Unless you live on a tropical island, there’s a pretty good chance it’s too cold to do anything outside. Which means it’s the perfect time to gather some blankets, whip up some hot chocolate and put on a comforting movie.
There’s plenty of options to choose from, but here’s a few of our favorites to get you started on your movie marathon.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson’s early masterpiece has all of the hallmarks that his films have become known for: dry humor, sharp dialogue, carefully designed set-pieces, storybook inspired pacing. But for all of its laughs, the film deals with some exceptionally heavy ideas through the perspective of different members of the Tenenbaum clan like suicide, betrayal, the need for approval and forgiveness.
The movie’s family seems to have it all when it comes to money and fame, but as their patriarch, Royal Tenenbaum, attempts to finally make peace with his children (in his own dysfunctional way), we see that the only thing that really matters is love and relationships.
Stranger than Fiction
One of Will Ferrell’s most surprising roles is also one of his best. In Stranger than Fiction, Ferrell plays a man who starts to hear a voice narrating his own life. That sets off a race to find the source of the voice to stop his foreshadowed death, all while everyone is decked out in fall-appropriate sweaters, blazers and fashionable jackets, of course.
But throughout the adventure, Ferrell’s character wrestles with big ideas like purpose, personal fulfillment, risk-taking and his own mortality. The movie is funny, but it also forces the viewer to think about their own lives and personal choices while learning that every life represents a story worth telling.
The Mission
The Mission tells the story of a Jesuit mission in 1740s Argentina, and the relationship between a priest (Jeremy Irons) and a slave-trading mercenary (Robert De Niro).
The film’s plot takes some unexpected twist, but at the heart of the historical epic is De Niro’s quest to find forgiveness.
Yes, he can intellectually understand the concept of the Gospel, but it’s the emotional distance that he feels from his own terrible past and grace found in Christ that provide the film’s real tension.
Persepolis
Based on Marjane Satrapi’s auto-graphic-novel, Persepolis is the simple and bracingly beautiful tale of Marjane growing up in 1970s Iran, where her curiosity, imagination and love of Western pop-culture trash gets her in trouble with the police state imposed after the revolution. Her tale is wondrous for both what you’ll find relatable and what you won’t.
Marjane’s personal struggles—be they with boys, authority, prejudice or misogyny—are so deeply human, so spectacularly told that you can’t help but be caught up in her narrative, and in getting to know her, you discover things about yourself you never dreamed.
Knives Out
Glass Onion is now on Netflix, but before you jump into Rian Johnson’s latest mystery, take the time to revisit the clever whodunnit which started it all. Knives Out is much more than a typical murder mystery, however. It’s also a testament to the power of compassion. In a cast full of wealthy, powerful, beautifully sweatered people, Marta (Ana De Armas) is seen as weak because of her station, her empathy and her kindness. But in the end, her kindness ends up being her greatest weapon.
Good Will Hunting
This is the movie that made household names out of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well as providing Robin Williams with one of his finest roles. But it’s also a look at the sort of people we consider to be intelligent, what intelligence actually looks like and the different ways to think about the ways our brains work.
Little Women
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the beloved children’s book is everything we could have asked for. The scenic views of New England, the witty and sharp dialogue, the bond of love between the girls, and, of course, the impressive acting from Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern— we could go on forever. Watching it with family will remind you of your love for them and your love for creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Sing Street
A handful of Dublin teenagers in the 80s decide to channel their adolescent angst into doing what any self-respecting teenager would do: starting a band. Sing Street is almost a musical in its own right (you’re probably familiar with director John Carney’s biggest hit Once) and the music is as terrific as the story itself, which finds real pathos in the most familiar of human feelings: wanting to get away from it all.
