Watching 'Elf,' 'Die Hard' or 'The Grinch'

I have a confession to make. Whenever the everyday stresses of work, parenting and life feel overwhelming, I like to turn on a random episode of Downton Abbey. Yes, I’ve already seen the whole series (multiple times). Yes, it is a low-stakes show where not much happens. But that’s exactly why I like it: Rewatching Downton feels like switching my brain off and sinking into a warm bubble bath. It just feels good.

And I know I’m not alone. Every fall, viewers flock to Netflix for their seasonal fix of Gilmore Girls or to Amazon Prime for an annual When Harry Met Sally viewing, or to Apple TV+ for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Every holiday season, families gather on the couch to rewatch classics like Home Alone or A Christmas Story.

Somehow certain movies and shows just never get old. But with so many new entertainment offerings out there, why do we love revisiting the same stuff over and over? Here’s what psychologists say.

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Rewatching something familiar helps you feel in control

Life is unpredictable — which can be scary. Revisiting a story you’re already familiar with means you won’t be blindsided by plot twists, which can help you feel like you have some control over the narrative.

Media psychologist Pamela Rutledge says rewatching old favorites “is a way of taking control and managing our emotional experiences to support our well-being, particularly during periods of stress (like the holidays).”

The predictability is comforting

Dr. David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, tells Yahoo Life that “old habits conserve mental energy” — meaning we use less brainpower when we stick with the familiar. When we’re feeling stressed, reverting to the old favorites that we know make us feel good without much effort can be comforting and safer than trying something new that we might not like.

“Knowing you can be predictably amused or entertained may seem better than taking a risk that new anxieties will be piled on top of old ones,” Spiegel says. “The oldies can get boring and seem like a waste of time, but especially in stressful times, a predictable relief may seem better than a risk of being reminded of what is really troubling you.”

It connects you to people from your past — including your ‘younger self’

Did you grow up watching The Grinch or It’s a Wonderful Life with your family every Christmas? If so, switching it on again every holiday season as an adult can rekindle happy memories from a different time and place.

“Rewatching a movie can connect us to our younger self and make us feel connected to family and romantic partners who may no longer be with us,” says Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster, an associate professor of media psychology at Chapman University. “It connects us psychologically to other people who watched this content with us in the past and creates this sense of belongingness and continuity.”

It’s a form of escapism

Certain shows and movies seem tailor-made for rewatches, and Rutledge says that’s especially the case with holiday movies.

“Their simplistic plots offer comfort, hope and the promise of love and belonging,” Rutledge explains. “Holiday movies also tap into tradition and ritual, triggering nostalgia for simpler, kinder and slower times.”

She adds that allowing ourselves to indulge in nostalgia lets us escape “our obligations, stressors and realities” and to reimagine the world as “full of possibilities.”

You may have a ‘parasocial relationship’ with the characters

Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships in which people feel like they know someone they’ve never met. The term is often used to describe fascination with celebrities or public figures, but you can have a parasocial relationship with a fictional character, too.

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Tukachinsky Forster says that when you have a parasocial relationship with a character, rewatching the movie or TV show they’re in can feel like “visiting an old friend.”

“It gives the warm and fuzzy feeling of seeing an old friend you have not seen for a while — and seeing they did not change at all,” she says.

Why rewatching old favorites can be good for your health

If you find yourself streaming Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie) for the umpteenth time, don’t feel guilty. Experts say there can actually be some health benefits to revisiting old favorites.

Rewatching helps us recharge and self-soothe. “Familiar characters can serve as an emotional safe harbor where we can recharge and soothe ourselves,” Tukachinsky Forster says. “It can foster that feeling of belongingness, [which is] good for coping with social stressors of our daily lives.”
It delivers those feel-good endorphins. It’s not just about the outcome; preparing to watch something you know you’re going to enjoy provides an added dose of feel-good chemicals. “Anticipation improves our mood, reduces stress and lowers negative emotions like irritation because anticipation activates the brain’s reward system and releases dopamine,” Rutledge says. “And we get another dose of feel-good chemicals when the movie delivers the goods.”
Feeling good has tangible health benefits, too. And allowing yourself to indulge in something you know you like — even if it’s the same Harry Potter movies you’ve been watching for years — is good for your body. “Positive emotions have physical benefits, too,” Rutledge says. “They contribute to lower blood pressure, reduced risk for heart disease, healthier weight, better blood sugar levels and longer life.”

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