jack Engelhard, it’s a story about a married couple who go through a turbulent time when a stranger’s offer a million dollars for the wife to spend the night with him. It is directed by Adrian Lyne, and stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Seymour Cassel. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

* Top Gun (1986)

“Top Gun” was apparently inspired by a magazine article on Navy pilots. The film followed the life of a fighter pilot and launched Tom Cruise’s career as a global action star. From iconic moments featuring Cruise on a motorcycle and flying a jet, a volleyball game, shirtless men, aerial tricks to its music, there are many reasons to watch the movie once again. It is live on Amazon Prime Video.

* Rambo: First Blood (1982)

The film is about Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood veteran, and his mission to rely on his combat and survival senses against the abusive law enforcement of the small town of Hope, Washington. Sylvester Stallone’s iconic movie is available on Amazon Prime Video.

* Wish Upon A Star (1996)

Starring Katherine Heigl and Danielle Harris, the film focuses on two teenage sisters that magically swap bodies because of a wish made on a shooting star. It is live on Amazon Prime Video.

* The Bodyguard (1982)

The romantic thriller, directed by Mick Jackson, is about a former Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard who is hired to protect a music star from an unknown stalker. It stars Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. It is live on Amazon Prime Video.

* Dirty Dancing (1987)

The romantic dance film stars Jennifer Grey as a young woman named Frances Houseman, who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) during a vacation. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

* The House On Sorority Row (1982)

Directed by Mark Rosman, the film follows a group of sorority sisters who are being stalked and murdered during their graduation party after they conceal a fatal prank. It is live on Amazon Prime Video.

* The Little Mermaid (1989)

The fantasy film tells the story of a mermaid princess named Ariel who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric. It is available on Hotstar.

* The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The film is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella, “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption”, and it tells the story of two prisoners who forge a lifelong friendship. These are Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover, and Red (Morgan Freeman), who is serving out a life sentence. Frank Darabont’s film, widely considered a classic now, is available on Hotstar.

* The Matrix (1999)

The film tells the story of Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer, who leads a fight against powerful computers who have constructed his entire reality with a system called the Matrix. Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss, the film is available on Hotstar.

* Seven (1995)

The thriller is about a serial killer who begins murdering people according to the seven deadly sins. It stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and John C. The film is available on Hotstar.

* Lethal Weapon (1987)

The buddy cop action film is about officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh of the Los Angeles Police Department. It takes people on an exciting trip when the cops are assigned a mission to stop a dangerous crime lord from China from getting his brother out of jail. Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Gary Busey, the film is available on Hotstar.

Few more shows/movies you can watch while you are snuggled up at home.

* Parasite

The Oscar-winning drama “Parasite” will be making its digital debut on Amazon Prime Video India on March 27. Directed by South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, who made history by winning Best Picture Oscar for the film, “Parasite” follows the lives of a poor family, the Kims as they con their way into becoming the servants of a rich family, the Parks. But their easy life gets complicated when their deception is threatened with exposure.

* Pandemic: How To Prevent An Outbreak

Amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, watch the Netflix docu-series, which is about men and women on the front lines to fight against an influenza. Each episode follows them and their efforts to stop the next global outbreak of the disease.

* The Big Bang Theory

Get nostalgic and watch “The Big Bang Theory” on Amazon Prime. The show’s universe originated with the story of how four nerds — Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) — react when a girl Penny (Kaley Cuoco) enters their life as a friendly neighbour.

With all the idiosyncrasies, quirky behaviour, cultural one-liners, including a lot of Indian references courtesy British-Indian actor Kunal, as well as dating fundas — the story that highlights the personal life of scientists and geeks was loved by one and all, making it a phenomenon.

* Asur

Actor Arshad Warsi’s digital debut psychological thriller series “Asur” showcases the conflict between good and bad. The show, which streams on Voot Select, takes the audience on a journey of two opposing worlds — forensic science on the one hand and the mysteries of Indian mythology on the other.

* Blow The Man Down

The dark female-led murder mystery, available on Amazon Prime Video, is about Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly who are trying to cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters go deep into the criminal underbelly of their hometown, and uncover some dark secrets.

* Panga

Actress Kangana Ranaut’s “Panga” is also streaming on Hotstar VIP in this difficult time due to the global outbreak of coronavirus. Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, “Panga” also features Neena Gupta, Richa Chadha and Jassie Gill. The film, released on January 24, revolves around a kabaddi player, played by Kangana, who wants to make a comeback in the game after marriage and motherhood.

* Special Ops

Neeraj Pandey’s spy action thriller series is based on the role of Indian intelligence in a series of real terror attacks that India has faced over the last 19 years, including the 26/11 attacks. Neeraj has directed the series along with Shivam Nair. The Hotstar Special show features Saiyami Kher, Karan Tacker, Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak, Muzammil Ibrahim, Vipul Gupta, Sajjad Delafrooz, Parmeet Sethi, Gautami Kapoor, Sana Khan, Sharad Kelkar, K.P. Mukherjee and many others.

* Maska

Actress Manisha Koirala’s Netflix original film “Maska” promises to bring forth the roots and heritage of the Parsi culture. The film, also starring Prit Kamani, Shirley Setia and Nikita Dutta, is a coming-of-age story that promises to take the audience through a “journey to understand the difference between dreams and delusions”. It will go live on March 27.

* She

Written by Imtiaz Ali, “She” is the story of a police constable, Bhumika Pardesi, who is assigned a dangerous undercover police operation in the volatile underbelly of Mumbai, and is forced to depend on her survival skills. It stars Aaditi Pohankar, Vijay Verma, Vishwas Kini amongst others.

* Ozark Season 3

Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julia Garner will be back with the season three of “Ozark”, a thriller drama set in the dark and dangerous world of drug-money laundering. The third season of “Ozark” picks up six months after the events of Season 2. The casino is up and running, but Marty (Bateman) and Wendy (Linney) are fighting for control of the family’s destiny. It will go live on Netflix on March 27.

* Four More Shots Please! Season 2

After the success of the first season of the Amazon Original series, the second season of “Four More Shots Please!” will go live on April 17. The second part will pick-up from the previous season’s cliffhanger ending, bringing back stories of four unapologetically flawed ladies who live, love, blunder and discover what it really takes to build everlasting friendships in Mumbai.

The series stars Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Bani J. and Maanvi Gagroo, with Prateik Babbar, Lisa Ray, Milind Soman, Neil Bhooplalam, Simone Singh and Amrita Puri.

* Money Heist Part 4

“Money Heist” will be back on Netflix for part 4. It is slated to release on April 3. While part three was about the surviving members of a misfit band of bank robbers getting the band back together, the fourth part will take Tokyo, the Professor and the whole gang, Berlin, back to Madrid to clean out the Banco de Espana (Bank of Spain).