There are thousands of content available whenever I try to browse online streaming platforms and as always, I end up watching something I have already watched and enjoyed. It does not necessarily have to be a bad day or a stressed-out day for me to jump into rewatching some of my favorite old shows or movies. When life feels moving by pretty fast, rewatching old shows and films feel like still having control over the good times. They are like a medium to hold on to the good memories, to good feelings. It also tells us that there have been, and once again will be meaningful moments and experiences.

It can become really therapeutic, especially if you are feeling anxious. Watching the same movie/show multiple times reaffirms that there’s order in the world and that it can create a sense of safety and comfort on a primal level. Rewatching a movie or show you really enjoy can be a simple way of controlling your emotions when your entire world feels out of control.

Rewatching old shows and movies is like time traveling, it transports us to some of our most beautiful memories from the past. It can be your favorite childhood shows or a movie that helped you gather courage, or reassure you about something that bothered you once.

No matter how many times I have laughed already, every time I see Ross from F.R.I.E.N.D.S yelling “Pivot!” I am left in splits. It is like I never get bored of it! It may seem crazy for some, to laugh at the same joke again but sometimes it feels strangely reassuring. It feels like, no matter how much the world around me keeps changing, there is something that is always the same.

It is not just about reminiscing past memories, but also about hope for the future. Every time I rewatch some of my favorite shows/movies, I feel a sense of hope and encouragement that life is going to be good, no matter what. I think, for me, this is one of the primary reasons for rewatching old movies.

You know what is about to happen next, the next dialogue, the next scene, and that in some way is very reassuring, especially in such unprecedented times. In these times of unpredictability, there is something we can foretell, no matter how tiny it may seem, but we can see it coming and that in itself is comforting, isn’t it?

It also feels like an escape, from all the noises of the world, from the pressure of running some race we never wanted to be part-time. It feels like time stands still, and we are reconnected to our roots.

Last week when I was having a really hectic time, and the only source of comfort was rewatching a show I watched recently-Ted Lasso. The characters from the show go through their own emotional struggles and I kept watching it again and again because I could feel them. And I felt like these characters, they understood me too. It was relaxing and honestly therapeutic. It was moments like these that helped me understand the bliss of rewatching old shows and movies.

Image courtesy: UniFrance

Anjali Pillai

I can’t stop talking about films, so I blog!

I started The FourthWall, my film blog, to share my thoughts on films and shows with fellow movie buffs, and over the years it has become my happy place. Come join in for some interesting conversations on cinema… and sometimes books and fashion!