Films to help you through lockdown. (Top left): “Pride”, (bottom left): “Sing Street”, (right): “Paddington”.

When I first thought about writing this piece, more than a month ago, the concept was “films to watch in lockdown that make me happy”. But over the past week, I’ve ended up rethinking it.

I still have some films to recommend, and I still think they may help you forget we’re in the middle of a global pandemic for five minutes. But whether they actually bring you joy is all relative.

These films are the kind which would bring me some semblance of joy under normal circumstances. But right now? I’m not sure anything brings me joy.

I tried to watch “Pineapple Express” again the other day, and ended up turning it off after five minutes because I don’t have it in me to find it funny at the moment.

I thought I might finally read “Doctor Sleep” or “Dune Messiah” now that I have some time on my hands. I got a couple pages into both, put them down and haven’t picked them up since.

My attention span at the moment is that of a gnat. I’ve been unable to watch or read anything for very long. The only film I’ve successfully watched since the beginning of August is the new “Mulan”. I didn’t enjoy it.

Under normal circumstances, would I have enjoyed a film I’ve been anticipating for more than a couple years even if the quality were mediocre? Probably. Under lockdown? It just felt soulless and empty, but maybe that’s just a reflection of where I’m at.

I recognise that not every one is struggling with lockdown, but I’m tired of it and I’m tired of not being able to find joy in things that I used to. And the two-week extension of stage 4 restrictions has sucked even more wind out of my sails. But joy is relative, so here are some films that usually make me happy.

I’ve tried to include some lesser-known films, not necessarily that obscure and mostly easily accessible, but films which remain in my opinion underseen. Why? Because while I could just list some very mainstream favourites, in terms of “comfort watching”, it might actually make you happier to discover something new. And these did for me at least.

PADDINGTON (2014) / PADDINGTON 2 (2017)
I initially wrote off “Paddington” and its sequel for being kids films. I’m an adult, and I didn’t grow up watching or reading anything “Paddington”-related, I was simply not interested. It didn’t matter that Nicole Kidman, my favourite actress of all-time, was in the first one or that it got glowing reviews. I simply forgot about it. Then the sequel came out. It got better reviews than the first one, and Hugh Grant was in it. Suddenly, every film critic I followed on Twitter was raving about it, and “Paddington” appealing to an adult crowd became a running joke. Then “Paddington 2” possibly being nominated at every awards ceremony became not only a joke, but also something people genuinely believed should happen. So I caved, watched both, and ended up having an extremely fun time. In fact, “Paddington 2” wound up as one of my Top 10 Films for the year. The cast is solid, everyone plays their role perfectly, and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington gives one of the best performances of his career. Everyone is having so much fun that it becomes almost impossible not to enjoy yourself. Please note that I said almost, as I’ve been unwilling to test my theory in lockdown lest I ruin one of my all-time favourite movies for myself. But I would heartily encourage you, especially if you have kids, to sit down and enjoy these two together.
Paddington is available to stream on Netflix and Stan. Paddington 2 is available to stream on Netflix.

SING STREET (2016)
“Sing Street” is one of those films I’ve seen a lot of people sing the praises of online, yet when I ask people if they’ve seen it, they tend to look at me with a blank stare. I only heard about it well after its release, and that has seemingly been the case with most people. “Sing Street” is in the vein of “School Of Rock” or “The Commitments”, though there are far more evident comparisons with the latter, the most obvious that they’re both Irish films. Yet, I’d argue the tone is far closer to that of “School Of Rock”. Set in Dublin in 1985 during a period of economic recession, a young teenage boy forms a band to impress a girl and subsequently has a musical awakening, inspired by Duran Duran, Motörhead and The Cure, among others. The soundtrack is littered with both well-known ‘80s hits and original songs by the band in question, the best being “Drive It Like You Stole It”, which is accompanied by a “Back To The Future”-inspired musical number in the film. Directed and written by John Carney of “Once” fame, “Sing Street” is really fun, and at times “happy-sad”, if you will. It’s a bittersweet taste of teenage musical fantasy that gets achieved by so few. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, there’s a very well-placed Genesis joke that might.
Sing Street is available to stream on Stan.

LONG SHOT (2019)
This is an interesting one for me. First time I saw it, I was on my own, and I didn’t think it was super-funny. I thought it was an OK rom-com, but not uproariously funny. Second time, though, I watched it with someone else, and it suddenly became a million times funnier. This is a rom-com first and foremost, not a straight-up comedy. There’s one particular moment involving a set of stairs … whenever I think about it, I burst out laughing. Really. I mean, I can just be sitting on the train by myself, it’ll pop into my head and BOOM, I start laughing like a maniac. Other than that, it definitely has its charms. Charlize Theron is brilliant, as per usual, as the slightly uptight US Secretary of State. Seth Rogen is a recently-jobless newspaper reporter, having left his masthead due to ethical and moral concerns over its new owner. It’s a fairly predictable turn of events, but I won’t pretend I’m above that.
Long Shot is available to stream on Foxtel Go or buy on YouTube and Google Play.

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FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (2019)
This is a film I’d been looking forward to for ages when it came out. But it came and went without making much of a blip, despite its solid cast and having Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a producer as well as making a cameo. I was drawn in because as a kid I used to watch “WWE Raw” and “Smackdown” every weekend with my Nonno without fail. I cannot emphasise enough how much I used to love watching both of them, it was incredibly entertaining. I used to play the video game on PS2 and I used to borrow it on video from Blockbuster to watch old “Wrestlemania” events with my Nonno. So, when I heard The Rock was making a movie about pro wrestling, I had to see it. I wasn’t aware of the story behind the film prior to seeing it, as I had stopped watching WWE regularly once I got a bit older. But Florence Pugh, fresh from her turn in “Lady Macbeth” (another film I highly recommend) in a film written and directed by Stephen Merchant? Sign me up! It expertly blends comedy with a coming-of-age story as well as a bit of family drama. And while it might be about wrestling, it’s got a lot more heart than one would expect.
Fighting With My Family is available to stream on Stan and Foxtel Go.

TOP END WEDDING (2019)
Yes, another rom-com. I recognise that not everybody enjoys them, but I certainly do. Written by and starring Miranda Tapsell, “Top End Wedding” is a fun exploration of Australia’s Top End as well as personal identity. It follows Lauren (Tapsell) trying to track down her mother in time for her out-of-the-blue wedding. She follows her from Darwin through the Northern Territory, all the way to the Tiwi Islands. The plot is fairly predictable, but the journey is a hell of a lot of fun. I’ve never wanted to visit the NT so much in my life. The scenery is a great way to escape, and as close as anyone might get to Nitmiluk Gorge in the near future. Along her journey through the NT, Lauren discovers more about herself and her Aboriginal identity, as well as how much that means to her. There’s one particularly poignant moment towards the end that I won’t spoil, but which brought me to tears. The rest of the cast is fantastic, too. Gwiylm Lee bounces perfectly off Tapsell as her new fiancé, Kerry Fox shines as Lauren’s uptight boss at her law firm, and there is a hilarious performance by Huw Higginson as Lauren’s heartbroken father. I’ll never hear “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago in the same way ever again. Ursula Yovich has a small role as Lauren’s perpetually missing mother, but is an enormous presence over the entire film. Shari Sebbens, Dalara Williams and Elaine Crombie are also brilliant as Lauren’s best friends. Cast chemistry is key, and “Top End Wedding” has it in spades. Bonus points for the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to Essendon’s 1984-85 VFL grand final wins.
Top End Wedding is available to stream on Netflix and Foxtel Go.

PRIDE (2014)
When I went to see “Pride” in cinemas in 2014, there were only two other people in the cinema with me. Since then, I’ve tried to show it to as many people as possible. So here’s my latest attempt. “Pride” chronicles the efforts of LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) during the UK miners’ strike of 1984-85. It delicately balances the line between comedy and drama as well as its exploration of serious issues confronting the working class in Britain at that time. It explores the AIDS crisis in the LGBTQI+ community, as well as broader issues faced by both groups. This is another “happy-sad” film. It’s enormously emotionally rewarding. We all know how the strike ended, and we all know how the AIDS crisis ended as well as how both groups were dealt with by law enforcement and the government of the day, but it’s interesting to see it all unfold, and how a supportive relationship was built between these groups at such a fraught time. With winning performances by some of the best talent in the UK, like Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, George MacKay and Paddy Considine, the film is bursting at the seams with talent. It’s a bit of a sentimental crowd-pleaser at times, but I always end up finishing it with a smile on my face … maybe even in lockdown.
Pride is available to stream on Netflix.