Me and Movies

What do you do when you finally complete your exams and when school is finally over? If you asked the sixteen year old me, the answer would’ve been simple: movies. Lots and lots of movies. I mean I just survived two years of no cable, and just physics, chemistry and math, so you understand why.
My love for movies didn’t start at sixteen though, it started so much earlier. I grew up watching English movie channels at home, I loved a good storyline. My go-to genre? Horror. I was obsessed with horror movies, which was ironic because I get scared easily. But waiting for a ghost to jump out of the closet and scare the hell out of me, was something I found exciting? Horror movies were even more fun with your friends and cousins — because everyone got scared together. But right after school ended, I had almost six months of summer holidays and I spent a huge part of them watching movies.

My best friends were Movies Now, Star Movies, and Sony PIX. My morning started with whatever was playing, and I can’t describe in words how excited I’d get whenever one of my favorite movies appeared under “watch next.” One of the main reasons I loved movies so much is because stories could transport you into completely different worlds. How do you not watch Twilight Saga and gush over how adorable Edward and Bella are and wish you were a vampire? I mean that was practically every teenager at some point. Then there was the Final Destination movie series. I’ve genuinely lost count of how many times I’ve watched those movies. It’s five movies about people who cheat death, only to die later in the most brutal and creative way imaginable. “Jeez, why would you watch that?” You might ask. Honestly, I have no idea. All it did was make me wonder about a million different ways things can go horribly wrong in daily life. Have I mentioned my love for horror movies? Anyways, watching them alone is something I’d never recommend. My strategy involved muting the scary scenes while covering the ears and eyes. And yes, I knew I was subscribing for a full week of nightmares, but I did it anyway. Back then I thought the adrenaline rush was worth it. I was wrong. It wasn’t worth it. I was done partying with Annabelle, Pennywise, and the Nun.

Thrillers were entertaining until my brain started to overthink every possible scenario. And whenever the movie was “inspired by a true story” I knew sleep was officially cancelled. Suddenly all I could think about are Ted Bundy stories. I mean if I wanted to live in constant horror, I’d just watch the news instead. And that’s how I kicked out horror and thriller movies from my life.

I never felt lonely when I watched movies, probably that’s the reason I enjoyed them so much. Of course, my taste in movies has changed. But I’ve always fancied romcoms. The sweet little banters between the male and female protagonists, the angst, the pining, the yearning glances and the way it all finally pays off at the end? They make you feel wonderfully satisfied and whole. It also leaves you wondering how you’ll meet your person? I mean is it even a good romcom if it doesn’t? It’s not just the stories but also the characters and the feelings that stay with us. For instance, how do you watch Mama Mia without wanting to dance the moment “Dancing Queen” starts playing? How do you watch Jerry Maguire and not sob when you hear the line, “You had me at hello.” I think my favorite movies are the ones that take me on an emotional roller coaster. I also love women-centric films, like Hidden Figures, Enola Holmes, Little Women, and Pitch Perfect. They are inspiring, entertaining and remind me that some of the best stories are driven by remarkable women.

I don’t think I’ve come a long way when it comes to movies. I just prefer movies that I actually enjoy, and they have been pretty rewarding and entertaining. Sometimes, they make me wonder, sometimes they make me laugh my heart out, and sometimes they make me write about them — just like this. Sharing my time and space with movies wasn’t a bad idea after all.