issue #16: ethereal films

magical movies i'll be watching this summer

Jul 19, 2024

from the archive

What is an ethereal film? For me, it comes down to these four components:

Light
1. An ethereal film is going to have crazy beautiful light, whether natural or artificial. The light is a key player—it should feel magical and otherworldly, the kind of light you can only get in the movies, and typically only captured on 35mm.
Content
1. Light will heighten what content brings to the forefront. Ethereal films are often fantastical, they feature overturned realities, strange people or creatures, or worlds just beyond our reach. They might not always have the best stories, but ethereal films will leave you with
Color
1. This might just be my own personal taste, but whimsical films need to be filled with color. I’m talking rainbow, technicolor, rich, textured color that washes over you, almost to the point of overwhelm. Sure, I love a subtle film too, but if we’re talking ethereal, it’s gotta be colorful.
Whimsy
1. Finally, the last key to an ethereal film is a sense of whimsy. It’s fun, it’s not taking itself so seriously. There’s a childlike sense of wonder, a sense of playing with form. That’s sometimes hard to nail down in a film, but when it’s done right it’s endlessly enjoyable.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been on the lookout for some ethereal films to add to my watchlist. Here are some that made the cut, but I’m always on the lookout for more, so please comment any ethereal films that you love, and I’ll add them asap.