The arrival of the rainy season also means the end of families doing outdoor activities together. But thankfully, there are many other activities that families can do while staying indoors that are perfect for the rainy season. One of these activities is watching movies together. A good way to spend time indoors is to cuddle under blankets with a warm drink in hand and sit in front of a television screen while raindrops fog up the windows and the sound of rain and wind continue in the background.
But not all movies are created equal, and some are more fitting to watch on rainy days than others. There are movies that famously feature rain, which could symbolize anything from nostalgia, love, death, solitude, and more. Others, meanwhile, have dark and gloomy themes that go well with the sound of raindrops, wind, and distant thunder. But there are also movies that simply come to mind whenever we think of rainy days. Here are some films that you can try watching with your family when the next rainy day comes:
1. Spirited Away (2001)
Considered one of the greatest animated films of all time, Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is a movie that should be seen any chance one gets. It is about a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who wanders into the world of Japanese spirits and gods. The film is an enchanting display of Miyazaki’s imagination, and its fantastic elements go well with rain and the sound of distant thunder in the background, as the film transports viewers into another world where anything can happen.
2. Titanic (1997)
A tragic love story seems to go well with rainy weather, and one of the most famous films that feature that is James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic. The film, which combines historical and fictional accounts about the sinking of the passenger ship RMS Titanic, centers on Jack and Rose, who fall in love despite coming from different social classes during the ship’s doomed voyage. There’s a reason why the film became one of the highest-grossing films of all time and catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into superstardom. And if you or your family still haven’t seen it yet, the best time to watch this tale of star-crossed lovers should be on a rainy day.
3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The famous shot of the film’s main character Andy Dufresne (portrayed by Tim Robbins) raising his arms to the sky in the middle of a strong downpour is one of the most famous uses of rain in cinema. But more than this scene, Frank Darabont’s The Shawkshank Redemption is a fitting movie to watch on a rainy day because of its dramatic, dark, and ultimately inspiring moments. Dufresne is a man wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary, where he meets and forms a friendship with Red, played by Morgan Freeman. The bond that they form, and Andy’s determination despite being in a hopeless place, make the film beloved among audiences and one of the best to watch on a rainy day.
4. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Midnight in Paris is a love letter to the City of Lights, and the rain which appears multiple times in the film represents nostalgia. The film is about aspiring writer Gil (played by Owen Wilson), who is somehow transported into Paris in the 1920s every night, which allows him to interact with legendary artists from the era such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Pablo Picasso. His disappearances are questioned by his fiancee’ Inez (played by Rachel McAdams), and he falls in love with Adriana, Picasso’s lover, who is also in love with the past. The film is funny, charming, and includes rain as an important motif, with the character of Gabrielle saying in the ending that Paris “is most beautiful in the rain,” something to which Gil agrees.
5. The Harry Potter Films (2001-2011)
– If you have more time to spare with your family on rainy days and can watch a series of movies, then the Harry Potter movies would be a good choice. The films, which are based on a popular book series by JK Rowling, span 10 years and include 8 movies. It chronicles the life of an orphaned boy named Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard and goes on to study at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The films have their share of light and dark moments, and the characters of Harry, his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger face a lot of challenges. But in the end, they overcome these challenges, and watching these beloved characters face and triumph over these challenges on a rainy day will make you and your family forget that you’re stuck indoors.
6. Shutter Island (2010)
– Aside from love stories, blockbusters, and timeless classics, a rainy day is also a good time to watch a psychological thriller. These movies will have you searching for clues to unravel a mystery with the characters while the heavy downpour serves as the background. The Martin Scorsese-directed Shutter Island is one such film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Deputy US Marshal Teddy Daniels, who investigates a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island with his partner (played by Mark Ruffalo) after one of their patients goes missing. The isolation that Daniels feels on the island, and the sense that there is more to the case than meets the eye will only be enhanced by the sound of rain and thunder as you unlock the truth together with these characters.
7. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
The movies we watch in the rain with our families don’t always have to be dark and gloomy, as Gene Kelly’s 1952 classic Singin’ in the Rain proves that a lighthearted musical is also perfect for the weather. The film focuses on the transition of Hollywood and its stars from silent films to “talkies” or sound films during the 1920s. The movie includes a famous scene of Kelly singing and dancing in the rain, which he calls “a glorious feeling.” If you and your families are feeling the blues of the gloomy weather, this movie will serve as the perfect antidote.
Honorable Mentions: Bladerunner (1982), The Notebook (2004), The Truman Show (1998), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Cast Away (2000)
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