Snuggle Up With Your Favorite Comfort Film
Five films to warm your heart on winter nights
On a winter evening after a hard day of work, sometimes all you want is to settle down with your favorite comfort film.
Just like comfort food, be it mac & cheese or chicken pot pie, these films are deeply appetizing and satisfying. We return to them again and again like old friends who reassure us that everything is going to be just fine.
So for these chilly months, when the days are short and the weather frigid, here are a few comfort films to make things a bit better.
The official trailer for Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice
Few films bring more comfort than Pride & Prejudice, Joe Wright’s adaptation of the classic Jane Austen romance. The Guardian ranked this love story as one of the “52 perfect comfort films,” adding “I love this movie because it allows me to escape into a world where the characters’ biggest problems are meddling mothers and who is on their dance cards.” Those who’ve watched the movie multiple times never tire of seeing Elizabeth (Keira Knightely) realize that Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is the one she’s been looking for all along. “It has beautiful people doing beautiful things in beautiful places, sometimes during an artful rainfall,” writes 34th Street. “Sometimes we forget that that’s all movies really have to be.”
The official trailer for Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz
In naming Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz, one of the “31 most rewatchable movies ever made,” Collider calls it a “downright delight.” Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s antics as small-time cops uncovering a big conspiracy will forever feel fresh and funny, as does Wright's brilliant take on Hollywood’s testosterone-driven action genre. It is a cinematic treat that never gets stale. On the movie’s 15th anniversary, Flickering Myth reminded its readers “to revisit this cult classic masterpiece filled with its ever-vibrant characters, over-the-top violence, touch-in-cheek humor and innumerable movie references.”
"The Dude Meets the Lebowskis" clip from The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Coen brothers comedy, The Big Lebowski, has attained legendary status as one of the greatest comfort films of all time. Fans return to it over and over again to watch the Dude (Jeff Bridges) trip the light fantastic with Julianne Moore or hear Walter (John Goodman) bid a fond farewell to Donny (Steve Buscemi). For Slash Film, “It's a movie you can watch with friends or put on because the characters are like your friends and you want to spend time with them.” Make yourself a White Russian and enjoy it again.
"Jason Schwartzman Officiates a Khaki Scout Wedding for Children" clip from Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom
In addition to rewatching Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, fans of the coming-of-age love story between Suzy (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman) seek to recreate its magic in the real world. The affection viewers have for this whimsical adventure has inspired weddings, vacations, and Halloween costumes. In the think-piece “Wes Anderson’s recipe for a comfort film,” The Maneater looks at how his movies “leave us wonderstruck every time we watch them.” For The Film Experience, “Watching it is like being in a sweet Wes Anderson dream for just a little while, and it’s on a beautiful beach away from everyone else and all responsibilities.”
The official trailer for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Although Anthony Fabian’s Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is less than a year old, its tender-hearted spirit has already made it a great comfort film. Viewers are charmed by Mrs. Harris’ (Lesley Manville) unswerving quest to obtain a Dior gown. MovieWeb observes that, “Mrs. Harris' attitude toward others makes her the kind of character who's comforting to watch for viewers as well as” those in the film. But the film’s sweetness is anything but empty calories. For The Wrap, “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris knows that fluff is much more satisfying when it has depth, so you can truly sink into it and feel the overwhelming comfort.”