Feeling Fine in February Films
For me, the first week of February is the most miserable time of the year. In a practical sense, my annual month of melancholy could be due to the persisting dark evenings and the fact that those New Year’s resolutions I dictated so proudly just four weeks ago now seem like the naive natterings of someone I hardly recognise. Or, perhaps, we could blame astrology and the fragile emotions caused by pisces season. Or maybe it is simply because every time I write it down my head voice insists on saying “FebRuary” which always irritates me.
All these bad vibes necessitate a big dose of serotonin in the form of feel good films. However, there is something about the bleakness of this time of year that makes the typical feel good films lose the elating power they have for me in June or December. As such, I like to go for my own genre that I have completely made up just now called: feeling fine in February.
If Mamma Mia! and Paddington 2 are in the uncompromisingly positive category, then this genre comprises films that are charming enough to make you feel pleasantly about the world, but are not trying to force you to join them in the giddy skies of relentless optimism. This genre is very much channeling Joy in Inside Out when she realises that a little bit of sadness is okay.
Without further ado, here are four feeling fine in February films that I highly recommend turning to this rotten month:
palm springs
palm springs
After the last two years, is there anything more relatable than a time-loop movie? Much like the Backyard Cinema stewards and actors, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti find themselves waking up at the same party in LA everyday. It goes without saying that this is not a better film than the untouchable Groundhog Day, but it is sharply written and endearing with just enough nihilism to keep it real. Besides, any film with J. K. Simmons brandishing a bow and arrow is worth a watch.
fyre festival documentary
fyre festival documentary
This may seem like a rogue choice, but is there anything more darkly feel-good than watching terrible people making terrible choices and getting their comeuppance? I must have seen this documentary four or five times now. It is a glorious tale of the realities of practical logistics triumphing over entitled, bumbling brats. If you do not know the story, it is worth keeping things that way before watching. It’s a glorious hot mess.
Wild rose
Wild rose
Described as a “happy-sad drama”, this 2018 almost-musical starring Jessie Buckley and Julie Walters fits the feeling fine in February genre perfectly. The premise of an uplifting film about a troubled, glaswegian girl who wants to move to Nashville to be a country singer might trick you into thinking it is a straightforward British star is born story in the spirit of Billy Elliot. The sporadic moments of raw brutality makes this a feel good film that is firmly based in reality, which makes it all the more comforting.
Rocketman
Rocketman
There is something “happy-sad” about all biopics. As Richard Madden’s John Reed would say, Rocketman is a “wild ride” of emotions. I saw Rocketman at an outdoor cinema in 2019. Unfortunately, the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sequence coincided with torrential downpour so the whole audience had to flee for their cars. Thankfully Backyard Cinema is fully indoors and sheltered, so you won’t have to worry about showers if you are coming to see it with us in April.
Written by Rosie Rothwell
Written by Rosie Rothwell
My name is Rosie. I work here at Backyard Cinema in the Marketing Team. I recently completed a Masters in Film Exhibition and Curation at the University of Edinburgh. I have been obsessed with the cinema ever since I experienced my first jump scare courtesy of the introduction of Bruce the vegetarian great white shark in Finding Nemo.
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