Five Terrific Movies to Stream When You Can’t Sleep
It happens to most of us eventually. The elusive beast that is called sleep evades us for yet another night. What to do?
Well, one option is to watch a movie. Whether it soothes you to sleep or keeps you entertained, a movie can help cure the insomniac blues. Here (in no particular order) are five of my top choices for something to stream when you’re wide awake in the wee hours (all are currently available on the Netflix streaming service):
Silver Linings Playbook – This movie has all the feels and then some. Bradley Cooper’s bipolar character, recently released from a mental institution after his marriage dissolved, must cope with the reality that his wife will never take him back while at the same time deal with the flirtations of equally-disturbed Jennifer Lawrence. The writing, acting, direction, and choreography in this movie is superb, and definitely worth a late-night watch.
The Ladykillers – This Tom Hanks movie is a delightful caper in which he and his band of misfits must make use of an elderly woman’s home to commit the perfect heist; however, misfortune befalls each of these men as they attempt to pull off their thievery. This movie is a laugh a minute, and Tom Hanks has that certain kind of Southern charm that is sure to entertain.
Practical Magic – Okay, so I’m partial to this one just because it has been one of my favorites for years and years. Sandra Bullock is perfect in this movie about a family of witches that is cursed to lose the love of their life, and Sandra’s character performs a love spell as a child that describes an impossible man, with one blue eye and one green, to be her one true love. She believes that if she never falls in love she will never suffer the heartbreak that killed her mother, but thanks to the meddling of her well-intentioned aunts she falls for a local man who succumbs to the curse. This movie is full of feels, and even if you’re not a fan of witchcraft, you can enjoy this movie for the message of hope and family.
Robin Hood – This classic Disney film tells the tale of, you guess it, Robin Hood. Prince John is taxing the poor town of Nottingham to starvation, and Robin must commit many acts of daring-do to save them from this false king. For fans of this classic, it may bring a few fresh feels as the voice actor who brought Robin to life recently passed, but the movie is still as entertaining as when it was first released.
The Haunting – If you want to be put to sleep, this movie is the place to go. The characters are cliché, the spooks aren’t that spooky, and it’s the perfect level of droll to lull you off to dreamland. I, for one, have watched this movie many a night when sleep evaded me.
Netflix and other streaming services carry many more movies to fill those sleep-deprived nights/mornings, or you can just raid your DVD or Blu-Ray shelves to find the perfect movie to entertain–or to serve as a cinematic sleeping pill.