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25 of the best trippy titles to mellow out to on Netflix

We're here to help you on your journey, my dude 🌈 ✨🙃💜
By Alison Foreman and Jason Adams  on 
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My Octopus Teacher, The Midnight Gospel, and Nailed It!
Credit: Composite: Mashable / Netflix

Hey there, pal! If you're currently melting into your couch cushions and/or becoming one with your mattress, just scrolling for something cool to watch before you come down, then wow, you are in the right place.

You want a recommendation? We love giving recommendations. What a totally awesome and fortuitous situation we all are in right now.

Netflix has a ton of shows and movies perfect for watching when you're chilling out and getting high. Soothing, colorful, trippy, profound — you name the vibe and the streaming service has something for you. To get you started, we've combed through some of our favorite titles to enjoy while vegging out and described what mood they're perfect for.

Have an awesome time, buddy. You deserve a list of the best things to watch on Netflix while high.

25. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

A white knight and a black knight have a sword fight.
Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock

Unless your mother's a hamster and your father smells of elderberries, you've probably laughed yourself into an eye-watering stupor at this 1975 comedy classic once or twice or thrice thousand times already. No ni's about it! And yet somehow it sustains. Such is the brilliantly dumb lightning-in-a-bottle magic of the Monty Python gang, meaning Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin for good measure. Lampooning self-serious medieval epics with its ridiculous retelling of several mushed-up King Arthur legends, Holy Grail makes room for blood-thirsty bunny rabbits and Spamalot alike. With a herring! — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Monty Python and the Holy Grail is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

24. Cooked with Cannabis

Who among us hasn't lost an afternoon staring at a cooking show, imagining what every dish tastes like? Netflix's Cooked with Cannabis, hosted by "Milkshake" singer-turned-chef Kelis and cannabis cuisine expert Leather Storrs, adds a competitive edge to the art of weed cuisine as three guest chefs compete for a $10,000 prize. It's a little low on stakes at times, but is a generally enjoyable watch with plenty of mouth-watering creations to gaze at. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Cooked with Cannabis(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

23. Burlesque

A good old-fashioned nonsense musical about putting on a show to save the club and, uhh, air rights? The gaudy Burlesque embraces its cheesiness in such an enthusiastic fashion that it's hard not to fall under its ridiculous spell. Starring Christina Aguilera as a small-town waitress who moves to Los Angeles to fulfill her big singing dreams, and starring Cher – Cher!!! – as the owner of a burlesque club who takes the dreamin' lil songbird under her wing, Burlesque (like Cher) knows exactly what it is and exactly why we’re here. And those things are bright colors and absolute silliness. And if we just happen to get to watch Cam Gigandet wiggle his cute little butt too, then so be it. — J.A.

How to watch: Burlesque is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

22. Blown Away

A glass blower adjusts his work.
Credit: Netflix

If you think glassblowing is mesmeric when you're sober, then hold on to your couch cushions for this title. Blown Away, the surprise hit reality competition series centered on professional glass artists, combines the satisfaction of a How It's Made segment with the fun and format of Top Chef. (Did we mention molten glass kind of looks like food?) It's a killer binge you'll knock out in no time. — A.F.

How to watch: Blown Away (opens in a new tab)Seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

21. Ash vs Evil Dead

The Evil Dead franchise got progressively goofier as it rolled along, and the three seasons of Sam Raimi’s Ash vs Evil Dead (which originally aired on Starz) are as goofy and hilarious (not to mention goopy and hellacious) as ever. It’s been 40-plus years since Ashley “Ash” Williams (Bruce Campbell) first stumbled onto that nefarious demon-infested cabin in the woods, and the hits keep coming.

A sequel to Raimi’s original trilogy, when the show begins we find Ash working once again at ye olde S-Mart. We meet his friend Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Pablo’s unrequited crush Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo). And to say that the journey these three (plus, eventually Lucy Lawless!) will take over the following 30 episodes is a wild one is like trying to stuff a Kandarian demon into a light socket. Needless to say, catchphrases and innards abound, and it’s a delight every devilish step of the way. — J.A.

How to watch: Ash vs Evil Dead Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

20. Absurd Planet

Nature documentaries are always strong contenders for when you want viewing that's both relaxing and awe-inspiring. But Netflix's Absurd Planet is an especially good choice for when you're high. It blends absurdist comedy with pretty visuals, the occasional cartoon, and mind-blowing facts. (Fair warning, though, this show can be kind of cringe-inducing if you're not high. Prep accordingly.) — A.F.

How to watch: Absurd Planet (opens in a new tab)Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

19. Magic Mike XXL

Brushing aside all the intermittent dourness of the first Magic Mike film (Cody Horn who? Exactly!), the middle child of the Magic Mike franchise just wants to be loved. And it goes to extraordinary lengths to achieve that goal. It’s a road-trip movie where every stop along the way leads our good-time-fellas – Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodriguez, Kevin Nash, Gabriel Iglesias, and Matthew Bomer bringing up the rear – a little closer to enlightenment. Not to mention even smaller g-strings. XXL is a big dumb party where goosing our happy bits is the main item on the menu. By the time “Big Dick Ritchie” is doing gymnastics on a sex swing to Nine Inch Nails, you'll be floating so high that you'll forget you have feet. — J.A.

How to watch: Magic Mike XXL is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

18. Floor Is Lava

Four people struggle to climb up a fake purple mountain with lava running down the middle.
Credit: Netflix

Witness strangers yeeting themselves into oblivion with one of Netflix's best reality shows. Floor Is Lava is exactly the show it sounds like, turning the beloved living room game into a full-scale obstacle course with a cash prize at the finish line. Great casting, fun set decoration, and the warm presence of host Rutledge Wood make this a fun binge to fall into while relaxing. — A.F.

How to watch: Floor Is Lava(opens in a new tab): Seasons 1-3(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)are now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

17. The Mind, Explained

Explore the nooks and crannies of your head's ooey gooey center (too much?) with The Mind, Explained. In this 10-part docuseries narrated by Emma Stone and Julianne Moore, psychologists, doctors, and other experts discuss the mysteries surrounding our academic and practical understandings of consciousness. From dreams to drugs, this series is a great primer on all sorts of fascinating areas. — A.F.

How to watch: The Mind, Explained(opens in a new tab) is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

16. Paddington


If you've found something more comforting than the sound of Ben Whishaw talking about marmalade, then please, I beg of you — all of humanity begs of you — do share. Because I’m pretty sure the Paddington movies were invented as a psyop to turn us all into grinning mush. To what end I don’t know yet. I don’t actually care. They can do whatever they want to me, as long as I get to keep hearing Ben Whishaw talk about marmalade.

While Paddington 2 is the slightly superior film (having a funnier villain in Hugh Grant), we’ll happily make do with Paul King’s original 2014 live-action animated mash-up. It sees the cuddly rain-slicker-wearing bear of Michael Bond’s stories (voiced by Whishaw) taken in by the Brown family (Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins) after finding himself lost in London, only to then run afoul of an evil museum taxidermist. As one does. That she is played with relish by Nicole Kidman is a bonus. As is the much marmalade loved along the way! — J.A.

How to watch: Paddington is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

15. My Octopus Teacher

An octopus reaches out a tentacle to touch the face of a human.
Credit: Netflix

Dive into one of South Africa's bustling kelp forests with documentarian Craig Foster in the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher. Following Foster's relationship with a wild octopus he befriended while swimming along the coast, this captivating movie examines humans' connection to and responsibility for nature. — A.F.

How to watch: My Octopus Teacher(opens in a new tab) is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

14. Nailed It!

I don't know about you, but competition shows tend to stress me out — even when sober. That's why Nailed It!, now seven seasons strong, has always been more my speed. The baking contestants are brought onto the show specifically because of how outrageously untalented they are, and in the good spirit of camaraderie we're all invited to openly mock their trainwreck concoctions once they’re unceremoniously unveiled. But it’s never mean-spirited. Everybody is in on the joke. And hosts Nicole Byer and the ever-grinning chocolatier Jacques Torres, along with a delicious variety of guest judges, foster an environment of effervescent goofiness, one hot mess at a time. — J.A.

How to watch: Nailed It! Season 1-7 are now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

13. Bullet Train

Our critic called this David Leitch action flick the most fun they’d had in a theater in the summer of 2022, and now you can surf this candy-bright thrill ride from the sunken-in comfort of your own sofa. What’s not to love? Especially because you can now fast forward past the couple of boring patches littered across this two-hour-plus flick, or pause and grab yourself some sugary snacks before the next inevitable whizz bang action scene arrives. And they keep on arriving.

Starring Brad Pitt as an assassin codenamed "Ladybug" who's boarded the titular transpo to snatch a top secret briefcase before its arrival in Kyoto, Bullet Train offers a non-stop parade of over-the-top characters, each of them here to beat Pitt’s butt but good. Played by familiar faces such as Joey King, Andrew Koji, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, and the best in show tag team twins Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry, this movie pops from explosive set piece to explosive set piece. It's like John Wick as performed by Looney Tunes. — J.A.

How to watch: Bullet Train is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

12. The Speed Cubers

One man sits and watches another try to solve a Rubik's Cube.
Credit: Netflix

Few things are as charming as watching hobbyists celebrate their unique interests and tremendous talents. In just 40 minutes, Netflix's The Speed Cubers introduces its audience to the mind-blowing world of competitive speed-cubing and finds a compelling, character-driven narrative at its core. Inspirational yet goofy, this short film offers an excellent bit of comfort content. — A.F.

How to watch: The Speed Cubers(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

11. RRR


Kick-dancing off with an Oscar for Best Song for its show-stopping "Naatu Naatu" number, this Telugu historical action epic from director S.S. Rajamouli is three hours of non-stop, big-budget awesomeness that will grab you about the collar from its opening scene and not let go til the final credit has rolled. In between, you’ll see a man swing a motorcycle like a baseball bat and a riot of fierce zoo animals weaponized against the enemy army, among many many such spectacular visions. And it’s all in the name of making best friends-turned-enemies (Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) turn back into best friends again. The things some men will do to avoid intimacy! — J.A.

How to watch: RRR is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

10. Maniac

Patrick Somerville's limited series is without question the most thematically heavy title on this list. So if you want to keep things on the lighter side, make Maniac your last choice. That said, this compelling story of a friendship forged from an interdimensional drug trial is an excellent pick if you're seeking something visually complex and narratively mind-bendy. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone give astounding performances that are both multidimensional and captivating. —  A.F.

How to watch: Maniac(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

9. Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics

Let's be honest: The best time to hear someone talk about being high is when you are also high. Sting, Sarah Silverman, Nick Offerman, A$AP Rocky, and more share their experiences with psychedelics in this bizarre documentary from Donick Cary. Funny and thoughtful, Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics offers equal parts entertainment and insight. As Sting puts it, "I don't think psychedelics are the answer to the world's problems. But they could be a start." — A.F.

How to watch: Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

8. The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience

A celebration of rap, comedy, and the Oakland Athletics, The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is the surprise short film Lonely Island fans didn't know they needed. Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, portraying MLB players Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, unceasingly commit to the bit in a 30-minute tribute to the limits of sanity, reason, and acceptability.* — A.F.

How to watch: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

7. Galaxy Quest

Dean Parisot's wildly underrated 1999 goofball comedy about a gang of Trek-adjacent sci-fi has-beens stumbling into a very real intergalactic war, Galaxy Quest is one of the funniest movies of the past 25 years. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell star as cynical actors on the convention circuit whose cheesy old show Galaxy Quest gets beamed into the cosmos and mistaken for real by some confused aliens (led by a sweetly deranged Enrico Colantoni and Missi Pyle). Rock monsters and tentacle sex, ahoy. I'm not even a Trek nerd, but by the time the smashing room shows up and Sigourney is threatening the life of an off-screen writer, I'm always — every time — hyperventilating with laughter. — J.A.

How to watch: Galaxy Quest is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

6. Midnight Gospel

An animated person sits outside of a bright green and yellow house.
Credit: Netflix

Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward's The Midnight Gospel is one of many stellar adult cartoons to enjoy while high. Tuca and Bertie, Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman, they're all great. Still, The Midnight Gospel goes further, farther, and faster in terms of visual interest, existential themes, and hypnotizing soundscapes. If you haven't watched it yet, buckle up and prepare to be changed. — A.F.

How to watch: The Midnight Gospel(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Look, we don't put Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on practically every list we curate because we "want" to. We put Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on practically every list we curate because we have to. Edgar Wright's 2010 triumph combines comic book aesthetics with video game pacing and superhero styling for a truly epic Canadian love story. It's great to watch whenever, but extra great when you're open to a "convenient subspace highway running through your head." — A.F.

How to watch: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

4. Fantastic Fungi 

Showcasing gorgeous time-lapse nature photography of toadstools and their brethren rising and shrinking like the living beings they very much are, Louie Schwartzberg’s 2019 documentary is the ultimate veg-out trip. Over a phantasmagoria of fungi footage (narrated by Brie Larson), environmentalists, scientists, and other experts are interviewed about the medicinal and (you know) extracurricular properties of these little alien creatures that dot our world’s dirt. By its end, this doc will truly convince you there be magic in them there 'shrooms. — J.A.

How to watch: Fantastic Fungi is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

3. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City

A man in a suit jacket and tie stands in front of a sepia-colored wall.
Credit: Netflix

Watching any comedy special you love is a great option for entertaining yourself while high — and Netflix does have a mountain of options to choose from on that front. (Seriously, here's 27 of the best comedy specials.) That said, John Mulaney's 2018 special Kid Gorgeous at Radio City will always hold the #1 spot in our humor loving hearts. "There's a HORSE. In the HOSPITAL." — A.F.

How to watch: John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

2. A Trip to Infinity

If I’ve learned anything from watching Richard Linklater movies, it’s that some people, whilst stoned, like to wax real deep on real big thoughts and jazz. Well, Jonathan Halperin and Drew Takahashi’s 2022 documentary about the search for the meaning of that really, really, really big number known as infinity (plus one!) is tailor-made to blow such minds. With insights from some of the greatest modern thinkers in mathematics, physics, and philosophy, the film goes even one step further, illustrating their concepts of enormity with trippy animations. It all adds up to one smoky after-hours-at-grad-school haze to groove on, man.. — J.A.

How to watch: A Trip to Infinity is now streaming on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's interactive special

If you're up for a more active viewing experience, consider diving into the delightfully weird Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend. This interactive Netflix special adds Daniel Radcliffe to the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt family as Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane, and Jon Hamm return for another killer Kimmy adventure.

How to watch: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend on Netflix(opens in a new tab).

Asterisks (*) indicate the entry comes from a previous Mashable list.

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Alison Foreman

Alison Foreman is one heck of a gal. She's also a writer in Los Angeles, who used to cover movies, TV, video games, and the internet for Mashable. @alfaforeman

Mashable Image
Jason Adams

Jason Adams is a freelance entertainment writer at Mashable. He lives in New York City and is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic who also writes for Pajiba, The Film Experience, AwardsWatch, and his own personal site My New Plaid Pants. He's extensively covered several film festivals including Sundance, Toronto, New York, SXSW, Fantasia, and Tribeca. He's a member of the LGBTQ critics guild GALECA. He loves slasher movies and Fassbinder and you can follow him on Twitter at @JAMNPP.


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