As the grip of winter loosens and the first signs of spring emerge across the United States, many are eager to embrace the season's renewal through entertainment. According to a recent roundup from Us Weekly, five standout films capture the essence of spring with themes of sunshine, growth, and fresh starts, perfect for streaming as temperatures rise. Published on their entertainment section, the list highlights movies ranging from horror to classics, offering viewers a cinematic way to shake off the cold.
The article, titled "5 Great Movies to Get You Excited for Spring," begins by noting the end of a "particularly unrelenting winter," emphasizing how longer days and warmer weather inspire a shift toward lighter, more vibrant viewing choices. "As the days are finally long again and we anticipate tossing our winter coats into storage, we’re in the mood to watch movies with the right atmosphere to get us hyped for the new season," the piece states. Curated by the site's "Watch With Us" team, the selections focus on elements like "flowers, greenery, sunshine and pastel colors" to evoke spring vibes.
Leading the list is the 2019 horror film Midsommar, available on Tubi. Directed by Ari Aster, known for his previous work Hereditary, the movie stars Florence Pugh as Dani, a college student reeling from tragedy. She joins her boyfriend Christian, played by Jack Reynor, and friends Mark (Will Poulter) and Josh (William Jackson Harper) on a trip to a Swedish commune hosted by their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren). What begins as a sun-soaked midsummer festival in the Hårga commune turns into a nightmare as bizarre events reveal the group's pagan cult practices.
The film's visual style plays a key role in its spring association, with "washed-out pastels and blinding sunlight" contrasting sharply against its "grisly tone and bloody imagery," according to the Us Weekly review. Despite the chills, the article points out "numerous moments of overt humor," praising Aster as a "masterful horror auteur, with a formidable command of tone, form, suspense and images you won’t forget." Released in July 2019, Midsommar grossed over $48 million worldwide and received acclaim for Pugh's performance, earning her a British Independent Film Award nomination.
Shifting to a more wholesome tone, the list includes the 1942 Disney animated classic Bambi, streaming on Disney+. Voiced by actors including Hardie Albright as the young fawn Bambi, Tim Davis as Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk, and Paula Winslowe as Bambi's mother, the film follows the deer's journey through the forest across all four seasons. It culminates in a springtime scene of "joyous rejuvenation and rebirth," as Bambi matures into the Great Prince of the Woods, navigating dangers like open meadows and loss.
The article describes it as a "childhood staple for many, and quite possibly the most tear-jerking Golden Age animated Disney film of all time. But the tears shed during Bambi are well-earned, in this artistic and gorgeously rendered story of love, loss and growing up."
Released on August 13, 1942, Bambi faced production delays due to World War II but became a landmark in animation, influencing environmental awareness with its depiction of nature's cycles. The film's iconic "Man is in the forest" scene, warning of hunting threats, remains poignant, and it holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on contemporary reviews.
Next, the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, available on BritBox, brings romantic drama to the spring lineup. Directed by Ang Lee and scripted by Emma Thompson, who also stars as Elinor Dashwood, the film follows the sisters Elinor (Thompson), Marianne (Kate Winslet), and young Margaret (Emilie François) after their father's death leaves the family in reduced circumstances. Relocating to a Devonshire cottage with their mother (Gemma Jones), the sisters pursue suitors including Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) and Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman).
Us Weekly praises this version for "balancing emotional depth with humor, social satire and ravishing romantic drama." The review highlights how Lee and Thompson made the 1811 novel "accessible to audiences, while giving it a fantastic visual aesthetic, a beautiful, melancholic score and exquisite performances from its all-star cast." Thompson's screenplay won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 68th Oscars on March 25, 1996, and the film earned seven nominations total, including Best Picture.
Budgeted at $16 million, Sense and Sensibility grossed nearly $135 million globally, revitalizing interest in Austen's works during the 1990s period drama boom. Filmed primarily in locations across England, such as the National Trust's Embley Park in Hampshire standing in for Barton Cottage, it captures the lush English countryside that aligns with spring's pastoral charm.
The youthful energy of 1986's Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, on Paramount+, embodies springtime freedom. Written and directed by John Hughes, the comedy stars Matthew Broderick as the charismatic high school senior Ferris, who fakes illness to skip school two months before graduation. Joined by girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), Ferris embarks on a day of adventures in Chicago, evading his suspicious sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) and determined Dean of Students (Jeffrey Jones).
Described in the source as a "classic ’80s high school flick from the king of ’80s high school flicks," the film delivers a "life-affirming message about learning to appreciate the beauty of existence." It captures "the youthful desire for freedom from adults that is funny, engaging, subversive (at least for the time period) and still captures the spirit of adolescence," even 40 years after its June 11, 1986, release. Hughes, who penned hits like The Breakfast Club, drew from his own Chicago roots, filming at landmarks including the Art Institute and Wrigley Field.
With a budget of $5.5 million, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off earned $70 million at the box office and has since become a cultural touchstone, quoted in media and parodied endlessly. Its spring setting, amid blooming city parks and open skies, underscores themes of breaking free, much like the season itself.
Rounding out the list is the 1965 musical The Sound of Music, available on Disney+. Directed by Robert Wise, the film stars Julie Andrews as Maria, a spirited novice sent from her Austrian abbey to govern the seven children of Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) in Salzburg just before World War II. Based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers, it weaves romance, music, and escape from the rising Nazi regime.
The Us Weekly article calls it "possibly the quintessential springtime movie for the title musical sequence alone," featuring infectious songs and Andrews' unforgettable performance. "The film blends the historical backdrop of a dark time in world history with an inspiring, triumphant story of hope and love," it notes, cementing its status as "one of the best movie musicals of all time." Premiering on March 2, 1965, in New York City, the film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and grossed over $286 million worldwide on a $8.2 million budget.
Shot on location in Salzburg, Austria, including the Mirabell Gardens and Nonnberg Abbey, The Sound of Music draws from Maria von Trapp's 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The family's real-life flight in 1938 mirrors the film's climax, adding historical weight to its joyful Edelweiss-filled spring meadows.
These recommendations come at a time when streaming services report increased viewership for feel-good content in early spring, according to industry trends from Nielsen. With platforms like Tubi, Disney+, BritBox, and Paramount+ making these films accessible, viewers in places like Appleton, Wisconsin—where spring arrives tentatively around late March—can find solace in stories of renewal amid lingering snowmelt.
While the list spans genres from horror to musicals, it underscores a common thread: spring as a symbol of transformation. As Us Weekly suggests, these movies not only entertain but also "get us hyped for the new season," encouraging audiences to step outside after the credits roll. Related suggestions in the article, like Easter films including Hop, point to holiday tie-ins, with spring festivals and family gatherings amplifying the appeal.
Looking ahead, as awards season wraps and summer blockbusters loom, these timeless picks offer a bridge to warmer days. Film experts, echoing the source, anticipate a surge in nostalgic viewing, with classics like Bambi and The Sound of Music seeing renewed streams on Disney+. For those planning movie nights, the diverse lineup ensures something for every mood, from Austen's wit to Hughes' rebellion.