What to Watch During Spring

A watchlist curated for embracing the season of hope and renewal

Ready for warmer weather? Here are some suggestions for what to watch for those wholesome springtime vibes we all desperately need after a long, dark winter.

I’m desperately trying to hold onto the fleeting feeling of freedom from spring break.

Marvel Studios/Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home is the perfect movie to turn to for this! In this second installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spidey films, Peter Parker and his friends travel to Europe for a much-needed excursion, which gives the movie the feeling of following a group of high schoolers on their spring break trip. However, be warned that Far From Home deals with a lot of emotional turmoil as well, as Peter grapples with the death of his former mentor, Tony Stark/Iron Man. The darker themes that the film touches on, such as grief, living up to the legacy of someone who has passed, and dealing with responsibility, are integral to the core of who Spider-Man is as a character.

There is a reason that Spider-Man is one of the most popular and most-adapted superheroes of all time. Something about Spider-Man is so universal that the character has become timeless. In this movie, Peter deals with the incredibly human feeling of growing up and being faced with taking on the burden of responsibility, albeit in his case it is the burden of responsibilities that come with being a superhero. Although some elements of the movie, such as the foreign setting and the villain, will not land quite right for some viewers, Far From Home is definitely worth the watch or rewatch.

Okay, but what if I want to watch something a bit less emotionally damaging?

Watch Disney/Pixar’s Luca! While this animated film is still emotional, it won’t lead to complete mental destruction, and it still has all the humor and heart of every quintessential Pixar movie. Luca is the coming-of-age story of the titular character, a young sea monster who leaves the comfort of the depths of the ocean to explore the human world.

The film is beautiful in every sense of the word. Luca’s friendships are heartwarming, and the movie’s message of acceptance of those who are different is told in a way that is sincere instead of cliché. The animation of Portorosso, the seaside Italian town where most of the movie takes place, is so warm and bright and wonderful that it honestly makes me want to move to whatever the real-life equivalent of Portorosso is. Spring vacation in Italy, anyone?

A colorful seaside town similar to Portorosso. Image courtesy of Pixabay

I need a comfort show after the stress of midterms.

The WB/The CW’s Gilmore Girls is a classic comfort show with just the right amount of drama that’s entertaining instead of stressful. It follows the lives of Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, who reside in a small town called Stars Hollow (which is, unfortunately, fictional). With a cast of colorful side characters, the setting definitely gives off the vibe of a town where everyone knows everyone, which adds to the show’s charm. The dialogue is famously quick and witty, and it gives Gilmore Girls a lot of its heart and humor. Even though the show has been bombarded with a lot of criticism over the past few years (which I would have to agree with) in terms of Rory’s character arc, as she transitions from hard-working teenager to privileged snob, watching Gilmore Girls still gives me the same feeling as curling up under several layers of blankets with a mug of hot tea after a hard day.

I could use a good old-fashioned romance.

Here I have to go with the incredible 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. Keira Knightley is stunning as Elizabeth Bennet, and the film maintains the charm of the novel and transfers it flawlessly to the big screen. The shots of the vibrant green countryside are breathtaking and are sure to serve as a reminder of what campus will eventually look like once the snow melts completely and the temperature rises above 50 degrees for good. If you don’t already know the swoon-worthy story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, or if you are already familiar with it and love it (like me), this movie does the romance justice.

What about a love story that’s a little more modern?

Technically I’m cheating with this one since it hasn’t been released yet, but may I humbly suggest that you all mark your calendars for April 22, because the TV show adaptation of Alice Oseman’s popular webcomic Heartstopper is coming to Netflix! If you don’t know what it’s about, Heartstopper follows the story of Nick and Charlie, two teenage boys who meet and fall in love while navigating the complexities of school, friendship, mental health, and family relationships. It’s a simple story, but that doesn’t make it any less profound.

Kit Connor as Nick and Joe Locke as Charlie in Netflix’s Heartstopper. Aren’t those little leaf animations cute?! Photo courtesy of Netflix

From what I’ve seen in the trailer, the TV show looks like it will be markedly similar to the comic; some of the scenes in the trailer mirror certain panels almost exactly. Since Oseman herself wrote the script, I have no doubt that the adaptation will be faithful to the spirit of the comic, even if some minor plot points have been tweaked and a few new characters have been added. Judging by the trailer, the show has a bright springtime color palette, with little animations layered over some of the scenes that look absolutely adorable. Be sure to keep an eye out for it come April; as a longtime reader of Heartstopper, I’m sure it’s going to be amazing!