Winter in Maine can be exhausting for college students. We’re stressed about the spring semester, it gets dark earlier, we have to clear snow off our cars every other morning, and on top of all of that, it’s freezing cold. Those early sunsets are the perfect excuse to put on my pajamas before dinner time and watch a movie or binge a TV show to help fight off the winter blues. Here’s what I’m watching this winter:
1.
Wake Up Dead Man (2025)
First up on my list is this third installment of the Knives Out franchise, written and directed by Rian Johnson. Wake Up Dead Man follows Josh O’ Connor’s ex-boxer, current priest character as he helps the iconic Benoit Blanc solve an impossible murder taking place in a church in a secluded town. This movie was a great change of pace from the previous two Knives Out films (both of which I love), and it only solidified my desire to have 50 of these movies.
2.
Little Women (2019)
This is a comfort movie of mine, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen. Little Women follows the lives of four sisters living in Massachusetts in a narrative that moves between the past and present, highlighting their complex relationships with one another, as well as their struggles with finding their place in the world. This movie is one of my all-time favorites, and it’s perfect for a post-holiday cry session.
3.
Frankenstein (2025)
The first movie on my list that I haven’t seen yet. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but I had to read the original 1818 text for a class last semester, and my professor assured us all that it was worth a watch. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, Frankenstein is a story about an ambitious scientist and his dream of creating a new species of man. I’m making my mom read the book so that we can watch the movie together. Hope it’s a good one.
4.
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
Over the Garden Wall is an animated miniseries that follows two young brothers as they get lost in a mysterious, magical wood and have to find their way out before the creatures in the dark get to them. This series is so adorable and sweet and whimsical. The music is beautiful and the character relationships are so special. I watched this for the first time a few months ago and I felt like my life changed. The humor in it is a very specific kind of weird that hits perfectly during this time of winter when you feel like you’re losing your mind a little bit. Very cozy and comforting, and the full series is about the length of a movie.
5.
Poirot (1989-2013)
This is perhaps too niche, but I just recently discovered this show and I am obsessed. You can find it on a British streaming service called Britbox, and each episode is an hour-and-a-half long adaptation of a different Agatha Christie mystery, all featuring her famous fictional detective, Hercule Poirot. Each episode can be watched at random, but I’m enjoying binging them while I cozy up in my bed. If you love the Knives Out movies and are forever chasing that next cozy murder mystery, this one’s for you.
6.
Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Last on my list is, of course, Stranger Things. As I write this, it is the day after the series finale released on streaming, and while I was personally disappointed with the outcome of a once really exceptional series, it still felt good to rewatch the full show from beginning to end this past year. It’s bittersweet to end 2025 with a show that has been a part of our lives for a really long time.
These are just a handful of shows and movies that I’m watching this winter. I also recommend any kind of sitcom to bring you some good vibes, or a Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit marathon if you have free time. I hope you have a great spring semester and a great 2026!
