While we may have grown up in the prime of television, it seems we’re now condemned to watching shows about contentious characters. Poor scripts, bleak screenplays and insufferable themes run rampant like a plague in modern pop culture. I fear I keep watching abysmal television out of an innocent desperation for just a bit of dopamine to be released in my rotting cranium.
Finals season creeps up on us yet again, and the wind ferally blows in our lamenting faces. We seem to be entering the most tempestuous part of the semester marked by seasonal depression. Amid our unbearable stress levels, instead of ruminating on our blissful days as children — back when pop culture (and life) had color and meaning — I decided to compile a soul-healing catalog. Here are some relatively new, cozy kids' shows and movies to find comfort in.
We are all well aware of the downfall of Netflix. But, let’s not discount the gems we can sometimes find from a mindless scroll on the platform, one of these series being Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.
After discovering a magical amulet revealing a civilization of trolls beneath the human town of Arcadia, teenager Jim Lake realizes he is chosen as the first human Trollhunter. Contrary to the name, Trollhunters protect the troll civilization against threatening creatures. He begins living a double life, balancing heroism with high school responsibilities and challenges, alongside his closest friends.
The show is an adaptation of the original book by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus. In my humble opinion, this Netflix original series is pure television gold: a combination of action, comedy, drama, fantasy and science fiction. Unlike most modern shows, there is clear character development as well as meaningful relationships between the characters.
Trollhunters exceeded all my standards. Granted, the bar was not set too high after binging a discombobulating season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Nonetheless, this show is a worthwhile and heartwarming watch, even as an adult.
Now, of course, given that we grew up in the peak of tween television, we’re all looking to revive those memories. I know, Austin & Ally was iconic. No contemporary Disney show will come close to emulating the lyrical masterpieces or amusing one-liners produced by that show. Electric Boom, however, is an attempt at recreation that comes close. Though a bit bleak and filled with dry screenwriting, this series deals with friendships and pursuing dreams in a positive light, unlike most shows we resort to watch.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the positive character portrayals — male characters who are supportive of their friends’ dreams? Jeremiah Fisher could never. Interpersonal drama grounded in reality? Belly Conklin would never dare.
This upbeat show emphasizes young girls achieving their dreams over romantic rendezvous, a theme lost in modern television, both for adults and children. If you need a feel-good, light-hearted watch to reminisce on your early teenage days, this would be the show for you!
And, for the days you need to escape reality for a bit, why not enjoy an intergalactic motion picture? The newly aired Disney Pixar film Elio follows the story of an orphaned, isolated eleven-year-old boy named Elio Solís. He finds himself in an intergalactic crisis after being mistaken for an ambassador of Earth and forcibly taken to the Communiverse by a warlord, Lord Grigon. Elio is imprisoned but connects with Glordon, Lord Grigon’s son, over feeling misunderstood.
This movie, while seeming absurdly fictitious, hones in on themes of family, love, friendship and isolation in an absolutely heartwrenching way. The underrated film may have flopped at the box office, but I think we owe the precious storyline at least one good watch.
And, I can’t end this catalog without including Lilo & Stitch. While the 2002 animated Disney classic is top-tier cinematic gold, the live-action take had me pleasantly surprised. The story follows Lilo Pelekai, a girl expelled from hula school for pushing a bully off stage. Amid familial hardships, Lilo befriends Stitch, who crash-landed on Earth.
Although the live-action film lost some of the original classic Disney magic, seeing the story come to life in 3D tugged at my heartstrings in all the best ways. I found the portrayal of Lilo and Stitch’s relationship uplifting, and I highly recommend watching the film — that is, after you've watched the classic animation.
As you prepare for finals, I hope you enjoy some much-needed cozy movie nights. Please, protect your brains from rotting away at the sight of poorly written young adult screenplays and get some nostalgic bliss from children’s media to revive a lost part of our childhoods.
Ava Tafreshi is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ant63@cornell.edu.
