Last updated: August 24, 2024
Originally posted: January 2, 2023

I’ve been intrigued for a while by the idea of “gentle media.” That is, movies, music, books, or games that have that calm vibe with no shocks, jump scares, or fast paced anything. There’s a key point here, though: gentle media at its best is never boring.

I don’t need gentle media all the time–there are plenty of times when Peter Brötzmann’s Machine Gun or Cannibal Corpse are in rotation–but when I need something calm, I really need it. About five years ago, I started focusing on finding media that would be something I could enjoy even during heavy times where I couldn’t handle much emotionally. And while I occasionally enjoy something so-called “mindless,” this isn’t that.

Movies

Inspired by these two Letterboxd lists, I have a list of my own gentle cinema favorites. Though I really could have included all of Jacques Tati’s Hulot movies (as well as Jour de Fête), I primarily included M. Hulot’s Holiday because it is the quintessential example of gentle cinema: calming, comedically engaging, and a cinematic locale you want to come back to. I enjoy a visit to the beach with M. Hulot every couple of years and I hope to go there for real someday, too.

A few movies from my list have a bit of action to them (Defending Your Life and Brian and Charles, for example), but the overall vibe of these movies means they are ones you can put on, engage with, and feel calmed but not bored. Almost a third are documentaries. There are also a few animated films in there, for good measure.

[Gentle Cinema Favorites Letterboxd list cover grid

Television/Other Video

Joe Pera Talks With You. Period. It is the holy grail of gentle media. Joe Pera’s entire demeanor is almost comically calm, yet it’s also genuine. The character in the series is accepted and not mocked. The stories are engaging and often downright funny. The first conversation between Joe and Gene is a great example.

(And, of course, we all have our favorite sitcoms that feel like home. Those work, too.)

As you might expect, there’s plenty of calming stuff on YouTube. I have a half-sarcastic playlist called “Thrilling Videos of Action!!!!!” as well as some videos I occasionally post featuring one-minute nature breaks I film in the middle of runs.

Books

Some recent favorite reads include:

  • Wintering and Enchantment by Katherine May
  • Autumn Light by Pico Iyer
  • Figuring by Maria Popova
  • On Lighthouses by Jazmina Barrera

And on the fiction side of things:

  • The Gate by Natsume Sōseki
  • The Summer Book by Tove Jansson.

Collections of poetry (especially haiku) work well, too.

Apps/Websites/Games

To be honest, I haven’t tried many of the Calm/Headspace-type apps, but I do appreciate some chill games like Townscaper, Animal Crossing, and A Short Hike. There are so many potential games that I just haven’t tried yet… for whatever reason, they’re one of the last places I go to when I’m looking for something gentle.

As far as web sites: Maria Popova’s The Marginalian (f/k/a Brain Pickings), The New York Times Crossword , and any new pop-up newsletter by Craig Mod.

Music

Music is tricky because the easy thing to do would be to say “listen to all this droning ambient music!” Instead, I’m just going to share a few things from the last few years that have caught my ears.

The Joe Pera/Jacques Tati of my music category is Ólafur Arnalds. A former hardcore and metal drummer (?!!), his vibe really does it for me. Island Songs (2016), Living Room Songs (2011), or some kind of peace (2020) are all fantastic. Also, the Island Songs making-of documentary is a great watch (and on my above gentle cinema list).

Kavita Shah’s Visions from 2014 is great as is Kadhja Bonet’s The Visitor from 2016 (apparently music by people with a first name starting with “K” and an album title starting with “V” are relaxing). And so much of Natalia LaFourcade’s music fits as well, perhaps nothing as much as this Tiny Desk concert she did (love love love “Soledad y el Mar”).

I’ve got a sloppy playlist with other chill-but-not-lame stuff called “You Gots to Chill.”

Podcasts/Other audio

When I look at other categories of gentle media, I don’t want something that’s going to put me to sleep. But in terms of gentle podcasts, I think a goal of lulling you to sleep is reasonable.

Obviously, podcasts like “Sleep With Me"/” Sleep to Strange" and the AI-generated “Deep Dreams” fit the bill quite well, but “Drifting Off with Joe Pera” is also a great one that has content engaging enough that if you do fall asleep listening to it, you’ll probably want to go back when you’re awake and listen to it again. I also really like The Northwoods Baseball Radio Network, a fake baseball game announced as if it was real, but in a very calming way with no sudden changes in volume. Or maybe try some of these, suggested by Scoots from “Sleep With Me.”

I also kinda love BBC 4 Shipping Forecasts. The have a slight variety in voices and kind of remind me of NOAA Weather Band radio, which holds a fond place in my memory, especially the marine forecasts.

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This is a pretty short list, but I’d like to hear what else you think might fit the bill. Tell me about it.