When I say I like watching movies, I don’t mean I’m a film buff who is educated in every movie from the beginning of Hollywood to the present. In fact, I tend to find myself gravitating towards the same handful each time. This doesn’t just apply to movies, but also to books, music, shows –- basically any and all media. There is something so comforting about returning to what I already know I love, and knowing that it can’t possibly disappoint me.Â
As a college student, this has been exacerbated by a busy and often overwhelming schedule. Being able to escape from the stress of classes and everyday life into something you already know you will enjoy can be extremely comforting. Especially during the cold months, which we seem to just be coming out of, nothing is more comforting than comfort media. We consume so much new input during our day-to-day lives, so sometimes the best feeling can be to consume something you already know.Â
Once I deem a movie as one of my favorites, it tends to find its place in the rotation, patiently awaiting the next comfort film to be discovered. During the rare instance that I am able to find downtime, I don’t want to put it towards something that takes effort. Even if the effort is just keeping track of characters and plotlines, rewatching old movies gives me something easy to follow, so my brain doesn’t have to work overtime.Â
Personally, a lot of my comfort media comes from my love of musicals. Hairspray, West Side Story, Mamma Mia, and Les MisĂ©rables will forever be some of my favorite movies to watch. Between the classic music, iconic casts, and captivating cinematography, movie musicals -– even some of the more controversial ones –- will always be comforting for me. But these are not the only films that emulate that comforting feeling. Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, the Fear Street trilogy, Tick Tick Boom, really anything I know and love. There is no particular criteria set that deems a movie as being “comforting”. For some, it is because I have been watching them my entire life, and it is a story and experience so nostalgic that it can do nothing but bring me joy. For others, it is simply something that resonated with me so much the first time I watched it that I simply couldn’t stop. It doesn’t even need to be happy -– it just needs to be known.Â
We tend to move so fast in our lives that we forget about the things that make us happy and why they make us feel that way. Returning to my baseline, what I know I will enjoy, is the most foolproof way to feel comforted. Many people love watching a new movie every week, or even every day (as one of my friends in high school had a goal of doing). But I find the greatest joy in returning to the ones I already know, and reminding myself of why they left such a lasting impact each time before.
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