The more hours of sunshine sweeten our day, the more likely we are to be drawn outside. You’d think so. If you prefer to watch spring from the comfort of your couch and via a screen – we won’t hold it against you, but have put together the most suitable films for your spring mood.
Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine, 2012)
Admittedly, we’re starting off a little obviously. Hearing a sleazy James Franco, who is now allowed to join the large group of problematic Hollywood stars, shout “Spraaang break” incessantly is exactly the level of shallow entertainment that a rainy spring day needs. Malicious tongues would describe the movie as a premium example of white trash – and it is, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. And you learn that it’s not so bad if spring break isn’t celebrated so merrily in this country.
Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023)
There is reason to watch Greta Gerwig’s feminist-fantasy Barbie story all year round. But spring is a particularly good time, because the curious Barbie world is literally drowned in cheerful pastel colors. And the simple feminism 101, which is new to some viewers, is worth internalizing every now and then. We don’t want Ken’s Mojo-Dojo-Casa-House patriarchy to suddenly become reality. We’re already close enough.
Mean Girls (Mark Waters, 2004)
A cult classic from the early 2000s should not be missing from any movie list. Mean Girls is probably one of the most quotable pop culture events of recent decades – “On Wednesdays we wear pink” and “Get in loser, we’re going shopping” have long been part of our everyday vocabulary. Because the plot leads up to the Spring Fling – an earth-shattering event for an American high school – springtime is the best time to devote yourself to Regina George and co. A load of fashion inspiration is thrown in for free – 2004 is already considered vintage and is just coming back in full force.
The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola, 1999)
Nothing is more difficult than being a 13-year-old girl. Puberty, which some people metaphorically refer to as spring, can soon turn into the darkest abyss. Who better to visualize this than Sofia Coppola, the queen of modern female gaze? In “The Virgin Suicides”, this is deliberately turned on its head, and we admire the mysterious Lisbon sisters from the perspective of unsuspecting teenage boys.
Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006)
Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst for the second time: Lavishly luxurious idleness and a bit of revolution go perfectly with the spring energy that is slowly waking us up again. And sometimes you don’t have to think outside the box: In “Marie Antoinette”, lavish floral decorations are part of the basic décor of almost every scene. That’s all it takes to celebrate spring.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (John Hughes, 1986)
The first rays of sunshine not only tickle our faces, but also our thirst for adventure. Getting blue, getting away, exploring the world – that should be on every to-do list in the spring months. For those who find this difficult because of things that our society has invented – work, obligations, deadlines – a coming-of-age classic can help. Ferris Bueller doesn’t care that he actually has to go to school. He wants to get out and experiences more than we have in the last few months.
10 Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999)
The late nineties, an American high school, a romcom storyline – somehow it all screams spring. Either this genre has really died or its peak was reached with the Shakespeare-inspired “10 Things I Hate About You”: there is no comparable movie from the 21st century that triggers the same feelings in us.
The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939)
If you spend more time scrolling through the new releases on Netflix and the like than actually watching something, perhaps you need to take a trip down memory lane. Old movies are usually always worthwhile. Watching Dorothy as she is miraculously transported from Kansas to a magical enchanted world is still fascinating more than eight decades after the release of this cult classic. Another lesson to be learned is that CGI and the like are not necessarily more visually appealing than what was brought to the screen in 1939 with Technicolor and handcrafted backdrops.
Would you like another movie recommendation? We can’t get “The Substance” out of our heads.
