LISTS | 5 Films I Love & Why

It’s no secret I love films.
Any film that makes me think, feel deeply or reflect makes my list of forever favourites.

Here are the top five and why they make the cut.

About Time

This film has a one-two punch. First, you think you are watching a rom-com, to which you are. Next, you think you are watching some fantastical reality, to which you are, and last, you think you are watching an essay on how to stay mindful and appreciative in your life, to which you absolutely also are. It has perfectly delivered a reminder, laugh and warmth that we all need.

Stories We Tell

Albeit a documentary, this film gutted me and reshaped my reasons for why I write and why I seek to share stories. For me, it’s never been about hitting the zeitgeist or getting noticed, and it’s about trying to reach that compulsion to understand something in a more profound and more meaningful way. Sarah Polly is a beacon in storytelling work for this, and here is a perfect example of how telling stories has value on the inner and outward self.

Inside Out

This animation film shakes the ground on humanity. Pixar killed it and left me processing this for years, and I am still processing it. As I raise my own child, I have moments where scenes come back to me, reminding me when things are tender, unique or raw.

Now & Then

This film brings me back to one of the safest spaces I have ever been. Curled up with my cousin, watching this. It speaks to that age we were, the storm of confusion we were about to experience and what brings me back to this is the idea that we were intertwined then and found our way to be just as intertwined now. Every time I revisit it, it is nostalgic, bitter-sweet, and beautiful things to me.

Before Sunrise

I am late to this trilogy, but it has been another example of pure excellence in storytelling and writing. Many people in film stick their noses up at pages of dialogue. Still, Richard Linklater pushes the envelope open on real people in this project, and each of the three films tells us so much about real people, genuine relationships and real life.