For many people, there’s nothing more relaxing than watching a film. They allow you to get lost in a new world and leave your worries behind for a few hours. In many cases, people keep going back to the same films for this reason. We call these comfort films. Whether it’s on a bad day, a special occasion, or when you have two hours to spare, these are the movies that stick with you. But why do we grow so attached to these films?
Why do we have comfort films?
As we’ve mentioned, comfort films provide a way to escape from your worries, and a big reason for this is because you’re familiar with the film. With the large catalogues of films we have access to through streaming services, making a decision on what to watch can be overwhelming and stressful. However, when we revisit our old favourites, we’re assured we’ll enjoy it, which gets rid of this stress. We know how the story will go, making it easier for us to shut our brains off and relax, or notice details we didn’t before. Typically, these films are ones you saw when you were younger, maybe even from your childhood, and rewatching them may take you back to that simpler time. Seeing the characters again may even feel like reuniting with old friends. Speaking from my own experiences, rewatches of The Breakfast Club (1985), never fail to take me back to happy memories of seeing it for the first time when I was thirteen.
Because we all have different interests, the movies we’ll find comforting will be very different. Some people may enjoy revisiting comedies and finding jokes they didn’t notice before, whilst others may find emotional relief from the shock and violence of horror movies. But in many cases the reason we become so fond of certain movies is because we can personally connect to the characters and stories. This is particularly important for films that touch on subjects about mental health and wellbeing.
Comforting Films About Mental Health
Over the years, there’s been a range of films trying to tackle mental health, to varying degrees of success. Often these films have very negative or inaccurate portrayals of the subject, and whilst they can be interesting, they aren’t normally very comforting to watch. Movies such as Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) or more recently Joker (2019) show people with mental health issues as a danger to themselves and society. However, there are also many positive films that explore this theme in unique and life-affirming ways.
Here are some examples of films with positive portrayals of mental health:
- Little Miss Sunshine (2006): This film features a family who are all seemingly suffering from some type of mental illness. Throughout the course of a road trip, they learn to support each other and better themselves.
- Rocketman (2019): Throughout this bright and exciting musical biopic, we follow Elton John’s struggles with addiction and self-loathing as well as his path to recovery.
- Good Will Hunting (1997): This film stars Matt Damon as Will, a gifted young man held back by his inner demons. With the help of his therapist (the late Robin Williams), he starts to work past these issues and live life to its full potential.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): A coming-of-age story following Charlie, an outcast struggling with the loss of his friend and past traumas. By making friends with some older students, Charlie learns to break down his barriers and participate in life.
- Edge of Seventeen (2016): Similarly to Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film focuses on Nadine, a teenage outsider who learns to open up to others despite a long series of failures and tragedies.
Whilst these films confront serious and upsetting subjects like depression, grief and abuse, the focus isn’t on the tragedy and suffering the characters have faced, but the moments of joy they find whilst tackling their difficulties. These examples also use elements such as comedy, songs and heartfelt scenes to stay entertaining, even in their darker moments. These films might also resonate with you if you can relate to the characters’ issues, even if you haven’t been in their exact situation. Seeing the characters overcome their own issues might provide hope that life will get better. They may even make you aware of the help available to you and encourage you to seek it out for your own recovery.
Written by Joseph Perks
For Lyfeproof UK
