Watch Or Listen? Best Shows & Movies To Enjoy!

19 May, 2025

Can you truly enjoy a movie or TV show without actually watching it? The surprising answer is yes, and you might be missing out on a whole new way to experience your favorite stories.

In today's fast-paced world, multitasking has become the norm. We juggle work, chores, and personal pursuits, often simultaneously. This can lead to a yearning for entertainment that fits seamlessly into our busy lives. The idea of dedicating hours to passively watching a movie might seem like a luxury, but what if you could still experience the stories, characters, and worlds you love while getting things done?

The concept of enjoying media without visual engagement is not new. Consider the popularity of audiobooks, podcasts, and radio dramas. These formats demonstrate our capacity to be captivated by storytelling through sound alone. The question is, can this same principle apply to visual media like movies and television? The answer, as many are discovering, is a resounding yes.

Aspect	Details
The Rise of Audio Entertainment	The growth of podcasts and audiobooks demonstrates a widespread acceptance of consuming content aurally. This trend has paved the way for exploring movies and TV shows through a purely auditory lens.
Multitasking and Productivity	Listening to content allows for engagement with entertainment while performing other tasks, such as household chores, commuting, or working (in some cases).
Accessibility	Audio-only consumption opens up entertainment options for individuals with visual impairments or those who prefer to limit screen time.
Immersion without Visuals	Well-crafted sound design, music, and voice acting can create a rich, immersive experience even without visuals.
Focus and Imagination	Without visual distractions, the listener's focus may shift more intently to the dialogue and audio cues, potentially enhancing imagination and emotional connection to the story.
Commonly Enjoyed Media for Auditory Consumption	Sitcoms, animated movies and shows, and procedurals often have plots that are easy to follow with minimal visual cues.
Reference	Nielsen - Audio Today Report

For those who find themselves working from home or at a desk job, the temptation to sneak in some entertainment during downtime is understandable. As one user on Reddit (\/u/pm__me__stuffz 2) pointed out, "The episodes are formulaic enough that you can not pay attention for ten minutes, look back at the screen, and still basically know what's happening." This speaks to the potential for background listening with certain types of television.

The world of entertainment is vast and varied, offering something for every taste and preference. Some individuals, for instance, find that they are less inclined to watch movies, with the plots being perceived as predictable and the viewing time often extensive. Instead, their focus shifts to other forms of entertainment, which fits better in their lifestyle. This is a valid preference, and it underscores the importance of acknowledging the subjective nature of entertainment.

For others, the appeal lies in the ability to multitask, or the desire to enjoy the media while focusing on their work. As one user noted, "I'm getting bored of just listening to music while i'm at work so i figured i would try to listen to some tv shows instead". Or again "If youve covertly watched an episode of stranger things from your work desk, youre far from alone."

Netflix conducted a survey in 2017 where a full 26 percent of respondents reported having "binged" movies and series. This signifies a significant appetite for consuming content in large quantities, which naturally leads to the search for efficient ways of doing so. For those who feel this way the opportunity to listen to a movie during a commute or while completing mundane chores. allows for better time management, and fits naturally in the lifestyles of many modern individuals.

The community of \/r\/movies serves as an excellent place to discover film-related discussions, news, and reviews. Its goal is "to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases." The main goal of this and similar online spaces should be informative rather than just entertaining.

Many shows are easily enjoyed without watching. Sitcoms, in particular, have a format that makes them ideally suited to the background listening experience. As another user expressed: "Most sitcoms are still enjoyable when you just listen to them without watching them."

There's a curated list of movies that work well for this purpose. These films can be enjoyed aurally. From action comedies to sci-fi adventures, many movies are as enjoyable to listen to as they are to watch. This is about the director, or the aesthetics of the movie, which can still be very enjoyable. It may include films with a director or aesthetic that one particularly enjoys.

One user mentioned that they use the side hustle app Swagbucks and they use it to make extra money on the side. "With a rating of 4.3 out of 5.0 from over 23,500 trustpilot reviews, swagbucks is a tried and tested side hustle to earn you a few extra dollars."

Another consideration for those who may want to listen to movies without watching is the use of subtitles. If someone cannot understand what's happening without subtitles, there is a point. Watching with subtitles can actually be a great aid in improving language skills. Moving on to subtitles in different languages, then no subtitles at all, is a journey many language learners undertake.

The listening is a way to improve language comprehension. For many this requires practice. Others are able to follow a movie's plot without subtitles, simply by focusing on the dialogue. Many times this depends on the listening abilities of the individual. In these situations, an individual's listening abilities are high enough that the need for subtitles isn't there. This is not the case for everyone, and subtitles are extremely useful for those who need them.

In addition to the movies themselves, there are other sources of audio entertainment to explore. Podcasts, audiobooks, and even live streams can be consumed without watching, providing a broad range of options for background listening. Podcasts offer the ability to follow new shows. "Let's find some podcasts to follow we'll keep you updated on new episodes."

There's also the world of Dungeons and Dragons, with people forming communities around these formats. "Personally i just finished catching up with critical role. A group of professional voice actors and friends got together to play dungeons and dragons. Then they started live streaming it. Then they started releasing it as both a youtube show and an audio only podcast. So you can choose between watching or listening only."

Some users don't care for movies at all. To them, giving up on movies wouldn't be a problem. They've found other forms of entertainment. Others may find that a well-composed soundtrack, can create an emotional atmosphere, and even without watching the film. "Yes that might be true, but a good composer can create emotions through the music itself without any other medium needed. I remember listening to the bladerunner soundtrack for months before watching the movie, and vangelis compositions have so much atmosphere and emotion captured in them without any need for watching the movie (although it is an amazing movie)."

For those wishing to improve their language skills, subtitles, or immersion in a language are an option. One can immerse oneself in simple things, and learn context. "Or if i use native immersion, i watch simple things that i can jump into and follow the interactions and learn in context. I also use tl subtitles, especially if the goal is to expand your vocabulary. That way you can write it down. You can have passive immersion where you just watch but immersion doesn't have to be passive, you can take notes."

The options available include listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, or watching movies and series. "You can start listening to music, podcast, audio book or watching movies and series right now." As for costs, "playary is free of charge service right now, but we will add paid membership soon."

Finally, it is important to realize that even native speakers have problems sometimes when watching or listening to movies and television shows. The key is to keep practicing. Many ways exist to help improve listening skills, so subtitles are not always necessary. Some of these techniques include using headphones or earbuds.

Listening to movies or television shows without the visual component is a viable way to experience entertainment. Using audiobooks or podcasts as background noise while doing other tasks, from chores to work, provides a way to remain productive while enjoying content.

55 Best Teen Movies You Can't Grow Up Without Watching

Details

Netflix Shows You Can Follow Without Watching The Screen Emily Reviews

Details

Best Family Movies 2025 Streaming Austin D. Wedgwood

Details

Detail Author:

Name : Luna Schimmel
Username : jennyfer.goyette
Email : carey53@prohaska.com
Birthdate : 1984-07-10
Address : 96761 King Cliffs Jesseburgh, VA 00168-6904
Phone : +1 (385) 761-7942
Company : Gerlach-Nader
Job : Excavating Machine Operator
Bio : Praesentium consectetur occaecati sapiente ab tempora tempore. Qui omnis in porro quia non explicabo autem.

Socials

facebook:

url : https://facebook.com/jaqueline_id
username : jaqueline_id
bio : Neque itaque nihil officia est minus ea quam.
followers : 1043
following : 2606

twitter:

url : https://twitter.com/jaqueline.bradtke
username : jaqueline.bradtke
bio : Repudiandae modi eum totam consequuntur quos est dolor. Assumenda occaecati debitis culpa dolores. Blanditiis vero hic similique ipsam et voluptates.
followers : 6140
following : 2543

linkedin:

url : https://linkedin.com/in/jbradtke
username : jbradtke
bio : Reiciendis saepe sit quo aliquid veniam.
followers : 1006
following : 317

instagram:

url : https://instagram.com/jaqueline.bradtke
username : jaqueline.bradtke
bio : Et vel ab magni cum voluptas. Hic omnis officia eaque autem. Quis commodi voluptas explicabo quia.
followers : 4948
following : 1698