You must have heard that ‘time heals everything,’ well, it doesn’t. And those who are grieving or have lost someone they loved dearly would understand. If you have suffered loss and understand grief, chances are that you must have heard a number of things from people around you like ‘it gets easier with time’; ‘celebrate the memories’; ‘grief must end, it doesn’t stay forever’, but the fact is that it gets harder with time.
Before writing this article, a dear friend sent me a video which said that ‘with time, the spaces between the times you miss them grow longer. Then, when you do remember to miss them again, it still comes with a stabbing pain to the heart. And then you have guilt because it’s been too long since you missed them last.’ Grief is unreal, it hits you when you least expect it, but it also tells you something about yourself. It is that you can love and that you loved with all your heart because ‘What is grief but love preserving.’
It’s hard to find calmness and solace when you’re trying to cope with loss. You toss and turn on bed on some days and on others, you sleep like a body without a soul. And while everything else might not make sense in that moment, a feeling of empathy can be like a fuzzy blanket of warmth and hope. On those days, you can turn to some of the most heartwarming pieces of cinema that have shown grief and loss in ways that are comforting and relatable.
Shrinking on Apple TV
One of the best shows that’s streaming right now, Shrinking is the right dose of emotions whether it’s hurt, sadness or moments of joy. It’s about a grieving shrink, Json Segel, who’s trying to do the best for his daughter, his life and profession after losing his wife in an accident. It balances the moments of melancholy and hope while being emotional and joyful at the same time. The truth is there’s no one way to deal with grief, and this show tells you just that–you might move on and still get stuck to your past.
Fleabag on Prime Video
“I don’t know what to do with it. With all the love I have for her... I don’t know where to put it now,” these lines will strike a chord with you if you have ever suffered loss of someone you loved. Grieving people always feel that no one understands their pain, Fleabag is the story about angry, grief-ridden woman who pushes away people who try to help her. It explores grief in a refreshingly honest way that’s sure to connect with you.
Good Grief on Netflix
You must have heard how grief comes in waves and at times, the currents are stronger than you expected. However, this movie softly deals with the idea that grief can also be felt more strongly in the smallest and softest of things and memories. The story that revolves around Marc (Dan Levy) who has lost his husband shows how grief is usually avoided with suppressed emotions and an unsaid pressure of moving on with life. Watch it to understand that grief cannot be dealt with in a conventional, structured manner that our therapists tell us about it.
After Life on Netflix
Before you get on to this show, let me warn you that it can open the can of emotions in you that you might have been pushing away for months and years now. But if there’s one thing that the show teaches you with its nuanced characters and moments, it is that you must never hurry grief. Grief doesn’t come with a timeline; After Life brilliantly shows how you can go with your life alongside grief and that it takes time to heal, and that time is different for everyone.
This Is Us on Amazon Prime
If there’s one show that tells you that dealing with loss can get the worst of you on some days, it’s this one. It’s not just emotional, dealing with grief can be ugly leaving you angry and with insecurities that you never confronted. It’s raw and real and it shows loss in a way that I had to leave in between, I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s about a family and their changed dynamics after they lose the man that kept them together. Loss doesn’t change the family; it also changes every individual who was once related to the deceased. Go watch it if you relate to this.
WandaVision on Hotstar
‘What is grief but love preserving.’ - the dialogue that connected with everyone who has suffered loss. A story about two superheroes who portray the extremes that the mind can go to while dealing and coping with tragedy and devastating grief. Emotional, relatable, and heartfelt, WandaVision takes you through each stage of grief.
