OPINION: Comfort versus adventure

In January, I watched 36 feature films. Some were in theaters, most at home.

Here’s the thing about moviewatching, especially at home. Because of the time dedication of two hours, it’s a pretty short set of time to easily go through. On days off, it’s easy to binge multiple movies at a time, which I usually did on Saturdays where I could drive up to Des Moines.

But, when I do get home, I’m not as adventurous. It’s apparently a common problem in my family where most of the time, we want to rewatch movies we know we like. My grandfather keeps his old VHS tapes because he knows exactly how much he likes watching his movies.

In January, of those 36 movies, 20 of them were movies I’ve already seen. Of the 16 new ones, seven of them were new releases, and an additional four were released in the past few years. In terms of the possibilities in diving into a film world spanning over a century, I only saw five movies out of 36 opportunities.

Why do we rewatch, reread, relisten or replay media? I think it’s actually pretty simple: it’s comfort.

It’s why, when I’m about to go to bed, I watch a movie I might have already seen. I’m cozy, ready to end my day, and all stress of witnessing something new and potentially challenging isn’t what I need. It also helps that when I’m halfway through a movie and feeling eyelids droop, I can easily pause and not have to think about tempo disruption.

I have a few movies I return to pretty regularly. I have my favorites, movies like “The Green Knight” and “Whiplash” which I know by heart. There are movies like “Men in Black” which are casual enough to appease everyone, and especially me. The Pixar films from the ‘00s remind me of being a little boy growing up.

This is true - my earliest memory is the DVD menu of “The Incredibles.” Most people think of their family or their childhood home. Me? A movie, and not even the movie itself. How embarrassing!

But it’s comfort. It feels great to be fully familiar with something, and to fully appreciate artistry and little details which makes rewatching that much more comfortable. Movies are already different than most mediums, capturing a moment in time but discouraging rewinded indulgence, setting a pace to be followed with no interruptions.

These moments in time to be captured forever is the beauty of film. I particularly enjoy rewatching directors like Wes Anderson. With a visual style of neurotic obsession towards composition and symmetry and dialogue which is played completely straight with little bombast to appreciate the wit, they’re movies built to be rewatched over and over again.

I just adore “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” a wickedly funny and radiant-looking movie about style and class, which makes the deadpan humor and moments where pompous attitudes break all the more delightful.

Anderson also has a tendency to build ensemble casts, elaborate sets and plucky music which, alongside that symmetrical visual style, give a timeless edge to each movie. To call each frame a moving painting might be too much, but the painting talks funny at you and plays with the medium so much, how could I not want to be comforted by it?

So, if rewatching what I enjoy is comforting, de-stressing and, overall, a good thing for me, why would I, or anyone, not choose that?

Some easy answers. We get bored. New things are exciting. Maybe there are similar things to what I like which could create the same effect?

The hard answer, and one which has unfortunately been demonized in recent weeks (and honestly, much, much longer) by a president more concerned with rallying a common denominator than helping the people who deserve help the most, is diversity.

I grew up with movies made by people who looked and talked like me. I watched primarily American movies, the ones which had the highest gross, and didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t until I started actively searching for movies outside of what I could see in my local theaters which helped me realize more elements of the human race I am a part of. A recent resurgence of minority filmmakers, a growing world of queer cinema and a history of foreign film awaits.

That’s the adventure. To go outside what’s easy to access, both literally on streaming services and mentally in avoiding climbing back into the comfort zone, is adventure.

I might still need popcorn. Old habits die hard.