January is the month where studios dump their movies with the least prospect. Between the poor selection and the rainy days, chances are you’ll be looking for something to watch at home. Here are a few films that match the tone of a rainy day, and warm your heart. Most are available for free if you’re a UO student through the Kanopy streaming service.
The Daytrippers (1996)
If you’re the type of person who likes to fall asleep to the sound of family bickering, you’ll get a kick out of Greg Mottola’s mid 90s indie favorite, The Daytrippers. Boasting a sneakily star-studded cast, it delivers great performances and intrigue over the course of its 90 minute runtime as a long-island family heads into the big apple to track down an unfaithful husband.
Available to stream on Max, or on Kanopy with a UO login.
Chungking Express (1994)
Legendary Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wei’s double feature Chungking express is the perfect romance flick to kick the blues. The second of the two stories in the film, featuring the swoon-worthy Tony Leung and pixie-cut-pioneer Brigette Lin will leave you in the mood for love.
Available to stream on Max, or on Kanopy with a UO login.
Rashomon (1950)
Rashomon begins on a rainy night and ends on a sunny morning. Everything that happens in between, however, is up for debate. It was one of the first international films to make waves in the US thanks to its unconventional storytelling. A shorter but thought provoking and fast paced movie, you can impress your film snob friends by saying you saw this one.
Available to stream on Max, or on Kanopy with a UO login.
Claudine (1974)
A candid look into the struggles of a single mother in Harlem in the 70s, Claudine shows the struggles of having to depend on a broken welfare system while keeping your faith in humanity intact. Claudine achieves this with a romance with a smooth talking garbage man played by James Earl Jones. Darth Vader is not the only recognizable voice in this flick, with a killer Gladys Knight soundtrack produced by Curtis Mayfield.
Claudine can be found in high quality on Youtube.
5. Minari (2020)
A 2021 best picture nominee, Minari is the slice of life story of a Korean-American family who is trying to achieve the American dream in the 1980s. With a great leading performance by the ever-charming Steven Yeun, Minari shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of achieving the American dream while being tested by human and environmental struggles.
Minari is currently available on Netflix.
Much like a rainy day, the films I suggested probably won’t make you forget about the hardships in life. They’ll acknowledge them and show you the bright side of things, and ultimately the goodness of humanity. If you’re interested in more great movies, check out Kanopy via the UO library for endless top-quality picks.
