14 Films And Series You Should Add To Your List To Look Smarter

We've all done it before. Add these eclectic masterpieces to your Netflix streaming list and get ready to impress everyone you know.

1. For those interested in alternative sports.

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Magnolia Pictures/Everett Collection MCDMAON EC060

Wow your friends by name-dropping the Academy Award-winning documentary, Man On Wire, in every conversation. It'll make them think, Wow, this guy must really know lots about lots.

2. Parlez-vous français?

Raymond Cauchetier / Everett Collection

Having Jean-Luc Godard's black & white classic Une femme est une femme (A Woman Is a Woman) in your streaming list will show your date that not only do you speak French, but also how deeply interested you are in the Women's Rights movement circa 1960. A true gender egalitarian.

3. "A show way before its time."

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New Line Cinemas/Everett Collection TSDTWPE EC003

Tell your friends how much you love David Lynch's primetime effort Twin Peaks, and be sure to express how peeved you were when it was cancelled too soon.

4. "You had me at 'sushi.'"

Magnolia Pictures / Everett Collection

David Gelb's documentary about a man's devotion to his craft — Jiro Dreams of Sushi — will be sure to impress. Your date's heart will flutter when they see how passionate you are about process and high food culture.

5. Anything from National Geographic.

National Geographic Society / Everett Collection

The world is a beautiful place, and even though you live in a pretty urban city, it's important not to forget how amazing Mother Earth can be. Never let yourself forget by keeping National Geographic Explorer: 25 Years in your list.

6. For those interested in real beauty.

Via en.wikipedia.org

Exclaiming your love for the critically acclaimed documentary about typeface, Helvetica, will show all of your friends that you take design seriously. Impress them with your wisdom when you reveal all that can be learned from a simple font.

7. For the "true" art enthusiast.

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Producers Distribution Agency/Everett Collection MCDEXTH EC018

Banksy, Banksy, Banksy. Need we say more? The 2008 film Exit Through the Gift Shop explores street art and poses the question, "What does it mean to be an authentic artist?" Watch, and then you'll know.

8. "The original was way better."

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The original U.K. edition of The Office was wayyy funnier than the basic-bitch American version. Broadcast your love for all things British by keeping this series in your rotation.

9. For the environmentalist in us all.

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Hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking) is a huge issue that your friends need to know about ASAP. Having GasLand in your list will be sure to show everyone that not only do you prefer responsible domestic gas drilling, but you also attend weekly environmentalist rallies at your local City Hall.

10. "Frances so totally gets me."

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The title character Frances of Frances Ha is just like you: a young, independent person living in a world of possibilities, looking only to make real connections with real people. The 2012 film about unoccupied twentysomethings says "Yeah, I'm 27. No, I don't have it together" better than any other. Show your friends it's okay to be in your late 20s and still just sort of figuring it out.

11. When you need a little help in the chemistry lab.

Ursula Coyote / AMC/Everett Collection

If you haven’t finished watching AMC’s Breaking Bad, you’ll be missing out on several future conversations at house parties, in the office, and basically anywhere else where there are other people. Take Walter White’s hand, and he’ll lead you through a world of high and low culture and show you how to perfectly communicate your more-than-ironic interest in elementary chemistry.

12. That's so "Kafkaesque."

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Astor Pictures Corporation/Everett Collection MBDTRIA EC007

Orson Wells' adaptation of Franz Kafka's classic novel, The Trial, may just be the most important collaboration of the 20th century. Show her nothing gets you going more than random arrests for unknown crimes by having this classic in your list.

13. Lost in Translation.

Focus Features / Everett Collection

Sofia Coppola was first to idealize the lost woman with the world at her fingertips, who's just trying to understand what it all means. 2003 Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay, Lost In Translation will teach you how to release the ultimate "poignant sigh" that says "I went to an Ivy League school but I still don't know what I want to do with my life" like no other.

14. If you're artsy and you know it...

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Scott Green/IFC/Everett Collection TCDPORT EC044

Show your friends that you're artsy, but at least you own it. Portlandia is the quintessential hyper-self-aware comedy about what it meant to be "on-trend" in the '90s. Put this one in your list to let everyone know that despite your un-ironic interest in indie bands and ethical treatment of chickens, you still know how to keep it real.