We have all felt down in the dumps sometimes or too unmotivated to do…well anything! Sometimes you just need to sit down and turn off your burnt-out mind. There are many ways to “turn your brain off,” some go for a run, and others start to bake or cook.
One of the most universal ways people cope is settling down and turning on a movie or TV show. Well-known comfort shows and movies are shared worldwide, from shows like Friends (1994), Parks and Recreation (2009), and The Office (2005), to movies like Ratatouille (2007), My Neighbour Totoro (1988), The Princess Bride (1987), etc.
Personally, relatively short and feel-good movies are my go-to media to “reset” myself. I want to watch something that I know the ending of, which makes the movie comforting in the first place. What makes a movie or show “comforting” is that you know what is going to happen and/or you relatively know what to expect. For me, a movie that I know isn’t too stressful or suspenseful is perfect for me. As such, I often find myself on the Disney side of Netflix during late nights when I cannot sleep. They often serve as a white noise that gives a sense of security. My ultimate comfort movie that I know by heart is Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
As a fan of Halloween as a child, I fell in love with the characters, the songs, the stop motion, absolutely everything. I bought the VHS tape, the DVD, and a digital version of the movie on my Ipad just so I can watch the movie in HD as many times as I want. I still remember replaying the movie so much that I destroyed the VHS tape from rewinding it all the time, as well as how I scratch the DVD disc from how many times I put it in improperly. Even as a child, it played a role as white noise for me to sleep to.
The simple hour-long story is about how a Skeleton accidentally sabotages Christmas with good intentions, then fixes his mistakes and gets everything back to normal. It is such a simple concept but made with an excellent soundtrack and amazing stop motion animations. This movie was the one that got me intrigued by animation and motivated me to pursue it as my dream. To this day, I can still say the lines word by word, and that in itself should suggest how connected I feel to this film.
My main question is what comfort movie, show, or activity in general that you would do more often than not, almost subconsciously, to soothe or comfort you?
Links Used:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6N_hZyBCk
- https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/business/understanding-and-avoiding-burnout
- https://screenrant.com/nightmare-before-christmas-time-make-how-long/
I loved reading this blog because I relate on so many levels, and most of my faves are included as well!
This is so cool… I had to act in a play of The Nightmare Before Christmas in middle school!! I know most of the songs by heart and it will forever remain special to me because we prepared *so* much for the play. Also, I think a comfort genre for me is rom-coms, they’re just really goofy and cute <3
My all time favorite show is How I Met Your Mother! I first watched it in 2017 and binged it, glad to say I finished 9 seasons in a week 🙂 I have a tradition with myself to rewatch it every year (my family hates this) because I find great comfort in it.
i can relate with this post as always binge watch shows when I’m feeling unmotivated to clear my mind. The last time I did that was with the show New Amsterdam and I really enjoyed it.
I personally relate to this as this is exactly what I do whenever I just want to take a break, whether its binge watching a sitcom or a comedy movie it always seems to help.
This was such a wholesome read. I always l have always loved hearing about how people decide their majors, so hearing of the connection between an innocent childhood moment and the rest of one’s life is so interesting to me. Knowing you personally, it’s even cooler that you’re good at what you do! 😀 <3
I loved reading this blog since I related to it a lot. Sometimes when I just want to take a break for a little while I tend to open up Netflix and open up one of the shows/movies that bring me a sense of relaxation and comfort. My personal favorite comfort movie definitely has to be Ratatouille!
This is so insightful since I’ve always referred back to childhood series for comfort, but I’ve never given much thought to it until I’ve read your blog! I think we’re both similar in truly finding our passions through these sources of entertainment. I’ve personally loved exploring the languages and cultures behind works of animations, books, and graphic novels!
I also enjoy watching movies from my childhood since they give me a sense of nostalgia. When I rewatched them, I wasn’t thinking about how they made me feel at the time, but now that I think about it, they do bring me comfort.