Written by Zahra Hanif
Cold, gloomy, magical; there is only one season that could unite these seemingly distinct descriptors. ‘Tis the season for hot chocolate sachets, layers, and trying to stay upright when the ice transforms your walk to work into a slip-and-slide.
While the temperature may be less than ideal, there is a lot of beauty in winter. The luminescence of fluorescent lights casting your path home. Tiny paw-prints carved in the snow. When it is too cold for you to step outside, the sunsets deliver themselves to you, being brighter and bolder, seeping through the windows and drenching your room in technicolour.
Most importantly, winter is the time to slow down. It is a time to rest before the regeneration of the new year and all its demands of you. And so, it’s the best time to slip into someone else’s world, all cosied up under your covers, in the form of watching a film.
Here are a few of our top picks for doing so this season:
The Holdovers (2023)
Set at a boarding school, The Holdovers follows the unlikely bond between a student (Dominic Sessa), his teacher (Paul Giamatti) and a cafeteria manager (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) when they are left alone over Christmas break. It’s as heartwarming as it is gut-wrenching, but most importantly, certified safe to put on with your parents.
“That boy is too dumb to pour piss out of a boot”
Blue Velvet (1986)
If you’re unfamiliar with the work of David Lynch, this film is the perfect gateway into his strange, surreal realm. It follows Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), a college student who investigates a severed ear, leading him into a dark underworld. It’s groundbreakingly subversive, as it urges you to re-evaluate all notions of reality by flipping the world as we know it – truly a stunning feat from one of the best directors we had.
“It’s a strange world, isn’t it?”
Little Women (2019)
A modern reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s classic. The plot follows four sisters coming of age during the American Civil War, exploring their bonds as well as their personalities as they seek out their different desires. Greta Gerwig injects new life into this timeless tale, allowing us to laugh and cry as we grow alongside the March sisters. It’s as moving as it is pure magic.
“Just because my dreams are different than yours that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant”
Paris, Texas (1984)
Not merely a film but a transformative experience. It requires a great deal of patience, as we follow the journey of a missing man (Harry Dean Stanton) back to real life, but the pay-off is a mindblow. Pulsing with emotion, saturation, tenderness, and quite possibly the greatest visual palette of all time. Let it transport you into its sun-soaked landscapes while it storms outside.
“I used to make up long speeches to you after you left”
Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993)
I’ve dished out some pretty heavy suggestions here, so I’m drawing it back to some more whimsical charm. Anything Wallace & Gromit is always a good idea, but The Wrong Trousers is generational. The half-an-hour short sees the iconic pair take on a roommate, introducing the legendary Feathers McGraw into the franchise. It’s unbeatable festive fun!
“It’s the wrong trousers, Gromit! And they’ve gone wrong!”
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