You don’t want anything too cerebral at this time, possibly nothing too dark, no dystopian sci-fi. Something that you’ve seen many times is a comfort – no surprises. You can drift in and out while boiling up your baked beans and checking the news.
Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Paddington: family viewing. Musicals are also great for provoking a more physical and joyous response. Grease obviously is panacea for all ills, the film equivalent of chicken soup. Labyrinth, Blues Brothers, Bugsy Malone – they will get the family singing for a bit.
If you’re looking for solo viewing, you might want to go for something darker. I found myself drawn to Misery, because however bad things get, I’m glad we don’t own a sledgehammer. Alternatively, comedy: Tootsie, Spinal Tap, Withnail and I. Like seeing old friends in the absence of your own. All have an innocence about them.
Crucially, none of these run for longer than they should. I don’t have the concentration span right now. Also life-affirmers such as Life Is Beautiful, Muriel’s Wedding. If you watch enough classic films, you might just fool your brain into believing it’s a particularly warm Christmas.
Now’s the time to catch up on all those weird films you never got round to watching. The Shout, Wake in Fright. Just surreal enough to help you forget reality. Personally, I’m not into watching Contagion, etc, I prefer a bit of escapism. Fairytales are supposed to be the soft version of threats to humankind, so I’ll happily plump for Pan’s Labyrinth, Let the Right One In, The Night of the Hunter. A bit of danger, but safely packaged as a pretty story. A bit of certainty in these uncertain times.
If you’re feeling starved of the great outdoors and landscape, a bit of David Lean or Powell and Pressburger, A Matter of Life and Death. Just to put some perspective on things.
