Mood watchlist: 21 options that cater to how you're feeling right now
How you doin? No, seriously
The inside of my lockdown brain is much like the top drawer of my desk – cluttered, littered with entangled masses (read unresolved feelings), and stuffed to the point that it refuses to shut entirely.
My emotional to-do list poses close competition to my chore list, and is as diverse — jumping from naps to loud sobs, and bartans to breakdancing in a fraction of seconds.
The lockdown mood swings come uninvited, and are as short-lived as they are varied, which makes quiet downtime feel cumbersome too.
I go in wanting to watch an action-packed superhero film, but after the 43 minutes of scrolling, all I want to do is curl into the foetal position and watch something that would justify my above mentioned loud sobs (expert tip: anything puppies usually does the trick).
Being the helpful people that we are, we put together a mood watchlist that will cater to all of your lockdown moods — from when you’re missing your big fat sometimes annoying family (it happens) to when the long walk to the grocery doesn’t quite satiate that gnawing need for travel.
The ultimate mood watchlist
For when you’re missing the dysfunctional family
Mornings are peaceful, and there are no mothers coming in to turn off the fans to rudely awaken you from your slumber saying “wake up it’s 9:30am”, when it’s actually 7am. The air conditioner, in the words of Goldilocks, is “not too hot, not too cold, just right.”
It’s the walking around in shorts (baring your now unwaxed-for-four-months legs) without being called a werewolf, and actually getting to watch what you want, that finally breaks you.
And our first mood watchlist category is here to give you a mama bear-inspired massive hug to fix just that.
Schitt’s Creek, 2015
The Roses – Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis – find themselves living out their worst nightmare after they’re forced to make a shift from their glamorous lifestyles and move to a dowdy small town called Schitt’s Creek.
The town they once bought on a humorous whim is their only hope after being at the receiving end of a swindle that cost them everything.
What follows are a series of rib-tickling events as the they try to make the creek their home. The family dynamics will echo the eccentricities of your biggest and loudest (sometimes embarrassingly so) cheerleaders back home.
Peppered with moments of unadulterated endearment, this will urge you to pick up your phone and call your very own dysfunctional bunch.
P.S. The show’s cast features a real life father, son, and daughter trio. Try and guess who they are without asking Google for help.
Watch on Netflix
Kapoor & Sons, 2016
From the coolest prankster of a grandfather played by the late Rishi Kapoor to family disagreements blown out of proportion – this Shakun Batra film transcends the confines of a sanskari parivaar, and gives it to us exactly like it is.
Apart from the song, dance, and stellar cast that includes seasoned veterans such as Ratna Pathak Shah and Rajat Kapoor, it’s the portrayal of the undercurrents of any family dynamic that makes the movie what it is – it really hits home, to the point of making you squirm with knowing discomfort.
This film is sure to make you rekindle connections with everyone you love but might’ve drifted away from.
Watch on Netflix
August: Osage County, 2013
A family tragedy occurs and three estranged sisters are forced to reunite with their dysfunctional mother (recently been diagnosed with cancer) in their hometown. Naturally, drama follows.
This is that film that aptly mimics the tension that tends to linger in our own living rooms during extended family gatherings.
Dinner table debacles, breakdowns that lead to brawls, and too many people to fit under one roof – you’ve been there, done that, and are now rethinking if you miss it all that much after all.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that the movie brings together cinematic legends Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts?
Watch on YouTube
When you’re in need of a Bolognese-inspired brainwave
Things were interesting when you looked forward to planning your menu inspired by all the Masterchef episodes you’d religiously watched every evening. However, three meals a day, seven days a week, are sure to take a toll on you.
The outcome? Uninspired one-pot meals made using all the leftovers that you don’t really know what to do with.
We have a solution. No, not a cooking for dummies e-book, but a watchlist to inspire innovative meal prep.
Julie and Julia, 2009
What is the one thing better than a Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts collaboration? Meryl Streep collaborating with food.
For the times you want to uplift your (seventh time in three days) khichdi eating experience, all you need to do is stream Julie And Julia, and pretend that everything on screen is on your plate.
The movie documents food blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) journey as she takes on the challenge to recreate 524 of culinary icon Julia Child’s (played by Meryl Streep) recipes in 365 days.
During this crash course in French cuisine, expect lots of julienning, poaching and most of all butter, lots and lots of it.
Watch on Netflix
Cheeni Kum, 2007
Buddhadev Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan), the head chef of one of London’s finest Indian restaurants, is a gruff 64-year-old bachelor. Nina Verma (Tabu) is an independent and headstrong 34 year old. The plot takes a turn when Verma disapproves of one of Gupta’s preparations.
What follows is the culmination of an unconventional romance. Gupta with a little help from his nine-year-old best friend successfully manages to woo Verma, but the real challenge arises when Verma’s father, who is younger than Gupta, disapproves of the relationship.
The movie is a whirlwind of ups and downs with food firmly placed in the eye of the storm.
Watch on Zee5
Ratatouille, 2007
Have you noticed how animated food looks so much better than its perishable counterpart? Maybe it’s the precision, the symmetry or sound effects that accompany the crackling of bacon and leave you drooling.
Ratatouille ticks all these boxes, along with doing away with your heartfelt dislike for rodents.
Who would’ve thought that all you needed to do to tackle your biggest fear – not climate change, not the wrath of your PMSing flatmate, but rats – was to let Pixar do what it does best – create magic.
Remy, an aspiring chef (rat) finds his way from the dingy sewers of Paris to one of the most sought-after restaurants in town, and with a little help from his human accomplice Linguini, manages to become the star of his culinary idol’s kitchen.
Having trouble falling asleep? Just skip to the part where Remy begins to assemble a ratatouille, and you’ll sleep more peacefully than ever before.
Watch on Disney+Hotstar
Binge camps to make up for the lack of passport stamps
Stop flipping through your now-shelved itineraries, wave goodbye to the ghosts of your cancelled travel plans, and move your stack of Lonely Planets aside (at least for a little bit).
This mood watchlist is here to help you recreate your best times, minus the tan lines.
Swap your wind-cheaters for comfy jammies, because you’re in for a ride (or two, or three).
Eat Pray Love, 2010
Remember the times when everything would get too much – the boss yelling, bills piling up, and the heat sucking out every last droplet of water from your body – so to calm down, you’d move closer to the window, shut your eyes, and daydream about escaping the mundane goings-on and head out on a year-long adventure? Well, Elizabeth Gilbert actually did it.
Played by Julia Roberts, Gilbert finds herself feeling lost after a failed marriage and in the midst of divorce proceedings and a romantic relationship coming apart at the seams, so she decides to up and leave. Her adventure takes her to Italy, India and finally Bali.
Until you can get to any of these places, this is your ticket to travel.
Watch on Google Play
Finding Fanny, 2011
With this dark comedy, take the Goan road trip you’ve always been dreaming of.
What do you do when you find out your long-lost love had no idea you were in love with her? You try and find her, of course.
Finding Fanny traces the journey of five Goans on the lookout for well, Fanny, a woman whose whereabouts they know nothing about.
The road trip intended to be a 20-minute-long drive around the block turns a whole lot more adventurous thanks to the hilarious chain of events that ensue. Think cats being thrown out of windows, random Russians, accidental shootings and lots more.
Through the paddy fields and winding roads of Goa, this arduous journey is made for the one thing that makes the world go around – love.
Watch on Disney+Hotstar
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2011
This is the road trip you’ve planned a countless number of times but never taken. And this film will give you reason enough to unearth Whatsapp groups from your archive and finally start fleshing a real plan out for your post lockdown escapade.
From jumping out of airplanes, and into the depths of the ocean to getting to dip your toes into the vast expanse of Spain’s culture without having to lift a finger – this one is definitely meant for a virtual movie night with your buddies.
Pro-tip: Keep the dancing shoes handy, because this Zoya Akhtar directorial will make you want to celebrate.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Justification for the warped sleep cycle
Your eyes have begun to resemble those of a panda, and your sleep cycle is beginning to mimic that of an owl. And the question topping the list of FAQs being hurled at you on a daily basis is “What do you even do staying up so late?”
None of your answers seem satisfactory.
We have the ideal copout for you in the form of this mood watchlist. Simply weave together a tale of an uninvited visitor who has been keeping you up at night – a scary story is always a crowd pleaser and will also ensure that you never have to play host at the post lockdown bashes that are sure to come.
Use these spooky streaming options as inspiration or the very real reason for staying up.
Paranormal Activity, 2009
The storyline is all too simple – a couple moves into a new home and soon realise that they are being haunted by a demonic presence.
The plot might make you shrug and watch the movie without as much as a second thought, but it’s the realistic depiction that will make you want to have a designated bathroom buddy at night.
Fair warning, you will never take a gust of wind, creaking of a door, or an untimely thud for granted ever again.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Orphan, 2009
This won’t just help you get out of hosting parties but also add to the extensive list of reasons you use to convince your parents to throw your sibling out.
A childless couple adopts a nine-year-old, and just when their life is beginning to look picture perfect, things start taking a turn for the worse – is their innocent affable daughter actually who they are making her out to be or are they in for a not-so-pleasant surprise?
Watch on YouTube
Bhoot: Part One – The Haunted Ship, 2020
An officer decides to venture into an abandoned ship while carrying out a rescue operation. However, it’s not just the ghosts of his past that haunt him through the course of his mission.
This film is a great pick for the faint hearted because Vicky Kaushal offers much needed relief from the spooky surprises waiting to spring at you when you least expect them to.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Let’s focus on animals, because human beings disappoint
If your dream lifestyle can be summed up as modern-day Mowgli, then this section of the mood watchlist is tailor-made for you.
We are here to propagate your mantra of wags before Whatsapp, zoomies over Zoom calls, and furry friends over friendly FaceTime calls.
The Jungle Book, 2016
Before you go about monkeying around in the concrete jungle, it would be best to get a few tips from the OG jungle boy.
This childhood favourite fuels all your dreams of dancing bears, and hypnotic snakes. One viewing is sure to make you walk away feeling closer to the wild than ever before, and with a spring in your step, which has come to become a rarity thanks to the lockdown blues that don’t seem to want to leave.
The Secret Life of Pets, 2016
You might think you know your four-legged best friend better than anyone else, but do you really?
The quiet life of a terrier named Max turns upside down when his owner takes in a stray called Duke, whom Max instantly dislikes. In an attempt to get rid of Duke, the two are attacked by cats and caught by Animal Control — and what follows is their quest to get back home safely.
Do they get home safe? What are dogs and cats really thinking while they’re purring at you? Watch the animated movie for a pawesome time (and answers).
Watch on Google Play
Dogs, 2019
Add this to your reserve of dog wallpapers, vines, TikTok videos, newspaper cuttings and the rest of your pawesome paraphernalia.
This docuseries reinforces your love for man’s best friend by telling tales of unconditional love from across the globe.
P.S. keep the tissues handy.
Watch on Netflix
To help you keep up with your culture snob friend
“I’m a watcher, not a reader (of subtitles),” you’d say to all your culturally stimulated buddies when asked what your favourite foreign language film was?
But in all honesty, wasn’t it just an excuse to avoid telling them how watching a rerun of Friends was just easier?
Now is the time to up your game, and stock up your arsenal for the next movie geek debate you find yourself in the midst of.
Divines, 2016
Dounia, a teenager, lives in the outskirts of Paris, and even though young, she is more driven than most to achieve what she desires most – money.
Dounia and her best friend Maimouna’s attempt at getting rich starts with menial crimes like shoplifting, but before they know it, they’re nose-deep in a lot more than they signed up for, and in way more trouble than any teenager is equipped to handle.
The unsettling coming together of innocence, drive, and impending danger is what makes this French drama a must watch.
Watch on Netflix
Cold War, 2016
What’s more difficult than the coming together of two diametrically opposite individuals? Keeping the romance alive, with the Cold War as backdrop.
The Polish feature film is set in the 1950s. The stirring love story is a journey across Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, but most of all across a sea of emotions that will stay with you for a long time to come.
Watch on Netflix
A Fantastic Woman, 2017
It’s excruciating to watch your partner die while standing helplessly beside them, but it is harder to keep going on with life without them.
Marina, a transgender woman has recently lost her older partner, and the Spanish drama traces her journey of loss, mourning and recovery — as she battles the hostility that people have in store for her.
A timely film that doesn’t gloss over the issues faced by members of the LGBTQ community, this heart wrenching tale handles its delicate subject matter with grace.
Watch on SonyLiv
A dose of dopamine to keep you going
Sometimes feel good films are all you need to pull you out of the rabbit hole of overthinking you’ve plunged nose-first into.
Familiar faces, formulaic plots, and bursts of laughter you can feel bubbling in the pit of your stomach.
Kim’s Convenience, 2016
A convenience store sets the stage for the rib-tickling day-to-day goings on of a Korean Canadian family.
The family’s misadventures will keep you constantly entertained and leave you in splits, but will also help draw parallels between the characters and our chachas, mamis, and nanis (#relatable) — not to mention the overbearing yet over-loving parents we tend to take for granted.
Watch on Netflix
Chupke Chupke, 1975
The movie gives you a peephole into the riveting experience that follows the flowery girl meets boy chapter. You guessed it – boy meets family. And this account will have you gasping for air between uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Parimal and Surekha are newlyweds, all set to meet Surekha’s family for the first time. But Parimal has different plans. In an attempt to play a prank on the newest additions to his family, he decides to acquaint himself with the family in disguise of a driver. The chain of events that follow this practical joke are hilarious.
Another reason to not miss the chance of watching this classic is its stellar cast with Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Om Prakash leading the show.
Watch on SonyLiv
Mamma Mia!, 2008
Song, dance, romance, lifelong friendships and attractive men, and women.
If this timeless musical doesn’t lift your spirits, then I really don’t know what will.
Also, this is one to watch with the parents. The timeless songs by ABBA are sure to cheer them up.
As for you, you can watch Hollywood greats like Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and more floor you with their singing and swooning. The pristine Greek backdrop certainly doesn’t hurt.
Watch on Google Play