Tone, mood, aesthetic, vibe. All of these are, whether artists like to admit it, crucial to the success of a work of art. Whether it’s a film, art installment, or Instagram feed, art captures its audience's attention by appealing to the audience’s taste. When art is elevated with an attractive aesthetic, the audience enjoys it much more. Think of your favorite TV shows. What do you like about them? I guarantee something about its tone or visuals attracts you to the series. I know I find all of my favorite shows visually pleasing and, frankly, cool to watch.
This doesn’t have to be just a visual thing. There are a lot of factors that go into an aesthetic. For instance, music plays a huge role in how we perceive content. There are a million things a soundtrack can tell you about a movie! A lot of the time, you can even picture what a movie will look like just by listening to its music.
Story structure and pacing also have a lot to do with the mood of a film or TV show. Two stories could be about cowboys, for example, but a steady Western film has a much different aesthetic than a science-fiction show about robot cowboys (I think you know which series I have in mind here). One has a slow build and raises tension over time, and one is eerie, fast-paced (well, faster), and violent.
Dialogue also plays a huge role in the tone of a show. The dialogue in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, for instance, is quick, fun, and witty, while the dialogue in True Detective is steady and almost grumbling. This changes the mood drastically between the two shows.
I have found that, although it is difficult to replicate the exact aesthetic of one movie in another, many movies and TV shows can be quite similar. In the same way that I make my Spotify playlists based on the mood of a group of songs, I tend to group shows and movies by how it feels to watch them. I have always done these lists for fun in my head, but once I started keeping track of them, I realized how similar they are to music playlists!
I find these aesthetic playlists particularly fun to analyze because they usually center on a place or feeling that is impossible to find in real life. Often, in both music and film, the moods presented to us are so alluring or fascinating that they become almost unnatural. It is up to the producer, director, cinematographer, or writer to decide what they want us to see and the exact lens through which we see it. The natural world, although beautiful on its own, is flawed, and it is simply impossible to see the world naturally as beautiful as we see it on screen.
As people, we know this, and I think this is why we love art so much. We adore being transported to these semi-imaginary (or sometimes completely imaginary) places. We love seeing outer space as much as we love seeing New York City. Why? Because, even if we hop on a plane to New York this afternoon, we won’t achieve the same sophistication we see on screen. However, if I turn on Friends, I can experience that sophistication with a few clicks of my remote. We create these imaginary, beautiful places because we love escaping to them in our minds.
Coming to terms with the fact that these aesthetics can’t realistically be achieved was a difficult journey for me to take. However, once I started organizing these movies and shows into playlists, I found a great outlet. If I can spend ten minutes thinking about how much I love the aesthetic of Clueless, I can feel a little better about never being Cher. These outlets exist for music, but it is helpful to use them for movies and shows as well.
There are a ton of different movie playlists I’ve made in my head over time. Putting them down “on paper” is going to be a fun process for me, and I hope it is for you, too! My intention is mostly to declare my love for these aesthetics, and also to give some recommendations for anyone that hasn’t watched everything on my lists. This is an open call to send recommendations to me, as well! If I speak about a certain mood, and forget to name a movie that contains it, let me know! I would love to watch it.
Sometimes, these pairings will be based purely on a specific location (New York, for instance). Sometimes, it will be based on a certain mood or style. Some categories are just niche subgenres. Whatever the method is, these are all movies or series that I find similarities between, and I hope you find these lists as delightful as I do!
Omg I cant wait for this!!