It’s dark already. It’s bloody freezing. Christmas is looming, in that oh-god-nothing-bought way. Everything is dreadful.

So.

Here’s what you’re going to do: you’re going to buy a bottle of mulled wine. The cheap kind, the own-brand kind. You’re going to light a gas ring, and put the mulled wine on to heat through. You’re going to get a mug, and fill it with hot sweet spiced wine, and you’re going to settle into the sofa and pull a blanket over your knees, and drink wine, and eat tangerines, and chocolate coins, and watch a film. One of these five, totally unrelated, totally comforting films. And you’re going to feel better.

 

#5 – Ten Things I Hate About You

I feel confident in saying that this is the best Shakespeare adaption that’s ever been. Heath Ledger! Julia Stiles! Teen rom-com drama! Christ. It’s such a marvellous film. Let’s all just watch this together now, instead of me writing about it. Let’s all watch how handsome the young Heath Ledger was, even with long hair. Let’s all cry together. Heath, you were the KING.

 

#4 – Bedknobs And Broomsticks

Eglantine, Eglantine, won’t you be mine? This film is like a hug, only with magic, and disturbing bits. Let’s say a hug from your creepy Uncle John, the one who went to Argentina to “look at the ladies”. But a hug’s a hug, right? A hug’s a hug. Also, the bit where Miss Brown flies, and the bit where Mr Banks from Mary Poppins (playing a fraudulent teacher of magic) plays football with a cartoon king lion. A hug’s a hug. Even if it’s a film. Even if it’s a bit odd. You’ll sing along to the chirpy songs, and find your feet tapping along the bottom of the beautiful briny sea. A hug’s a hug.

 

#3 – Back To The Future

Time travel, the Platonic ideal of a mad scientist, a big wet dog and a skateboard. And a paradox or two. Even if you, personally, have never wanted to go back and accidentally take your mother on a date, you can’t help but really, really love this film. Fact: it is BFF editor John’s favourite film in the world. Fact: he may well be correct.

 

#2 – The Muppet Christmas Carol

Everyone knows that the one redeeming feature of the chaos before Christmas is the fact that you can watch The Muppet Christmas Carol every single day of Advent if you want to, and nobody can say it’s unseasonal. We talked at length last year about exactly why this film is so, so good, and so for now I’ll just leave you with that link, and this little clip. See? You know I’m right.

 

#1 – Mean Girls

Tired of the cold harsh world of adult life? Yep. You want Mean Girls. There’s nothing better than Mean Girls. There’s Lindsay Lohan, pre-jail. There’s social diversity. There’s social chaos. There’s a Mathlete rapping. There’s a fight at a waterhole. There’s Tina Fey. There’s Pritt Stick. There’s people coming to terms with JUST BEING THEMSELVES. It’s basically just a cake made of rainbows and smiles.

 

Is your favourite film not on this list? Then you’re an idiot. Get mulling and sort yourself out – no wonder you’re grumpy.