10 Comfort Films I Could Watch Forever - #2 God Help the Girl

Some films entertain you for two hours and then quietly leave your mind. Others stay with you for years.

God Help the Girl is one of those films for me.

I first watched it when I was around twenty years old. Back then it was available on Netflix, during a time when it felt like the platform was full of wonderfully niche and slightly unconventional films. I actually pressed play because of the cast. I'd loved Hannah Murray and Olly Alexander in Skins, and I've always enjoyed Emily Browning's work, so it felt like an easy choice.

I had no idea it would become one of my all-time favourite films.

Since then, I've watched it one to three times every month, and I still listen to the soundtrack several times a week. It's become part of my routine in a way very few films ever have.

If I had to describe God Help the Girl in one word, it would probably be "Preposterous." If you've seen the film, you'll know exactly why.

On the surface, it's a musical about three young people trying to figure out life. Underneath, it's about mental health, identity, friendship, creativity, and discovering that healing isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it's found in conversations, in music, and in finding people who understand you.

Eve has always been the character I relate to the most. I recognise her struggles, but I also recognise how important music is to her. It isn't just something she enjoys; it's how she processes the world around her. That has always resonated with me.

One of my favourite moments in the entire film is when Eve's therapist explains the triangle of health. It's such a simple scene, but it has stayed with me for years. It quietly reminds us that looking after ourselves isn't just about one thing. Physical health, mental health, and our relationships all influence one another, and real recovery is rarely as straightforward as we'd like it to be.

I also appreciate that the film doesn't try to present mental illness as something neat and easily solved. Parts of it feel realistic, while other parts feel symbolic, almost dreamlike. That balance is one of the reasons it works so well for me. It allows difficult subjects to exist alongside warmth, humour and beautiful music without making light of them.

The soundtrack deserves just as much praise as the story itself. I still listen to it regularly, and Come Monday Night remains my favourite song. Even outside the film, the music has a life of its own. It's the kind of soundtrack that stays with you long after the credits have finished rolling.

James is another character I've come to appreciate more over the years. I think he's often misunderstood because he's so private. In many ways, he becomes whatever Eve and Cassie see in him, while his own personality remains just out of reach. That mystery makes him one of the film's most interesting characters.

The setting matters too. Glasgow isn't just a backdrop; it feels like another character. I honestly can't imagine this story taking place anywhere else.

Interestingly, I don't recommend God Help the Girl to everyone. It's a gentle, slow-paced film that isn't trying to please a wide audience. I usually only suggest it to people who I think will appreciate its quieter storytelling and its willingness to explore difficult subjects without shouting about them.

When people ask why I keep returning to this film after all these years, I don't think it's because it's a musical, or because of the cast, or even because of the soundtrack.

It's because of how it makes me feel.

Accepted.

For me, God Help the Girl is a reminder that you don't have to have everything figured out. You can be struggling, creative, uncertain, hopeful and still deserving of kindness. Few films have ever made me feel that as gently as this one has.

That's why, all these years later, I still find myself pressing play.

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5 Comfort Series I Could Watch Forever - #1 Happy Valley

Whenever someone asks me for a British crime series recommendation, my answer is almost always the same.

Happy Valley.

I first watched it when I was around twenty-five. I've always loved British crime dramas, so it felt like an obvious choice. What I didn't expect was that it would become one of my biggest comfort series.

Since then, I've watched the entire series at least thirty times.

If I had to describe Happy Valley in one word, it would be resilience.

At first glance, it's a police drama set in West Yorkshire. But underneath the investigations and the crime, it's a story about people. About grief, family, addiction, trauma, forgiveness and, perhaps most importantly, what we choose to do with the lives we've been given.

For me, Happy Valley isn't really about catching criminals.

It's about wasted lives.

Catherine even says it herself when she's talking to Richard. That's the story she thinks should be written, and I couldn't agree more.

Tommy Lee Royce wastes his life through violence.

Claire loses years to addiction before trying to rebuild.

Ryan spends his childhood trying not to become the man everyone expects him to be.

Even Catherine, in many ways, wastes years trapped inside her grief and her anger before finally allowing herself to think about living again. One of my favourite moments in the final season isn't a dramatic confrontation. It's Catherine talking about driving to the Himalayas. For the first time in years, she's looking forwards instead of backwards.

That's incredibly powerful.

Of course, none of this would work without Catherine Cawood.

She is one of the greatest television characters ever written.

She's driven, fiercely loyal, funny without trying to be, and completely unafraid of standing up to anyone. I love every scene where she completely ignores her bosses and does what she knows is right.

She's also one of the few characters who makes me feel both comfortable and slightly terrified at the same time.

If I needed help, I'd want Catherine on my side.

If I was doing something stupid, I definitely wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her lectures.

More than anything, though, I admire her. She's the sort of person I wish had been in my life growing up. A mum. A friend. Someone who would tell you the truth while never giving up on you.

People often talk about Tommy Lee Royce as one of television's greatest villains, and I agree. But I don't think he'd be nearly as fascinating without Catherine. She's the reason we care so much about him. Everything he does is measured against the impact it has had on her family and everyone around her.

I also don't think Tommy was simply born evil.

The series hints at his upbringing, his absent father and his mother's addiction. It doesn't excuse his actions, and it certainly doesn't ask us to forgive him, but it does remind us that people are shaped by the environments they grow up in. That idea runs throughout the entire series.

That's something I appreciate about Happy Valley. It refuses to deal in stereotypes.

Addiction is shown as an illness rather than a moral failing. Catherine struggles to forgive Claire for taking Ryan to see Tommy, but when Claire relapses, Catherine understands. She knows addiction isn't always a choice. It's a small but important distinction, and it's one of many reasons the series feels so authentic.

The realism is what keeps bringing me back.

I've never really thought of Happy Valley as a dark series. To me, it's simply a brilliant crime drama about ordinary people dealing with very real situations. Nobody reacts the same way. Nobody fits neatly into the role of hero or villain.

Even Catherine doesn't.

She's a hero to some people and a villain to others.

That's exactly why she feels real.

If I had to choose one episode to watch over and over again, it would be Season 2, Episode 1. It's funny, tense and everything I love about the series rolled into a single episode.

And when the final credits rolled on Season 3, I felt two emotions at the same time.

Sad that it was over.

Grateful that we got a final season at all.

There was such a long wait between seasons that it almost didn't feel real when it returned, and somehow it managed to end exactly as it should have.

I wouldn't recommend Happy Valley to everyone.

But if you love British crime dramas that are more interested in people than plot twists, I can't recommend it enough.

For me, it isn't just one of the greatest crime series ever made.

It's one of the most human.

10 Comfort Films I Could Watch Forever - #1 Ghost World

I first watched Ghost World back in 2009 after borrowing it from my local library. I knew absolutely nothing about it. The cover caught my eye, I took it home, and I fell in love with it almost instantly.

Since then, I've probably watched it once or twice every month. Most people have a comfort film they return to every few years. Mine is Ghost World. It's become one of those films that feels like home.

It's difficult to explain why. The soundtrack is a huge part of it, but it's also the atmosphere, the quietness, and the way the story unfolds. It's not a film driven by action or big dramatic moments. Instead, it's built on awkward conversations, uncomfortable silences, and all the things happening between the lines. Every time I watch it, I notice something new.

As I've grown older, the film has grown with me.

When I first watched it as a teenager, I related to Enid because she never seemed to fit in anywhere. Watching it now in my thirties, I still understand Enid, but I also understand Rebecca's desire to build a life and move forward. And then there's Seymour, whose love of music and lack of self-worth make him one of the most quietly tragic characters in the film.

I don't think any of them are meant to be perfect. They're just lonely in different ways.

One of the reasons I love Ghost World so much is that it never tells you exactly what to think. It trusts its audience. If you watch it expecting constant plot twists, you might walk away wondering what everyone else sees in it. But if you pay attention to the small moments—the expressions, the pauses, the conversations that never quite say what they mean—there's an incredible amount beneath the surface.

There are still scenes that make me laugh no matter how many times I've seen them. Josh discovering the note left for him is comedy gold, and Seymour's complete discomfort in the adult shop never fails to make me smile. The humour feels awkward, human and wonderfully understated.

Then there's the ending.

It's one of those endings that people have debated for years. My own interpretation has always been that Enid gets on the bus because she can't cope with growing up. I see it as the moment she chooses to leave the world behind. Whether that's what the filmmakers intended or not almost doesn't matter. That's what the ending has always meant to me, and it's the scene that stays with me long after the credits roll.

Maybe that's why I keep coming back to Ghost World. It doesn't give me all the answers. It lets me bring my own experiences to it, and those experiences have changed over the years. The film hasn't changed, but I have.

For me, Ghost World isn't just a coming-of-age film. It's a film about loneliness, identity, friendship, and trying to find your place in a world that doesn't always make sense. It's subtle, melancholy, funny, and strangely comforting.

Seventeen years after I picked it up from a library shelf, it's still the film I reach for when I need to feel at home.

 

Been a bit achy all over today and just been fatigued, so had a quiet day in bed. Did, however, manage to call the number I was given yesterday about the physiotherapy. Talked to a guy who said he'd like to talk to my doctor, but he definitely thinks that at-home physiotherapy sounds possible for me. He'd call back in a few days when he's had a talk with my doctor - so that's good news! 

Other than that, I've just been playing the Sims, resting, and then I had dinner, which was this delicious chicken pasta salad made by Lasse's mum. 
The rest of the evening has been me struggling to stay awake for the boys, and now it is time for bed. 

Night lovelies xx

Today has been really good and productive. I had my meeting with Din Indgang. For anyone outside Denmark wondering what Din Indgang is, it's a free support service run by my local municipality. It's designed for people who need a little extra support in everyday life, whether that's because of mental health, chronic illness, disability, or other life challenges.

I have a support worker through Din Indgang who checks in with me once a week. Before our session, I go for a short walk - at the moment that's only around forty steps - and afterwards we have a one-hour video call where we talk about how I'm doing, the challenges I'm facing, and the small steps I'm taking towards recovery. It's not therapy in the traditional sense, and it's not medical treatment either. It's practical, person-centred support that helps me work towards becoming more independent while recognising that recovery doesn't happen overnight.

During my meeting, I asked whether they could help me access physiotherapy at home. Unfortunately, Din Indgang doesn't offer that service themselves, but they didn't just leave me there. They gave me the contact details for someone who should be able to point me in the right direction. It might seem like a small thing, but for me it feels like progress. Recovery isn't usually one big breakthrough. It's often a series of small steps, one phone call, one appointment, one conversation at a time. Today felt like one of those steps.

When Lasse got home from work, he helped his dad with some work, and then he played on the computer while O listened to Lights Out Audiobook (I've read it before). Loving that this isn't something Lasse would ever listen to on his own, but he does listen while I have it on - and I love his reactions to it! I asked him what he thinks of it, and he thinks it's dumb - says it is a lot to show your mental problems like that - both the writer and the reader. He cracks me up! 

Anyway, it's time for some The Boys and then sleep, night xx 

Today has been one of those days that feels much longer than twenty-four hours. This morning, a guy came to inspect the apartment. The decision to move was already made, so the inspection wasn't about whether I was staying or going, but it still felt like an emotional milestone. Thankfully, I didn't have to be there myself. Lasse went instead, which ended up being good, because I've been having a bit of an IBD flare-up. I am so grateful for Lasse helping out. 

Instead, I spent the day resting. The fatigue hit hard; I slept for quite a while, and I've been feeling feverish on and off. This evening, we all had osso buco goulash for dinner, which was delicious! I am really enjoying the homemade food; it feels like a luxury. 

Right now, I am sitting by my computer, blogging. I've got music playing in the background, an elderflower ice lolly beside me, and Lasse is playing Path of Exile. Very peaceful. 

In a little bit, we will watch The Boys, and then it is time for bed! We both need a good night's sleep as we were up early today, and Lasse has an early day of work tomorrow. 

Goodnight xx