Everyone has their moments – those moments where all you want to do is escape into a world of familiarity and comfort. I myself am notorious for constantly rewatching things and am extremely resistant to watching anything new (much to my boyfriend’s chagrin).
In my defense, I often don’t have time to pay attention to a new show/movie while I’m in school, but I do like having something on in the background that I don’t need to concentrate on to know what happens. The idea of sitting through a two-hour long movie or getting through a season of an unknown TV show is something I always have to prepare for rather than being spontaneous with it.
In no particular order, here are some of my comfort movies and TV shows:
TV Shows: I usually like more mature animated series or crime procedurals.
Bob’s Burgers
This show has had my heart for forever, and I’m so glad there’s so many season on Hulu for me to binge. Netflix used to only have the first few seasons, and I would have it on so much that my family knew the episodes by heart, too. It’s not as vulgar as Family Guy, but the humor is mature enough that both adults and teens can enjoy it. The family dynamic is realistic, yet wholesome, and each character has their fair share of “spotlight” episodes.
Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show
I know what I just said about Bob’s Burgers, but sometimes, I guiltily indulge in the more out there and offensive satiric works of Seth MacFarlane. It depends on my mood which one of these shows I will watch, but Family Guy usually wins out because of the sheer amount of episodes it has, and my boyfriend enjoys watching it with me while we’re settling down for bed.
BoJack Horseman
This is in the same realm as the other two, but different enough that it gives me a sense of variety. The humor is dry and I love it for the blatant way it calls out things in Hollywood. It does get heavy at times, so it can be hard to watch, but other episodes are hilarious. You know that BoJack is the worst character, but you pity him at the same time. I still haven’t had a chance to watch the last two seasons (see above reasoning for scary new things), but I hope to get to them soon.
Criminal Minds/NCIS/Law and Order: SVU
I love crime procedurals. The characters all have this deep sense of loyalty to each other, and I love the humor that arises from their close relationships. The plots are more compelling than the other shows listed, so I’m able to pay more attention without feeling overwhelmed because the overall episodes follow the same structure. I favor Criminal Minds (am still on season 10 though), but I’ve also gotten back into NCIS (I used to watch reruns on USA when I had cable), and same for Law and Order: SVU. However, I only like specific seasons/eras of the last two shows, and I haven’t really watched L&O in a while because the seasons on Hulu are the later ones that I’m not the biggest fan of.
The Great British Baking Show (Season 5(?), Collection 1 on Netflix)
I only rewatch this particular season of GBBO, mainly because I love all the competitors (I was rooting for Martha the whole time). The other seasons are for when I want to watch something new (re: scary new things) so it may be a while before I can get them.
Movies: These are all over the place, but most of these are rom-coms (shockingly, even though that’s not my favorite genre).
Love, Simon
This movie has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. I read the book when I was in high school, and have reread it almost every year since (I’m a senior in college now, to give you an idea of how many times I’ve read this book). I’ve met the author multiple times, and I was even an extra in the movie (you can actually vaguely see me in one of the beginning scenes). It’s funny and endearing and so heartfelt. Bonus points for positive LGBT rep where nobody dies.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
I actually watched this with my boyfriend, who also really liked it (and the sequel, but mainly because we stan Jordan Fisher and John Ambrose McClaren deserved better). But this first movie in the series was so cute and I found myself rooting for Lara Jean (whom I thought I would find annoying, but I would die for her now). We couldn’t really get through the third movie in this series, but this one is the best anyway. I haven’t read the book, but I’ve heard this is one of those times where the movie is better.
Mamma Mia/Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
This is one of those extremely guilty pleasures, but who doesn’t love belting to ABBA while watching this star-studded cast just let loose and play different characters than they’re used to (ex. Pierce Brosnan, whom my boyfriend knows from his time as James Bond). It’s funny and wholesome, and this is probably the one I rewatch the most.
Crazy Rich Asians
This is actually a recent watch of mine, but it’s already a comfort movie to me. As a Vietnamese American, I was elated to FINALLY see people who looked like me on the screen, people who grew up in the same sort of environment I was. It’s also still an objectively funny, romantic, and wholesome story. I love the cast and was constantly on the edge of my seat because of how excited I was with everything. My boyfriend loved it too, and it was nice that he got a chance to see more Eastern-influences on the movie.
The Conjuring
This is probably the outlier on this list, but this is my favorite horror movie. The horror is subtle and doesn’t rely on too many sound-based jump scares or gore elements. I love the plot and I think Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson make the Warrens amazing character (even though their real-life counterparts were less than stellar). I like the other movies in this series too, but this is the one I find myself going back to.
I’m sure I’m missing a lot here, but the point of this was to show that there’s no shame in rewatching the same things over and over again, and I hope everyone reading this can find common ground with me, or find something new to watch.