As the brisk winter weather finally fades away, gloomy skies are about all there is to see when you look up on campus. Here are four rainy movies to watch while you’re stuck inside during the stormy month ahead.
Beasts of the Southern Wild:
This indie-darling-gone-mainstream success focuses around a hurricane that displaces a town of people. A touching commentary on the effects of climate change, Beasts of the Southern Wild follows six-year-old Hushpuppy as she learns how to be independent and stick up for what she believes in.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of the most heartwarming films I’ve ever seen. With director Behn Zeitlin worked with composer Dan Romer to write a score that is sure to make you shed a tear. Using themes from the song “This Woman’s Work,” by Kate Bush, Zeitlin said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he and Romer would “sit around watching the music video and cry together and write songs.”
Zeitlin put a lot of raw emotion into the making of the film and the result is a triumphant, tear-jerking masterpiece. If you’re looking for a movie that will move you during our next thunderstorm, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the perfect choice.
Upstream Color:
Shane Carruth functioned as writer, director, producer, composer, editor, cinematographer, camera operator and lead actor to make one of my favorite abstract works of arthouse cinema with Upstream Color.
The film follows Kris and Jeff after they are both kidnapped and mind-controlled by a man known simply as “the thief.”
Upstream Color is all about people’s interconnectedness with nature and their life cycles. There’s plenty of rain imagery used throughout the film to symbolize the dark times that come before renewal.
This fantastical romance-drama will have you questioning what’s happening constantly. The sheer absurdity of everything in the film makes for an entertaining watch, even if it takes a couple of viewings to understand what some of the symbols and metaphors mean.
The Lighthouse:
Directed by Robert Eggers of The VVitch, The Lighthouse focuses on two men, both named Thomas. Played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, the two men are assigned to take care of a remote lighthouse off the coast of New England in the late 1800s. When the men become stranded at the lighthouse during a bad storm, tension between the pair rises.
Eggers’ choice to shoot the film in black and white adds to the dirty, rustic tone of the film. The lack of color adds more stress and mystery as images blend together in the dull, wet landscape.
Check out The Lighthouse for a masterclass in acting and some of the most haunting cinematography you’ll be able to find.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition):
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is not a great movie. However, the extended Ultimate Edition (that’s now easily accessible on HBO Max) is incredible. The extra 32 minutes of footage not only provides closure on some of the subplots that felt unfinished in the theatrical cut, but they also make the film R-rated for its brutality. This film marked the beginning of Zack Snyder’s feud with Warner Bros. production team, and seeing Snyder’s true, original vision for the film produces an entirely different feel.
Batman v Superman follows an old, broken Bruce Wayne who has changed his ways and started to kill his enemies. Batman wages a war on Superman after he sees the destruction that he caused in Man of Steel.
Like most of Zack Snyder’s movies, Dawn of Justice is full of moral ambiguity. The constant character conflict is emphasized by the storms throughout the film, symbolizing the clashing ideologies of the two heroes and adding to the brooding tone. I liked seeing Superman and Batman start to shift their morality, but those looking for comic accuracy still won’t be fans of the film.
It may be a long investment with a run-time of two hours and 38 minutes, but if you want a new look at a movie that was initially terribly received, Batman v Superman is the movie for you.
Rain is surprisingly hard to come by in films because of how technically difficult it can be to get clean shots, but when it’s pouring outside, something about watching a dark, stormy movie feels right. Next time you’re stuck inside from bad weather, cozy up and watch one of these rain-filled films.