Incoming colder weather means staying in, putting on comfy clothes, making a cup of tea, cozying up in bed and opening Netflix. What’s better than a good comfort movie to make you feel warm and wholesome during shorter days? Here are my top 10 comfort movies to add to your list of must-sees this fall/winter season.
1. Howl’s moving castle
Starting out with my absolute favourite movie of all time. Howl’s Moving Castle is an animated movie about a young girl who is cursed by a witch. She ends up moving in with a wizard in hopes that he will help her lift the curse. Watching Howl’s Moving Castle is a regular occurrence for me especially when fall hits, because it’s the perfect movie to sit back and relax to. The animation style is so light and beautiful, the plot doesn’t require much brain work, and the soundtrack is just breathtaking. This film by Studio Ghibli is truly a masterpiece and makes the cold weather seem not so bad when you’re snuggled up with it playing on your screen.
2. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, based on the novel by Truman Capote, is about a young woman named Holly who moves into an apartment building and sets out on her plan to marry a rich, older man. When a young man moves into the same building, however, he befriends her and puts a wrench in Holly’s plans.
This film is definitely a very popular comfort movie and a great movie in general. However, there’s something about watching it right when the leaves start changing colour outside or even at the start of the New Year that makes the movie feel so relaxing. The combination of the traditional style of filmmaking and equally old background music makes you forget about your midterms, exams and plethora of assignments, and escape to autumn in 1943 Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Suddenly you’re no longer drowning in schoolwork, but rather, a New York socialite just like Holly.
3. The Holiday
The Holiday is a seasonal classic that most people end up watching over the Christmas break and is one of the best Christmas movies to ever exist. This Christmas classic is always in people’s lives in the winter, whether by playing it themselves or tuning in on cable tv. The movie is about two women on opposite sides of the world facing the same issue: love problems. To escape their pains, they do a home swap with each other through a website that helps them make plans to move into each other’s houses for a temporary vacation. Like all cliches, these women do not get the luxury of avoiding their love problems but rather find even more complications in their romantic lives.
This movie is nothing short of cliche and cheesy and it makes for the perfect thing to watch with your friends with some hot chocolate and snacks. If you’re looking for what to watch on your next group movie night, this might just be an option to consider!
4. Tangled
You can never go wrong with a Disney movie for comfort, especially when it’s a Disney princess. Tangled takes the classic Rapunzel story and adds a fun, quirky spin to it. This movie is pure sunshine and rainbows, and you can’t help but forget all your stress and feel at ease. The characters are all so lovable and funny, making this easily one of Disney’s best movies both in my biased opinion and based on the success of the movie from its release through to today. Disney+ is always the perfect place for wholesome movies, so make sure you add Tangled to your queue these next few weeks.
5. Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses
Following the narrative of wholesome classics, Barbie movies absolutely must make the list. Even now in our 20s, my friends and I are suckers for a good Barbie movie session to fight the cold and end-of-year stress and the 12 Dancing Princesses is one of the top contenders. The movie is about 12 sisters (and princesses) who discover that the books they were gifted by their mother for each of their 5th birthdays lead to a magical realm where they can dance to their heart’s content. Like every princess movie, these girls experience some obstacles they must overcome together to keep the magic of dancing alive. Whether you’re a toddler, a young adult or a senior citizen, Barbie movies are nothing less than comforting and worth watching anytime.
6. The devil wears Prada
A cult classic for fashion enthusiasts, it’s only fair that I shout out The Devil Wears Prada as a comfort movie. Everyone that I know who watched this can’t help but go on about how they envy the life of the main character, Andy Sacks—an aspiring journalist who lands a job as an assistant for fashion typhoon, Miranda Priestly of Runway magazine. As Andy goes through the motions of being a fashion assistant with no sense of fashion, she begins to transform from an everyday regular woman to a character whose outfits make you audibly gasp at your screen.
It’s only natural that watching this movie makes you put yourself in Andy’s shoes and imagine what life would be like. I’m a big fan of movies with characters I can admire and have dreams of aspiring toward Andy’s character as well as those around her. They are a treat to watch while also providing valuable life lessons. This movie is comforting in the way a good rant session with a friend is—it makes you feel lighter afterwards and reinvigorates your goals and desires for what you want your future to look like.
7. the garden of words
When a lonely teenager starts a pattern of missing his morning classes to sit in a garden and converse with an equally lonely older woman, these two bond over their mutual struggles with feelings of alienation and isolation. Much like most animated movies, this movie is a work of art in how cinematography, music and story-writing work together so well to create a film that is so effortlessly beautiful it could bring you to tears. The nice thing about this movie is that it doesn’t have a very traditional plot, it just kind of flows between parts of the story and things each character says or does, giving it a very light and unserious feel. Shutting off your brain to watch this movie is something I believe everyone should experience; it’s only fair everyone knows how nice it feels.
8. Clueless
Clueless is yet another classic, especially in the world of chick flicks and 2000s romantic comedies. I could not provide a proper synopsis of this movie if my life depended on it because it’s just a guilty pleasure to watch. In the world of upper-class families, spoiled girls, and high school romance, Clueless takes nearly every cliche possible and puts it in one movie. There is not much to say about this film depth-wise as it truly is just a film everyone should see at least once in their life. Its simplicity in terms of creativity is just perfect for a lighthearted watch. Playing this movie on your TV, ordering a pizza, and getting into your comfiest sweats on the couch alone or with others is a picture-perfect scene, and something I will definitely be doing within the next few weeks. Maybe even more than once.
9. My neighbour Totoro
Studio Ghibli might just be the embodiment of comfort because this is the second film on this list following Howl’s Movie Castle. My Neighbour Totoro is about a single father and his two young daughters who move to a worn-down cottage in the middle of a farm town to escape the chaos of city life. When exploring the forest one day, the daughters meet some magical furry friends who befriend them and add excitement to their lives. The magical creatures are adorable and make the perfect stuffed animals to cuddle and keep you cozy while you watch this movie, only adding to the whole peaceful experience.
The soundtrack for this film and the voice acting are so comforting that taking a nap after watching just seems inevitable. If you ever feel overwhelmed by your classes and upcoming due dates, I implore you to give this movie a watch and feel yourself unwind and be at peace for a couple of hours.
10. Pride and prejudice
Last but not least, Pride and Prejudice will always be famous for its status as a movie that is just up there in the list of unbeatable movies. This movie shares the story of the chaotic but intriguing relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a countryman, and Mr. Darcy, a wealthy aristocrat. To bridge the gap between their different lives and clashing personalities, they must overcome their one similarity: pride. Romance, especially when it’s as dramatic as this movie makes it, just fits so well with the cold weather that you’ll find yourself watching and reading this story over and over again. Ending my list with this film feels right, and I’ll leave you with the knowledge that this movie has created some of the most beautiful lines of poetry that will raise your romantic standards through the roof.
While there’s nothing you can do about your impending exams and assignments, you can set aside some time throughout your days to yourself and wind down with a comforting movie. You deserve it, so make sure to save this list somewhere for you to get back to during these next few months—and happy watching!