Some movies you watch. Others you experience. And then there are the rare ones that become part of who you are, stories that shape your childhood, comfort you in difficult times, or change the way you see the world. Here are five films that haven’t just entertained me; they’ve left permanent marks on my soul.
Harry Potter Series
The Story:
Based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved novels, the Harry Potter series follows a young orphan who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he’s a wizard. Whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry finds friendship, adventure, and purpose while uncovering the truth about his parents’ death and his connection to the dark wizard Voldemort. Across eight films, we watch Harry, Ron, and Hermione grow from wide-eyed children into brave young adults fighting for the future of both the wizarding and muggle worlds. The series explores themes of love, sacrifice, friendship, prejudice, and the eternal battle between good and evil.
My Review:
First and foremost, always Harry Potter.
I watched these films in my childhood—more than a thousand times, or maybe more. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s fact. These movies were my escape, my comfort, my entire world for years. I even used to make magic wands and pretend I was in Hogwarts, sorting myself into houses, imagining which classes I’d excel in, wondering what my Patronus would be.
Every single time I watch the scene where Snape reveals his memories, when Harry asks, “After all this time?” and Snape responds, “Always”—I cry. Every. Single. Time. It doesn’t matter that I know it’s coming. The weight of that word, the decades of hidden love and loyalty it contains, destroys me in the most beautiful way.
These films taught me about bravery that isn’t the absence of fear but the choice to do what’s right despite it. They taught me that the people who love us never truly leave us. They taught me that our choices matter more than our abilities. Harry Potter isn’t just a movie series to me—it’s a foundational part of who I became.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Story:
Charlie, a socially awkward freshman, begins high school while struggling with mental health issues and the trauma of his past. He befriends two charismatic seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him into their world of midnight diners, mix tapes, Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings, and honest conversations about life, love, and pain. Through his friendship with them and guidance from his English teacher, Charlie begins to emerge from his shell. But as the year progresses, buried memories surface, forcing Charlie to confront what he’s been repressing and find a path toward healing.
My Review:
I saw this after watching an Instagram reel, and I’m so grateful that algorithm led me here.
This movie is just a hug to children like me—the ones who feel too much, the ones who watch from the sidelines, the ones carrying invisible weight. Did I cry? Yes. Multiple times. Because this film sees you in a way few movies do.
Charlie’s journey is about more than just fitting in or finding friends. It’s about trauma, mental health, the weight of things left unsaid, and the painful process of healing. But it’s also about the transformative power of being truly seen and accepted by people who love you for exactly who you are.
The performances are incredible—Logan Lerman captures Charlie’s fragility and intelligence perfectly, while Emma Watson and Ezra Miller bring so much warmth and authenticity to Sam and Patrick. The tunnel scene, where Charlie stands in the back of the pickup truck with “Heroes” playing, feeling infinite—it’s pure cinematic poetry.
This movie reminds you that it’s okay to not be okay, that healing isn’t linear, and that we all deserve to be loved for our authentic selves. It’s a gentle, honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful film that I return to whenever I need to feel understood.
Gangubai Kathiawadi
The Story:
Based on a true story, this film follows Ganga, a young woman sold into prostitution by the man she loved and trusted. Betrayed and trapped in Mumbai’s Kamathipura red-light district, she transforms herself into Gangubai, a powerful madame who fights for the rights and dignity of sex workers. She challenges societal norms, stands up to powerful men, navigates the criminal underworld, and even petitions the Prime Minister to recognize sex workers’ children’s right to education. Through intelligence, courage, and determination, Gangubai becomes a voice for the voiceless while maintaining her own code of honor.
My Review:
Now you ask me why this one? Two words: Alia Bhatt.
Alia’s performance is phenomenal—career-defining, actually. She disappears into Gangubai, capturing both her vulnerability and her strength, her trauma and her transformation. Every expression, every gesture, every dialogue delivery is perfection. This is acting at its finest.
But beyond the performance, what captivates me is Gangubai herself. Although she is a prostitute, I find her more honorable than a lot of men out there. She has principles. She protects the vulnerable. She demands dignity for herself and others in her profession. She’s complex, flawed, strategic, and undeniably powerful—a woman who refused to be broken by circumstances that would have destroyed most people.
And her relationship with Faizi Bhai is so beautiful—like, what do you mean a platonic relationship between a sex worker and a gangster can be one of the most tender, respectful, mutually supportive connections in cinema? Their scenes together are filled with such genuine affection and respect. He sees her as a person, as someone worthy of protection and partnership, not as an object.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s direction is stunning as always—the visuals, the music, the way he portrays Kamathipura with both its harshness and its humanity. This film doesn’t romanticize or condemn; it humanizes. It tells the story of a woman who took control of her narrative in a world determined to silence her.
Gangubai Kathiawadi is powerful, moving, and unforgettable.
Palm Springs
The Story:
Nyles is stuck in a time loop, reliving the same wedding day in Palm Springs over and over. He’s long since given up trying to escape and instead embraced the consequence-free chaos of infinite repetition. Then Sarah, the maid of honor and sister of the bride, accidentally gets pulled into the loop with him. Together, they navigate the strange reality of endless todays—partying, exploring, falling for each other, and eventually confronting what it means to be trapped and whether escape is even what they want.
My Review:
Now if you know me, I am a big fan of romcoms, and for a long time I thought that only classic romcoms are the best—until I saw this.
This movie is great. I had such a good laugh throughout. Although it doesn’t make sense (how could it? it’s about a time loop!), it still tops a lot of movies for me. What makes Palm Springs special is how it uses the absurd premise to explore genuinely deep questions about meaning, growth, relationships, and whether change is possible.
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti have incredible chemistry. Their journey from strangers to partners in existential crisis to something deeper feels earned despite the fantastical circumstances. The film is hilarious—genuinely funny in clever, unexpected ways—but also surprisingly moving.
It proves that romcoms can be innovative, that they can play with genre conventions while still delivering the emotional beats we love. The ending is perfect—hopeful without being saccharine, romantic without being unrealistic.
Palm Springs reinvigorated my love for romantic comedies by showing me they can still surprise, still take risks, still be fresh and meaningful. It’s a blast of creativity and heart that I didn’t know I needed.
The Shawshank Redemption
The Story:
In 1947, banker Andy Dufresne is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover—crimes he insists he didn’t commit. Inside, he befriends Red, a fellow lifer who has learned to survive by accepting his fate. Over decades, Andy maintains his dignity and hope despite the brutality of prison life, quietly working toward something the other inmates can’t quite see. Through patience, intelligence, and unwavering determination, Andy proves that hope is the most powerful force of all—even behind the walls of Shawshank.
My Review:
This movie will always be my favorite.
There’s something transcendent about The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a film about imprisonment that feels like the most liberating experience. It’s about injustice but fills you with hope. It’s set in the bleakest circumstances but radiates light.
The scene where they drink beer on the roof of that jail—Andy arranging for his fellow inmates to have a few moments of normalcy, of dignity, of feeling like free men while the sun sets—I still think about it often. Red’s narration captures it perfectly: for those brief moments, they felt like free men working on their own roof. It’s a small act of resistance against dehumanization, and it’s beautiful.
And the scene where Andy locks himself in and plays the opera over the speakers throughout the entire prison? Tears. Every time. The way the camera shows the inmates stopping whatever they’re doing, looking up, transported by beauty they’ve been denied. Andy giving them something that can’t be taken away—music, beauty, a reminder of what exists beyond those walls.
Morgan Freeman’s narration is iconic. Tim Robbins gives Andy the perfect balance of quiet strength and hidden depths. The friendship between Andy and Red is one of cinema’s greatest—built on mutual respect, shared suffering, and genuine care.
But what makes this film my favorite is its unwavering belief in hope. Andy’s famous line—”Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”—isn’t just dialogue. It’s the thesis of the entire film, proven through every choice Andy makes. Even when Red warns him that hope is dangerous in prison, Andy refuses to give it up.
The ending is perfect. Satisfying in every possible way. I’ve watched this film countless times, and it never loses its power. The Shawshank Redemption reminds me that no matter how trapped we feel, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles, persistence and hope can create miracles.
It’s not just my favorite film—it’s a film about why films matter, about why stories of resilience and redemption will always move us.
These five films span different genres and eras, but they share something essential: they’ve shaped how I see the world. They’ve given me comfort, inspiration, laughter, and tears. They’ve shown me different kinds of courage, different forms of love, different paths to hope.
Cinema has this magical ability to make us feel less alone, to show us lives vastly different from our own while reminding us of our shared humanity. These films did that for me, and I carry them with me always.
What movies have made a home in your heart? I’d love to hear about the films that changed you.
No responses yet