During the multiple lockdowns we've all experienced, there has been a lot said about the comfort films and TV shows, as well as stories that will uplift, entertain, bring joy while we're all stuck at home. Now that cinemas are open in the UK we can once again indulge ourselves and enjoy films on the big screen. Having missed the cinemas for month, like a lot of film fans, I can now sit in the dark with a few strangers sitting far away from me. It’s been noted that audiences are getting fed up with streaming things, I am for sure tired of wanting to watch a film, only to find that I have to pay as much as the cinema. I'd rather wait. But I know not everyone is ready to venture out to cinemas yet. I also understand that. especially those who work in the film industry that there is film fatigue and the want and need to just watch something light or basic instead of the latest blockbusters and art house offerings.
This made me think of the films that I reached for during the lockdowns. I wanted new films of course, I still like to keep up to date but I also started watching favourite shows on a loop. Once I finished one, I'd start another, then loop back to that first show again. I also revisited old favourites that I don't tend to repeat watch. This is what kept me going, in one way. We all find comfort in certain things, some call them guilty pleasures, but one person's guilty pleasure is another's favourite film of all time. One person's top ten films are another's worst films they've ever seen. When it comes to what comforts us, I revert back to something I know will stimulate me and help me relax, murder mysteries and crime shows. I was feeling very on edge recently, riding the high anxiety train and I automatically put on Miss Marple. Immediately calmed down and absorbed myself into the world of Agatha Christie. While many places were dishing out listicles of the best 'comfort shows/films' these will not translate to everyone. We all have our different vices and its best to lean into them. No calling them guilty pleasures, no need to feel guilty at all, we all like what we like.
There is a strange acceptance for those who like film that they must consume all film all the time. As much as I love films, I don't always feel the need to explore every single corner of the filmscape all the time. Some days I just want to watch a murder mystery show and be left to enjoy it with coffee and biscuits. Other days I'm craving something new I've never seen before. Then there are days where I will watch something a friend has suggested. The pressure is high, especially, I feel if you write and work in film. There is no need to be on the ball every single hour of the day. Taking a break to recharge from the medium you subscribe to the most is a much-needed thing.