By Elizabeth Lee '16
Copy Editor & Film Columnist

As the academic year winds down, the chaos and sleepless nights of finals week start to really kick, and the time for watching movies diminishes to near extinction--but that doesn’t always stop us. This time of year for us as students is about nearing the finish line of another year, another chapter of our experiences, and, for some of us, the end of our time here. Reaching final crunch time and maximum stress levels, it’s nice to take some time to relax for just a second with a nap in the sun or to take a dance break, to relish in the comforts of what is familiar and reassuring or of what just gives us a good laugh. It’s also the time where the light at the end of the tunnel begins to gradually seem more visible, the time to look forward towards all the things we still want to do and start to seem within reach. I myself have spent weeks binge-watching Gilmore Girls, going home to Lorelai’s witty quips and mountains of junk food for some much-needed laughter, channeling my inner Rory before an interview the next day to convince myself that I too am worthy of that beginning staff writer position. So for our final issue, here are a few of my recommended comfort films as well as some on my watchlist I’m looking forward to tackling this summer, all available on Netflix...

Comfort Movies

Ever After (1998)

The best Cinderella story to ever exist, other than maybe the book version of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, featuring a quick-tongued, self-driven heroine who can throw a punch and handle a sword all while wearing a dress and whose fairy godmother just happens to be Leonardo da Vinci.

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

Though it’s not exactly plot driven, I always loved this film as a kid. Featuring some of the world’s most beautiful music from Gershwin to Prokofiev, its music comes to life in the form of equally beautiful animations. The Firebird part holds a special place in my heart and always makes me tear up.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

While perhaps comforting is not the appropriate word here, it’ll certainly keep you awake through all those all-nighters. It was definitely Clarice Starling and her dynamic relationship with Hannibal Lector, the enticing cannibal, who convinced me as a kid that I needed to be an FBI agent.

Summer Watchlist

The Invisible War (2012)

A documentary bringing light to the frequent yet under-addressed cases of sexual assault in the U.S. military, The Invisible War was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary feature.

Double (2013)

This one’s a dark comedy based on Dostoevsky’s novella of the same name about a man whose life is taken over by...his other self?

Noah (2014)

I’ll admit, the cast was a big cause for my initial interest. Russel Crowe, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins in a huge yet controversial telling of one of the world’s oldest stories? How can you not be at least a little intrigued?