It's Presidents Day, and that means you should take a moment to commemorate George Washington, whose birthday on Feb. 22, 1732 inspired the creation of this holiday that now pops up every third Monday of February. As you probably know, this day is also used to celebrate the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12, 1809, and also all past and present United States presidents.
However, what Presidents Day really means to most people is a day off from work or school, which means free time, which means Netflix, of course. While you could binge-watch Friends (again), you might want to be a bit more productive with your Netflix viewing and watch these eight political movies and TV shows perfect for a Presidents Day streaming. It's your civic duty.
1. Election (1999)
Though Election may only detail something as small scale as a student council presidential election, it is so cutthroat, you would think that the candidates were competing to become the Leader of the Free World. Reese Witherspoon stars as Tracy Flick, a Type A, overachieving and ruthless student who her teacher Mr. McAllister, played by Matthew Broderick, can't stand. He decides to wrangle a popular jock (Chris Klein) into competing against and hopefully beating Tracy, but she refuses to go down without a fight.
2. The West Wing (1999-2005)
The West Wing set the standard for what a political drama on television could be. This show created by Aaron Sorkin tapped into the cultural consciousness at a time when we knew more about the president's personal life than perhaps ever before and gave us a glimpse into the, albeit fictionalized, inner workings of the White House.
3. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Politics aren't always about shaking hands and kissing babies. Sometimes, getting what you want involves doing something more sinister. In The Manchurian Candidate, Denzel Washington plays a Gulf War veteran who discovers he's been brainwashed. He spends the movie trying to uncover who did it and also just trying to get people to believe him, including vice presidential candidate Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), who has also been brainwashed. With an all-star cast rounded out by Meryl Streep and Jon Voight, The Manchurian Candidate has all of the political thrills you could ever want in a movie.
4. Political Animals (2012)
What's easier: keeping the nation together or your family? It's a toss-up for former First Lady and current U.S. Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond in this well-received mini-series. She sounds a lot like a real-life politician, doesn't she?
5. The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents (2012)
In case you want to take a break from fictional presidents, why not get to know the real ones with the History Channel's Ultimate Guide to the Presidents? This eight-part documentary series details the trials and tribulations of our nation's 44 presidents, from Washington to Barack Obama.
6. Scandal (2012-2013)
In Scandal, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) leads a team of fixers that make scandals go away. So what better place to practice than Washington, D.C.? And you quickly learn that President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) needs most of the saving.
7. House of Cards (2013-2014)
Despite, a high-profile and accidental early release last week, Season 3 of House of Cards arrives Feb. 27, so you have just enough time to catch up on the first two seasons of this critically acclaimed Netflix Original Series. This drama, which won Kevin Spacey a Golden Globe for his portrayal of conniving Congressman Frank Underwood, follows the politician and his wife Claire's (Robin Wright) fight for more and more political power.
8. Mitt (2014)
We all think we know how this story goes. The former governor of Massachusetts had an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election and lost the 2012 presidential election. However, this documentary gives a more in-depth and intimate look at the politician and what it's like to run for president.
